Saga is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol that allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. Learn more in this article.

 universe right now is the lack of accessible tools for developers. Many people interested in designing new 

 projects struggle to find the right software developer kits (SDKs) for their projects. The Saga ecosystem aims to fix this issue by providing unparalleled support to app and game developers. 

Can the Saga ecosystem really become the premier chain for web3 development? Keep reading to learn how it works and see whether it's likely to attract new developers.

 blockchain protocol. It allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. People who work on Saga all share the same security, scaling solutions and SDKs, but they each get their own unique chain that they can customize to suit their needs.

 of technology, crypto and finance enthusiasts. CEO Rebecca Liao is a co-founder of the Skuchain project, the designer of the 

 and a former international corporate attorney. Other members of the founding team include former Tendermint executive Jin Kwon, Blocktech Ventures founder Bogdan Alexandrescu and 

. They realized that there was a major need for a development-focused blockchain specifically designed for game project development. Saga's mission has attracted many major investors, 

Saga aims to create a new system for web3 project developers. Currently, most developers have to choose between the ease of working on an established chain like 

 versus the convenience and customization of designing their own chain. The Saga team realized that the most effective option for game developers would actually be a combination of the two types of development environments.

Saga wants to let developers set up their own sovereign blockchain so they can decide how things like 

 and transaction fees work. However, Saga also aims to provide extensive support for developers in its ecosystem. Its underlying framework ensures that people still have excellent security and a reliable validator set, no matter what their gaming project is.

 ecosystem, whose interchain web development standard is a set of protocols that allows a broad variety of blockchains to communicate with each other. The Saga network uses the 

 and the shared security system of the Cosmos ecosystem to manage the network, and has created its own Layer 1 chain that runs the entire Saga ecosystem and can do things like automatically launching 

The Saga Mainnet handles each developer's compiled smart contract binary. However, it also runs parallel dedicated chains that function as virtual machine (VM) modules capable of handling a specific set of smart contracts. End users for blockchain games and other apps interact only with the dedicated blockchain, while the developer's system manages the fees and individual transactions on the Saga Mainnet.

All of the chains on Saga are validated through optimistic coordination, which requires every Saga validator to validate each chain in the Saga ecosystem via 

 validation, verifying transactions by temporarily locking Saga tokens.

The Saga network contains a lot more than just the basic features offered through the Cosmos SDK and ecosystem. In addition to the software development tools and helpful interface for Saga's validators and developers, the ecosystem also contains the following features.

The overall layout of the Saga ecosystem starts with the Saga Mainnet. Built on the Cosmos hub, this framework includes a full validator set and a dedicated blockchain for handling all smart contracts. The basic protocols are passed on to each child chain in the system, and information is relayed back and forth between the main chain and all of the secondary chains. Saga's validators stake tokens, and then check to make sure every element of the topology follows Saga’s regulations.

 are a method for creating a dedicated blockspace that a developer can manage. These chainlets function as virtual machines that can handle smart contracts and automatically launch Celestia rollups. Each chainlet is its own blockchain that handles nothing but a specific gaming project. Developers decide on the gas fees they'll charge users, and can add chainlets as their projects expand and require more throughput from the remaining validators.

Saga's shared security relies on both the Cosmos hub and its own set of validators to secure the network. Validators on Saga’s network are monitored by auditors who can catch potential issues with individual dedicated chains. If anyone in the validator set fails to properly confirm a smart contract, their staked tokens are automatically confiscated.

 is a publishing system for gaming developers who want to create their own blockchains with help from Saga. It offers infinite scalability, seamless 

 and transactions without gas fees. In addition to use of the Cosmos SDK, developers who choose to publish their game through Saga Origins receive access to a variety of helpful marketing and distribution tools.

 is an interconnected blend of all the developers and projects in the Saga system. Though each sovereign blockchain is fully independent of others, they all join together to offer users a variety of exciting web3 projects. People interested in checking out the latest blockchain designs can join the Multiverse and browse all the neat concepts built on Saga.

