How to swap native crypto with Chainflip

Chainflip swaps native crypto between blockchains by registering a destination for the trade, then sending the source asset into the swap flow. Chainflip describes its service as a decentralized exchange for native assets such as BTC, ETH, SOL and USDC, without wrapped tokens.

The key step is making sure the deposit is tied to the intended destination asset, chain and address. For that cross-chain swap, chainflip.org describes Chainflip as a decentralized exchange that swaps native assets between blockchains without wrapped tokens. The protocol needs the swap details as well as the funds; sending assets straight to a vault without first initiating a swap can result in a loss, according to Chainflip’s documentation.

How does a Chainflip swap move crypto between chains?

A Chainflip swap records what the user is sending and where the output should go before the deposit is made. Chainflip’s documentation describes two ways to initiate one: registering a swap intent through a broker, which creates a deposit channel, or calling a swap function in a Chainflip Vault contract.

Once the swap is initiated and the deposit arrives, the protocol executes the trade through its liquidity pools and sends the resulting native asset to the specified destination. That means the user can receive an asset on another chain without first receiving a wrapped version of it. The source chain and destination chain still process their own transactions, so this is a sequence across networks, not a single transaction on one chain.

How do you use Chainflip for a native asset swap?

Start with the wallet holding the asset to trade and a destination address on the receiving chain. Then follow the swap flow to register the trade before sending funds; use this sequence to avoid leaving the network without instructions about the intended output:

• Choose the source asset and the native asset to receive, checking that the pair is available.
• Enter the destination chain and address carefully; that address determines where the output is sent.
• Review the swap details and initiate the swap to get the deposit instructions for the source asset.
• Send the specified asset through those instructions, from a wallet on the matching source chain.

After the deposit, Chainflip describes the swap as automatic: no further action is needed for the trade to take place. Keep the transaction record from the sending wallet so you can distinguish the deposit transaction from the later payout on the destination chain.

What should you check before sending crypto?

Check the asset, chain and destination address together before approving the source transaction. A ticker alone is not enough: the same asset name can refer to tokens on different networks, and a destination address must be suitable for the chain and asset being received.

There are also costs on both sides of a cross-chain swap. Chainflip’s documentation says the sender pays the source-chain deposit transaction cost, while the destination transfer has a network fee that varies by chain; the trade also uses liquidity pools. Available price protection depends on the asset, so readers should review the stated terms for the particular swap instead of assuming every route has the same safeguards.

The practical takeaway is to treat registration as part of the transaction: set the destination first, confirm the route and address, then send the source asset. Check the current pair and swap terms before initiating each trade, since supported assets and available protections can change.