Why two networks have to be coordinated
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and other networks validate their own transactions independently. A transaction confirmed by one network does not automatically create a transaction on another. A cross-chain route watches for the source deposit under its confirmation rules and then coordinates delivery of the destination asset.
This is why a source transaction hash and a destination transaction hash describe different events. Both may be needed to understand whether a swap is waiting for confirmations, being executed, completed, or entering a recovery state.
Cross-chain swap versus bridge
A bridge usually describes moving a representation of value between networks, sometimes keeping the same ticker or creating a wrapped asset. A swap describes exchanging one asset for another. A transaction can do both at once when the source and destination assets are different and live on different networks.
Names alone are not enough to identify the result. Check the exact destination asset and network in the quote—for example, native ETH on Ethereum is not the same asset as ETH represented on Arbitrum, and native BTC is not WBTC on Ethereum.
The transaction flow
First, select a source asset and network and a destination asset and network. Next, enter an amount and request a current quote. The quote should identify the expected receive amount, minimum received where applicable, and its expiry or freshness.
Before creating the swap, provide a destination address on the destination network and a refund address on the source network. After creation, send only the requested asset and amount to the displayed deposit address. Keep the source transaction hash so the route can be tracked without exposing wallet secrets.
- Select network-qualified assets rather than relying on a ticker alone.
- Review a fresh quote and its minimum received before continuing.
- Verify both destination and refund addresses against the correct networks.
- Send only the exact asset and amount in the current deposit instructions.
Why quotes expire
Liquidity, market prices, and network conditions can change between quote creation and deposit confirmation. An expiry limits how long the route accepts the quoted conditions. If a quote is stale, request a new one instead of using old deposit instructions.
No static guide can provide a valid rate, minimum, or settlement time. Those values are specific to the live route and amount, and an estimate is not a completion guarantee.
What to verify before sending
Blockchain transfers are generally irreversible. A correctly formatted address may still belong to the wrong person, and the same token ticker can exist on several networks. Confirm the site domain, source network, destination network, asset, amount, address, and quote freshness independently.
Standard swaps do not require a TorrentSwap account, but that does not make on-chain activity anonymous. Transactions and addresses remain visible on their public ledgers, and route availability or checks can vary.