To help get the Saga validator system started, Saga released 

 to its community members. People were eligible for the 

 if they had participated in the staking program or played in tournaments to promote Saga ecosystem games. The airdrop eligibility period required remaining validators and other participants to be active between January and October of 2023. Once the airdrop began allowing people to claim tokens, it continued to run until Mar 27, 2024.

 consists of four separate phases. The company has already completed the Andromeda and Cassiopeia phases, which focused on designing the Mainnet and setting up the system of Saga validators. Currently, the Saga team is in the Pegasus phase, which is about releasing tokens and opening the Saga Mainnet to the public. Sometime in late 2022, Saga’s team hopes to reach their Mainnet V2 phase, which will prioritize a new version of the Saga Mainnet with more features and options for dedicated blockspace.

SAGA tokens are the primary method for paying fees on the Saga network. These tokens are also used for staking, and function as a method of confirming Saga transactions. There are a total of 

, of which around 90 million have thus far been released. Saga plans to distribute its tokens as follows:

SAGA is still in the early stages of its token launch. However, it’s already surprised investors, having debuted at $4.91 on Apr 9, 2024 before quickly surging to its ATH to date of $7.60. It then steadily declined over the next few days to its current price of $3.06 as of Apr 19, 2024.

 SAGA, with its experts believing SAGA’s price will reach $15.73 by 2025 and decrease in 2027 to $6.27, before rising again to $13.45 by 2030. This bullish sentiment is amplified by analysts at Changelly, 

 SAGA’s price will increase to $6.91 in 2025, $14.21 in 2027 and $44.36 in 2030.

Looking to trade Saga tokens? Bybit now offers SAGAUSDT Perpetual contracts. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

SAGA has done an extremely impressive job of attracting users, and seems poised to become the big coin debut of April 2024 with its high price.

However, it's hard to say whether SAGA can maintain its price in the long run. It's quite common for new startups to have a strong start and then drop in price once their project fails to take off. If the Saga ecosystem can’t attract new developers and continue to release impressive projects, investors could see some major SAGA losses in the future.

Since this coin is so volatile right now, investors need to 

. It has the potential for both big profits and big losses, so you’ll want to carefully consider how these price shifts might affect your portfolio. For best results, avoid investing more than you can afford to lose, make sure you diversify your investments — and 

By offering developers the chance to create their own dedicated chains, Saga offers a more convenient and scalable system for blockchain gaming. Its helpful features and low transaction fees have already attracted many people, and it's no surprise that many others are interested in the project. Furthermore, SAGA tokens have had a promising start with extremely impressive growth. If the Saga company can successfully capitalize on its early buzz, it has a bright future.

Intermediate

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Saga (SAGA): Catalyzing the Multiverse With Scalable Chains

Discover BitBrawl (BRAWL), a cross-chain compete-to-earn game on Solana with diverse modes, playable NFTs, and a fun, competitive experience.

 gaming has continued to grow with diverse projects looking to tap into this vibrant and promising space. That said, most of the games have focused on the play-to-earn (P2E) aspect of web3 gaming, which has saturated the web3 space with games that lack both enjoyable gameplay and sustainable reward systems.

 is looking to change that by creating the first cross-chain compete-to-earn (C2E) web3 game that encompasses fun, competition and rewards.

 is a cross-chain compete-to-earn (C2E) fighting game built on 

 that aims to provide fun and sustainably reward players. 

Its native token, BRAWL is used to power its compete-to-earn ecosystem.

s mission is to accommodate every player type — from games for competitive players to games for fun that you can play with friends and family. It's also focused on supporting a sustainable compete-to-earn ecosystem featuring weekly, monthly and even yearly tournaments to fairly reward players.

s storyline is based on 10,000 NFTs (brawlers) competing for glory, each one of them with unique skill sets originating from four regions: Nedunia, Ghule Islands, The Dynasty and The Underground.

The Nedunia region is a distant, secret planet consisting of one-eyed humanoids who use logic and rules to maneuver in it. In contrast, the Ghule Islands consist of ghouls who thrive on the adrenaline that comes with fighting.

