Frequently Asked Questions about ThorSwap

ThorSwap is a decentralized liquidity protocol that enables native cross-chain swaps without wrapping, bridges, or centralized intermediaries. It uses a network of independent nodes that collectively manage liquidity vaults on multiple blockchains simultaneously.

When you swap BTC to ETH using ThorSwap, your Bitcoin is sent directly to a ThorSwap-managed vault on the Bitcoin network, and ETH is sent from a corresponding vault on the Ethereum network — all settled transparently on-chain within minutes. The protocol's native token, RUNE, acts as the settlement asset in every liquidity pool.

ThorSwap supports a wide and growing range of native assets across multiple blockchains, including:

• Bitcoin (BTC) — native, no wrapping required
• Ethereum (ETH) and ERC-20 tokens
• Binance Chain (BNB) and BEP-20 tokens
• Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Avalanche (AVAX), Cosmos (ATOM), Polkadot and more

New chains and tokens are continuously added through community governance. All swaps are fully non-custodial — you retain control of your assets at every step.

Swapping on ThorSwap involves two types of fees:

1. Outbound Fee: A network fee to cover the transaction cost on the destination chain (e.g., the Bitcoin miner fee when sending BTC). This is paid in the outbound asset.

2. Liquidity Fee: A dynamic fee paid to liquidity providers. It scales with the size of your swap relative to the pool depth — larger swaps incur higher slip fees, which protects the pool from manipulation.

There is no flat percentage trading fee charged by ThorSwap itself. All fees go directly to node operators and liquidity providers who secure and power the network.

ThorSwap is secured through a combination of cryptoeconomic incentives and decentralized node infrastructure:

• Node bonding: Each validator node must bond at least twice the value it manages in RUNE, making attacks economically irrational.
• Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS): Vault keys are split across multiple nodes — no single party can unilaterally move funds.
• Churning: Vault memberships rotate regularly, limiting the window of opportunity for any coordinated attack.
• On-chain transparency: All transactions and vault states are publicly verifiable.

The protocol has undergone multiple independent security audits. As with all DeFi protocols, users should be aware of smart contract risk and only transact amounts they are comfortable with.

Swap times on ThorSwap depend on the confirmation requirements of the source blockchain:

• Bitcoin (BTC): Typically 2 confirmations — around 20–30 minutes
• Ethereum (ETH): Usually 1–2 minutes
• BNB Chain, Avalanche, Cosmos: Often under 1 minute
• Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash: Around 5–10 minutes

For smaller swap amounts, ThorSwap may apply a streaming swap — splitting the order into multiple smaller sub-swaps over time to minimize price impact and achieve a better effective rate. This can extend total swap time but significantly improves output for large trades.

No. ThorSwap is a fully permissionless protocol. You do not need to create an account, submit identity documents, or pass any KYC verification to swap assets.

All you need is a compatible wallet and the assets you want to swap. Simply connect your wallet in a supported interface (such as this one), enter the swap details, and confirm the transaction — ThorSwap handles everything else on-chain. Your private keys never leave your wallet.

RUNE is the native asset of the ThorSwap protocol and plays several critical roles:

• Settlement layer: Every liquidity pool pairs an external asset with RUNE, acting as the common settlement unit across all chains.
• Node bonding: Validator nodes must bond RUNE to participate, aligning their incentives with the health of the network.
• Governance: RUNE holders can participate in protocol governance decisions.
• Fee payments: Network fees and rewards are distributed in RUNE.

By using RUNE as the base asset, ThorSwap avoids the need for complex multi-hop routing between arbitrary asset pairs and keeps the system economically coherent.

Yes. Anyone can add liquidity to ThorSwap pools and earn a share of swap fees and block rewards. You can provide liquidity in two ways:

Symmetric liquidity: Deposit equal values of RUNE and an external asset (e.g., BTC + RUNE) into the corresponding pool.

Asymmetric liquidity: Deposit only one side — either just RUNE or just the external asset. ThorSwap automatically balances internally, though this may expose you to different impermanent loss dynamics.

Liquidity providers earn fees proportional to their share of the pool. There is no lockup period — you can withdraw your liquidity at any time.