Choose Chainflip for a supported exchange between blockchains when you want the receiving asset in your own wallet. A cross-chain swap trades an asset on one blockchain for an asset on another. The right choice depends on the exact networks, the amount you receive, and how long you can wait.
Key points
Your input enters a protocol vault, and the output leaves a vault on another blockchain. A vault is a wallet controlled by the protocol’s validator network. Validators are independent computers that check deposits and approve payments.
Before: you hold 0.01 BTC in a Bitcoin wallet. After: you hold the quoted amount of ETH in an Ethereum wallet. That ETH is native ETH, rather than a wrapped token representing a coin held elsewhere.
Here is the path between those two wallets. You send BTC to a deposit address created for the swap. The State Chain, the protocol’s own record of trades, tracks the deposit and trades it against available liquidity. Liquidity means assets offered for swaps; BTC-to-ETH trades can pass through USDC between the two assets.
Validators then approve the ETH payment from an Ethereum vault. They use Threshold Signatures, which require many validators to sign together. The protocol overview explains how the vaults and State Chain work together.
A Chainflip swap fits the example when you want native ETH at your Ethereum address. If its quote fits, choose Chainflip after comparing Chainflip vs THORChain, then arrange the BTC-to-ETH exchange on the crypto swap platform. The useful result to check is the ETH that reaches your wallet.
A route fits only when it supports your starting asset, its current network, and your chosen destination. BTC on Bitcoin and a Bitcoin-backed token on Ethereum are different inputs. Likewise, USDC on Solana and USDC on Ethereum share a name but live on different networks.
Check the asset and network as a pair at both ends. The supported assets list includes BTC on Bitcoin, ETH on Ethereum and Arbitrum, and SOL on Solana. It also names the supported versions of USDC and USDT. Check the live route before acting, since an asset’s presence on the list does not settle every possible pair.
Ask what you actually need at the end. If you need a different coin, a swap addresses that job. If you need the same asset on another network, compare a bridge too. A bridge moves an asset between networks, sometimes by issuing a wrapped version; check what your receiving wallet will hold.
Compare the final receiving amount, rather than one advertised fee. Chainflip’s documented network fee is typically about 0.10%, with a $0.50 minimum. Liquidity fees are about 0.10%–0.15% for each pool used. The source transfer, destination payment, and any platform charge add to the cost.
For an illustrative $1,000 BTC-to-ETH trade, 0.10% is $1. Two pool fees at 0.10%–0.15% add about $2–$3. That makes roughly $3–$4 in those protocol fees, before network costs, other charges, or price changes. The swap fee schedule explains the separate charges.
A quote estimates what you will receive; execution happens after your deposit is confirmed. Slippage is the difference between the quoted price and the execution price. Compare quotes for the same input amount at about the same time, then check the minimum amount you will accept.
Waiting time depends on the starting network. A Bitcoin deposit typically needs three blocks, roughly 30 minutes at an average block pace, before the protocol processes it. Actual timing varies. An optional faster route can carry an extra fee, so compare its receiving amount with the time it saves.