The Dynasty is a city in the sky whose occupants are known for their ability to wield steel and move around in airships. Finally, The Underground is situated inside a dome on a gas-based asteroid. Its inhabitants have implanted artificial chips in order to manage the fluctuating levels of oxygen and nitrogen at different levels of the dome.

s gameplay involves player vs. player (PvP) matches known as brawls. Each player starts with three lives. Once a player loses all three, the game ends. There are also 2v2 or 3v3 matches for more fun online.

Gameplay consists of the following elements.

Non-fungible tokens (Brawlers) are a crucial component of the 

 game. Each of the NFTs has varying rarity, which will influence the amount of rewards you receive. There are four rarity classes of BitBrawl NFTs: common, epic, mythic and legendary. Each of the four regions in the game has been allocated 2,150 common NFTs, 250 epic NFTs, 100 mythic NFTs and 25 legendary NFTs.

Skins help you customize the in-game appearances of your Brawlers (NFTs). Once you 

 on OpenSea, you can connect your wallet and customize how you want to appear in the game. Skins are purely cosmetic, and do not enhance your NFTs’ power.

 has also partnered with other NFT games to allow you to play for free with their characters. Some notable names partnering with 

 include Karate Combat and G2A, in addition to UFC players such as Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till. Better yet, 

s individual licensing method for NFTs allows you to play using NFTs such as those of 

BRAWL is the native utility token for the 

 game. It’s built on Solana, and has a total supply of 10 billion. As a functional token, BRAWL powers the game's in-game economy. BRAWL use cases include the following:

 in which you can use tickets to spin the wheel and earn points. As a BitBrawl NFT holder, you’re guaranteed daily tickets, with a chance to earn between 10 and 10,000 points.

You can also earn more tickets by partnering with the community, referring friends or participating in missions in the mission hub. Of the total BRAWL supply, 5% has been allocated to rewarding the community through airdrops.

The online gaming world is highly competitive, and 

 has designed a game in which everyone's a winner. The focus of the game is more on competing to earn, rather than simply playing to earn. As such, its competitive and rewarding design makes it fun and enticing.

 has adopted a unique licensing method that allows players to use playable characters from other games. This design makes the project scalable and flexible, so essential to the rapid growth being witnessed in the web3 gaming space. In fact, 

 could experience remarkable growth, especially when the NFT gaming narrative returns.

That said, this isn’t financial advice, and doesn’t guarantee future returns on BRAWL tokens. We highly recommend that you 

 or any other projects in the cryptocurrency market.

You can buy BRAWL on Bybit. It’s available on the Spot trading platform as a 

 provides a competitive but fun way to engage in web3 gaming. With over 10,000 Brawlers to choose from, players can explore the four regions and engage with others through the three modes in the game. 

s partnership with projects that allow the use of other NFTs in the game is also a unique approach.All in all, 

 is one Solana-based project to watch, due to its innovative gameplay and fun approach to gaming.

Beginner

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BitBrawl (BRAWL): Fight for Glory in a Cross-Chain Combat Adventure

Discover how to easily mint and buy Runes tokens with the Xverse Runes wallet and Magic Eden marketplace, unlocking investment opportunities on the Bitcoin blockchain.

) reward halving is a monumental occasion for both the crypto industry and users. Halving is a once-every-four-years event that always draws significant attention. However, the April 2024 event is special on an entirely new level, thanks to the highly anticipated launch of the 

 protocol, schƒeduled to go live right after the halving kicks in.

Runes is a revolutionary standard for creating fungible tokens on the Bitcoin blockchain. The standard is widely anticipated to set a new paradigm on the Bitcoin network, turning it into a thriving multi-asset ecosystem with significant trading and investment opportunities. Most importantly, Runes is vastly more efficient and user-friendly than BRC-20, an earlier Bitcoin fungible token standard.

 is a new token standard and technology for creating fungible cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin’s blockchain. (This new token standard is not to be confused with RUNE, the native token of 

). It allows users to issue and manage fungible tokens using Bitcoin's unspent transaction outputs (

), which represent the outputs of standard Bitcoin transfers. The concept of Bitcoin Runes was introduced in September 2023 by Casey Rodarmor, the enigmatic developer who also created Bitcoin 

Runes is widely expected to go live right after the Bitcoin 

 event (scheduled to occur on Apr 18, 2024, it's estimated to actually occur on April 19 or 20). The first Runes token will most likely be issued by Rodarmor himself. Following that, it's expected that a large number of Runes tokens will appear on Bitcoin, quickly leading to a thriving trade and creating investment opportunities on a scale that Bitcoin has probably never seen before.

