4 Chainflip swap types and when each fits

Chainflip is a decentralized protocol for swapping supported crypto assets between blockchains. Your choice is mainly a standard swap, a faster boosted swap, a swap split over time, or one paired with a destination contract call; the available route depends on the assets and networks. Once you have chosen a supported route, use Chainflip to carry out the cross-chain exchange.

How Chainflip moves funds between chains

The protocol takes an asset on one supported chain and pays out the requested asset on another. For example, you can send native BTC from Bitcoin and receive SOL on Solana, provided that route is available. This is a swap, not a transfer of the same coins between networks: the asset you receive comes from liquidity on the destination side.

After your deposit is confirmed, Validators record it on the State Chain. The protocol then trades through its just-in-time automated market maker, where liquidity providers supply prices, and Validators arrange the payout. A BTC-to-SOL route can pass through USDC inside the protocol, even though you send BTC and receive SOL; you do not have to acquire USDC first.

That route explains an easy mistake when comparing quotes. A token’s name alone does not identify what you will receive: native BTC on Bitcoin, for instance, differs from a wrapped Bitcoin token on Ethereum. Check both the asset and its network before treating two offers as the same exchange.

Four swap patterns fit different jobs

The four patterns answer different needs: ordinary execution, faster deposit recognition, reduced price impact on a larger trade, and an action after arrival. They are features of a swap rather than four separate protocols, so some can be combined if the route supports them.

• Standard swap — best for a straightforward exchange. You send one supported asset and receive another after the source deposit clears, the trade executes, and the destination payout is broadcast. It fits an occasional transfer where normal confirmation time is acceptable. It does not fit a deadline that depends on a fast Bitcoin deposit.
• Boosted swap — best when source-chain confirmation time matters. With Boost, liquidity providers can cover an eligible incoming deposit so execution begins after an earlier confirmation, for an added fee. On Bitcoin, that can mean acting after roughly one block rather than waiting for the usual three. It does not fit when the extra cost outweighs the time saved; if sufficient Boost liquidity is unavailable, the deposit follows the regular path.
• Split or DCA swap — best for a larger amount that may move the pool price. DCA divides one deposit into chunks executed across State Chain blocks. Smaller chunks can give liquidity providers time to reprice and may improve execution, but the full trade takes longer and the market can move against you between chunks. It does not fit when you need the entire destination amount promptly.
• Cross-chain messaging swap — best when the destination funds must trigger an application action. A cross-chain message carries instructions for a destination contract or program along with the swap; an application might use the arriving asset in a further transaction on Solana. This requires a supported destination and enough gas or compute budget for that action. It does not fit a simple wallet-to-wallet exchange, where an ordinary payout is easier to assess.

A minimum accepted price is another setting, not a fifth swap type. It tells the protocol the lowest execution price you will accept. If the price cannot be met during the allowed retry period, the unswapped amount goes to the specified refund address; with a split swap, earlier chunks may already have completed.

Deposit channels and vault calls are two ways to start

A deposit channel gives a swap its own temporary deposit address, while a vault swap puts the swap instructions into the source-chain transaction. For an occasional user, the deposit-channel path is usually the simpler model to understand: register the destination details, receive the address for that particular swap, then send the source asset there. The channel stays open for 24 hours, so create a fresh one for a later exchange.

A vault swap can start without waiting for a new channel to be created, which is useful to wallets, aggregators, and applications assembling transactions. Its transaction is more complex and may cost more on the source chain. Neither method means that an ordinary transfer to a vault address will start a swap: the protocol needs the destination asset, chain, and address recorded with the deposit.

These are ways to initiate the same underlying trade, not choices between different destination tokens. A Chainflip swap can therefore be described both by its execution pattern, such as Boost, and by how it starts, such as a deposit channel.

Fees, time, and price protection set the result

The amount arriving depends on trading costs, network costs, and the price available when the deposit executes. The protocol’s published typical liquidity fee is about 0.10%–0.15% per pool, and its network fee is about 0.10%, with a small minimum. Your source-chain transaction and the destination payout also incur chain-dependent costs; an intermediary may charge a separate commission.

For an illustrative $2,000 BTC-to-SOL swap routed through BTC/USDC and USDC/SOL, two pool fees at that range would total roughly $4–$6, and a 0.10% network fee would add about $2. That $6–$8 estimate excludes the liquidity provider’s price spread, any price movement before execution, source-chain mining fee, destination broadcast cost, and any intermediary commission. If Boost is used, its published typical fee range adds about 0.05%–0.30% when the deposit is actually boosted.

Chainflip fees are therefore only part of the number to compare: focus on the estimated destination amount for the exact route. The protocol’s official documentation describes both the fee components and its price protections. A minimum accepted price or supported oracle-based slippage limit can stop execution outside your threshold, but a refund can still cost network fees and take time.

A swap starts with the exact route and receiving address

Start by identifying the asset and network you hold, then the asset and network you want to receive. Confirm that both sides form a currently supported route, check the estimated output and minimum amount, and choose standard execution unless faster confirmation or a split trade solves a specific problem. Keep the destination wallet address ready before creating the swap.

For a deposit-channel swap, register the destination and a refund address on the source chain, obtain a fresh deposit address, and send the source asset while that channel is open. Then track the source transaction, swap execution, and destination payout; a Bitcoin deposit can spend much longer awaiting source confirmations than the trade itself spends executing. For a vault swap, sign the transaction carrying the swap instructions rather than sending an ordinary transfer.

Check the receiving network and address character by character before sending, especially when an asset such as USDC exists on several chains. Send only the specified asset on the specified source network, and do not reuse an old deposit address: an expired channel may no longer identify your intended swap. If price protection triggers a refund, look for it at the source-chain refund address, not the destination wallet.

Choose the swap pattern for the outcome you need, then judge the exact route by its destination amount, timing, and refund terms.