Back in 2023, Rodarmor's Ordinals technology opened up a unique way of creating Bitcoin-based 

. Runes will now usher in an era of fungible crypto tokens on the blockchain. While it's not the first fungible token standard for Bitcoin, it's estimated to be the first technology that facilitates an efficient and user-friendly way of creating Bitcoin-based cryptos.

Runes will introduce a lightweight method for creating fungible assets on Bitcoin, thanks to its utilizing the blockchain's native UTXO model. The process of creating and transferring Runes tokens involves attaching messages, called Runestones, to a Bitcoin transaction. As such, there's no need to create any additional UTXOs or other unnecessary elements on the network. By using ordinary UTXOs generated during Bitcoin transfers, Runes avoids placing any significant load on the network.

Which Projects Are Building on the Runes Protocol?

Although the first fungible Runes tokens won't appear on the network until after the halving event, some projects have already begun experimenting with the concept by introducing Runes-themed Bitcoin NFT collections based on the Bitcoin Ordinals protocol. Typically, these projects promise 

 of their future fungible tokens to people who have purchased NFTs from their current collections.

Runestone is one of the earliest and most popular Runes-themed projects. It’s a Bitcoin NFT collection based on Ordinals, with each NFT depicting a 3D stone that has an ancient rune symbol inscribed on it.

There are 112,400 Runestone NFTs in the collection, and many of the items are listed for sale on 

, a popular multi-chain NFT marketplace. As of Apr 17, 2024, the most expensive Runestone NFT is listed for an asking price of 787 BTC. Notably, with a market cap of 9,779 BTC ($606,042,181), Runestone is currently the highest-capped Rune-themed Bitcoin NFT collection and the second highest-capped NFT collection overall, right behind the legendary Ethereum-based 

Rune Pups is another high-profile Runes-themed Bitcoin NFT collection. Each NFT in the collection is a rune-laced drawing of a broadly smiling creature, which does somewhat resemble a pup. There are 10,778 NFTs in the collection.

Pups are among the most popular Runes NFTs, with a highest asking price of 777 BTC (for item #10,733) and a market cap of 1,301 BTC (~$80 million).

 is a collection of 21,000 NFTs, each with a dynamically changing set of ancient rune symbols. Owning an NFT from the collection will automatically open up ways to mine new fungible tokens that the project plans to introduce as soon as Runes is operational. As such, this collection goes beyond simple NFT ownership, turning your non-fungible tokens into yield-generating assets.

Runes isn't the first fungible token standard for Bitcoin. This honor belongs to the 

 standard introduced in March 2023. Unfortunately, BRC-20 is a cumbersome and inefficient way of creating Bitcoin-based fungible cryptos. It relies on inscribing data into tokens using the Ordinals protocol, and generates a lot of "junk" UTXOs on the network.

Due to the novelty of the BRC-20 technology, many Bitcoin users jumped on the idea of using it to issue their tokens, seriously congesting the network and creating a significant "anti-BRC-20" sentiment within the Bitcoin community.

Runes fungible tokens are, however, vastly different from 

. The Runes technology utilizes Bitcoin's native UTXO model, doesn't generate "junk" outputs on the network and places a very modest load on the blockchain. Thanks to all of these advantages, Runes tokens are likely to lead to a much more active and robust trade in fungible assets as compared to BRC-20.

In Runes terminology, issuing a new fungible token is called “etching,” while adding tokens to the existing supply is known as minting. If you prefer to etch and mint Runes tokens on your own, the process is relatively easy for the technically minded.

 software and run your own full network node. Then, install 

 for the Ordinals and Runes protocols. The latter has been implemented under the Ordinals software packages. Ensure that you thoroughly practice etching, minting and transferring on the test network to familiarize yourself with the protocol.

You can also pre-buy Runes on Magic Eden. Probably the best wallet to use for these purposes is Xverse's 

, as it’s specifically designed for user-friendly Runes token management and easy integration with Magic Eden. This marketplace is currently the go-to platform to get early Runes tokens and Runes-themed NFTs.

You can buy any Runes-themed Bitcoin Ordinals NFT on Magic Eden in order to have Runes fungible tokens airdropped to your wallet once the protocol's operations kick in.

If you’re not able to buy your NFT in time, it’s still not too late to get your hands on one of the most promising assets in the market. You can still wait for Runes to be listed on 

The arrival of the first Runes tokens is expected to liven up Bitcoin like virtually nothing before. Ordinals were a paradigm-setting innovation, but they were focused on non-fungible assets, which have traditionally lagged behind cryptocurrencies in terms of trading and investment applications. BRC-20 tokens were the first fungible assets on the Bitcoin platform, but their inefficient, network-clogging mode of operation severely limited their adoption and use cases.

Runes are different: For the first time in the history of Bitcoin, there’s an efficient, native way of creating and managing fungible crypto assets on the Bitcoin blockchain. This heralds a plethora of unique 

 for Bitcoin enthusiasts — at the very moment when the much-anticipated halving has arrived!

Advanced

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How to Get Into Bitcoin Runes With the Runes Launch at Halving

Nolus is a decentralized finance lending protocol with cross-chain capabilities. Learn more about how it works in this article.

One of the big advantages of decentralized finance (

) is that it provides more options for users. People who cannot get traditional loans because a typical bank deems them "high-risk" can turn to the DeFi sector to borrow crypto assets. The Nolus Protocol is a new DeFi lender that offers users all sorts of exciting opportunities. To see how this intriguing project works, explore this guide to learn all about Nolus.

 is a DeFi lending protocol. It has cross-chain capabilities that let people choose the most favorable rates possible and avoid the need to save up funds for liquidity.

Nolus was founded by Ivan Kostov and Kamen Trendafilov. Kostov worked in traditional finance, while Trendafilov has a background in marketing and business. During their time in these sectors, Nolus's founders realized that blockchain networks had the potential to revolutionize banking. They decided to join together and create a new leasing system that makes the most of DeFi products instead of just trying to mimic past banking methods.

Nolus started work on its plans in 2022 and officially launched its mainnet in 2023, having successfully completed several investing rounds and receiving 

 Token Metrics, Autonomy Capital, Everstake and more.

Nolus aims to tackle three problems common in crypto lending markets:

 software developer kit (SDK). Its code is entirely open sourced, and is updated and changed only when all stakeholders in the Nolus community vote to do so. According to the Nolus white paper, its ecosystem’s goal is “to build a novel user experience–driven automated money market” that facilitates direct interactions between lenders and borrowers without involving any other users.

The Nolus lending method starts with lenders choosing to supply 

 to the system. Any borrower who submits a down payment can get a loan from this supply of stablecoins. Both the coins and the down payment are 

, and interest is determined based on the value of the items. There’s no fixed repayment schedule, but the smart contracts ensure that interest is automatically removed from the collateral, and then paid to the lender at regular intervals. Once the user decides to repay the lease, the original assets are released from the smart contract.

Nolus's lending protocol includes many ways for customers to profit and enjoy convenient services. Here are the main DeFi products you can access through Nolus.

DeFi leasing on Nolus is designed to be as convenient as possible. Customers don’t have to go through a lengthy application or pay a lot of fees to other users. You just enter your collateral and get a loan of up to three times the value of the initial investment. Interest rates vary between 11% and 18%, based on the market value of the digital assets. The 

 allow the loan to be repaid on your own schedule. However, keep in mind that you pay more interest if you wait a longer amount of time to repay the loan.

If you want to earn money based on your existing crypto, you can join one of the many 

 on Nolus by submitting stablecoins in exchange for interest-bearing Nolus crypto. When you're ready to withdraw your funds and stop participating in DeFi leasing, you can cash out your Nolus tokens to receive your initial asset, plus any additional interest or network fees you’ve earned.

Nolus's system of money markets isn't the only thing they provide. Users who decide to 

 a crypto asset on Nolus can earn more money. The Nolus ecosystem offers the option of staking NLS tokens in exchange for various incentives. Lenders receive higher amounts of rewards for lending stablecoins, and borrowers get a lower interest rate.

Nolus has had some impressive growth since its launch in 2023. In just six months, the lending protocol has assisted with thousands of loans, collectively worth $8.6 million in total. Its team calculates that they've managed to achieve an average 

Nolus hopes to expand on this momentum in 2024. Its main plan is to continue marketing the lending protocol heavily, attracting more users who want to do their own research and find the best possible loans. To further attract users from the DeFi sector, Nolus aims to add more support for other crypto tokens and increase network liquidity. Nolus stands for community-led governance, so they don't have a long-term road map in place. Instead, they plan to evolve and adjust to suit whatever community needs arise in the future.

. It allows users to adjust their interest rates, and it's also a 

. People with NLS tokens can vote on how the platform is run and help implement new changes for the platform. The NLS token has a total supply of 1 billion. Nolus’s plan is to gradually mint tokens over a ten-year period, and implement a token buyback program to help maintain value. NLS token distribution will be as follows:

When the NLS token was released in the summer of 2023, Nolus prices were fairly stable. However, now that investors can sell their NLS tokens, prices have become more volatile. Starting in December 2023, NLS prices 

, and although the token currently seems to be dropping from its all-time high of $0.10, more price increases seem likely in the future.

Not only is the market for the NLS token quite bullish right now, but the Nolus lending protocol is also attracting a lot of positive attention in the crypto space. If the network can maintain its positive attention and attract more users, prices seem likely to rise even further. CoinCodex predicts Nolus prices will stay in the $0.04 to $0.19 range for 2025, and hit 

. This attitude is backed up by crypto influencers such as Crypto Revolution, 

 an underrated crypto with a lot of potential for growth.

The Nolus project is a well-thought-out crypto protocol that offers users significant advantages. Its innovative approach to lending could potentially attract a lot of users from the DeFi space. In addition to having a reliable system backed with effective technology and a detailed white paper, NLS digital assets have also experienced some promising growth patterns. The crypto asset has had a slow yet steady climb in price, and now that it's trending in crypto news, it seems poised to take off.

However, keep in mind that it's still important to 

 on digital assets. Some crypto investors might find it concerning that the Nolus project is mostly backed by marketers, instead of blockchain enthusiasts. There have also been some tech issues, such as the 

 that led to some unnecessary margin calls. Subsequent issues could limit price appreciation of its crypto assets. Therefore, it's necessary to approach Nolus with caution and not overextend your finances.

Nolus's DeFi lease system allows people to obtain easy access to crypto. Its innovative approach provides investors with significant advantages. Unlike traditional finance, there's no lengthy application process, and in contrast to many other blockchain networks Nolus doesn't have frequent margin calls or high network fees. As long as Nolus doesn't run into any technological issues or financial problems, its network is likely to have a lot of success in the DeFi space.

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Nolus (NLS): Crafting Liquidity's Future With Leading DeFi Leases

Blockchain

Find the process of swapping and trading coins and tokens troublesome? Make this process a breeze with atomic swaps.

Decentralized exchanges have become a reliable way to exchange cryptocurrencies where people don’t have to utilize any exchange-based wallet. Instead, exchanging crypto is possible through a noncustodial wallet that only holds a private key. Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) use several trading mechanisms, such as order books and automated market makers (AMMs), to make transactions smooth and secure.

However, DEXs have gotten a boost in user adoption from developments such as atomic swaps, a peer-to-peer exchange method in which two or more parties can directly exchange cryptos through their personal wallets. One of the largest privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, Monero (XMR), has experienced a 20% price surge after implementing the atomic swap in its system. According to Monero project contributor ErCiccione, this brand-new concept allows investors to exchange BTC and XMR without involving any third-party exchanges.

Implementing atomic swap represents a big leap for the cryptocurrency industry as traders and investors now have more liquidity in the market. In the following sections, we’ll look at what are atomic swaps, provide easy examples and elaborate on the transaction process.

Atomic swaps are a technique of quickly exchanging cryptocurrencies on different blockchain systems. This method is often known as atomic cross-chain trading, where the exchange happens through a smart contract between two personal crypto wallets. It is a peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction system using different blockchains.

 (CEXs) have the biggest position in digital asset trading. They allow investors to experience traditional trading in crypto, such as forex, stocks and commodities. The exchanges are responsible for managing and funding the wallet, just as a bank would do. On the other hand, DEXs enable investors to trade their crypto coins without involving an exchange-based wallet. Traders can directly exchange and trade cryptocurrencies from their noncustodial wallets. DEXs, however, use several mechanisms to make trading more secure, with atomic swap being one of them.

Although the atomic swap is an innovative way to exchange cryptocurrencies, the idea of cross-chain trading came after many years of discussion. In 2013, Tier Nolan 

 the atomic swap system. Before that, Daniel Larimer presented the trustless exchange protocol 

 in 2012, and some people consider it to be the atomic swap prototype.

Since then, many crypto enthusiasts and developers have started experimenting with the atomic swap protocol, with the Bitcoin, Litecoin, Decred and Komodo communities playing an important role. The first P2P atomic swap took place in 2014, but it became publicly available in 2017 after a successful swap between Litecoin and Bitcoin. In addition to being used as part of CEXs, the atomic swap has a trustless and peer-to-peer nature. This is why traders consider it to be a true decentralized trading system.

Now that you know what are atomic swaps, it’s time to explore how they function. The term atomic connotes processes that will either complete or not start at all. In other words, we can consider the atomic swap as a function which ensures all predetermined conditions are fulfilled before a trade occurs. Atomic swaps became possible with the utilization of the smart contract, an automated process to enforce conditions during a transaction.

The atomic swap uses a two-way virtual safe function, the hashed timelock contract (

 which utilizes complex mathematical encryption known as hash function. Moreover, it implements a time constraint by which the transaction is reversed if any parties fail to fulfill conditions within a predetermined time.

For example, two parties may agree to set a one-hour time constraint for an atomic swap. If either of the parties doesn’t fulfill all of the trading conditions within one hour, the contract will send the crypto coins back to the original owner.

As a trustless trading system, the atomic swap uses HTLC with the following protocols:

There are two ways to process the atomic swap: on-chain and off-chain. With the on-chain method, the atomic swap takes place on a single blockchain network. On the other hand, in the off-chain atomic swap the transaction occurs via a secondary layer. This type of atomic swap uses bidirectional payment channels, which is a mechanism comparable to 

Let’s break down the atomic swap system from start to finish:

Now, let’s look at an example of how an atomic swap would take place in the real market:

Let’s say Allison and Scott are friends who want to exchange cryptocurrencies through an atomic swap. First, Allison deposits Litecoin into a safe contract address. While creating the contract, Allison generates an access key and shares the cryptographic hash with Scott. Remember that Scott cannot access the deposited Litecoin yet, because he knows only the hash, not the access key.

Next, Scott creates another safe contract address using the hash provided by Allison and deposits his Bitcoin. To claim the deposited BTC, Allison needs the same access key that she created while depositing. As soon as she claims the BTC with the access key, the swap is completed.

The overall process is straightforward and neither party has to rely on a CEX that charges more.

One detail which might catch investors’ attention is that the atomic swap has a decentralized nature, thereby obviating the need for a CEX or any other mediator. Two or more parties can easily execute a transaction with a cross-chain swap. In this way, the whole process runs through a high-security environment, and no party has to give their funds to a CEX or any other third party. On the other hand, some limitations might discourage people from using atomic swaps.

Let’s look at some of atomic swaps’ advantages and disadvantages..

We hope that you now understand what are atomic swaps with this handy guide. Although there are some disadvantages to consider, the atomic swap has become a gateway for improved privacy and security in cryptocurrency trading. Its inter-chain operability allows users to swap more than 7,800 different cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the atomic swap, along with other blockchain connectors, will play an important role in the ongoing evolution of the crypto industry.

Why Atomic Swaps Are Revolutionizing Decentralized Crypto Trading

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards