Chainflip swaps: how to complete one and trace a delay

A chainflip swap starts when you send the selected asset to its assigned deposit address, then moves through source-chain confirmation, execution and delivery to your destination address.

Reading the status by stage helps separate confirmation waits from a swap that has executed but is still awaiting delivery.

Chainflip’s documentation describes deposit-channel swaps as automatic after the deposit: validators witness the incoming transaction, the State Chain processes it against liquidity pools, and the output is sent to the destination chain. Before sending, check the source asset, destination asset, destination address and the quoted output; then submit the amount to the address generated for that swap. The editorial reference chainflip is useful here as a name for the protocol, but the transaction record is what shows the progress of an individual swap.

How does a chainflip swap move from deposit to delivery?

A chainflip swap passes through three main mechanisms: ingress, execution and egress. During ingress, validators observe the source-chain deposit and wait for the required confirmations before registering it on the State Chain. That wait depends on the source network; Bitcoin confirmation time, for example, is generally longer than on faster chains.

Once witnessed, the deposit is processed through Chainflip’s Just-In-Time AMM. A route that uses multiple liquidity pools may execute through intermediate assets before reaching the requested output. During egress, the protocol prepares and broadcasts an outbound transaction. The destination network then needs to confirm that transaction before the funds appear in a wallet.

Keep the source transaction hash and the generated deposit address. Chainflip Scan can locate a swap using the deposit address, destination address or source transaction hash, and its detail page shows status changes and transaction information.

Where should I check when a chainflip swap is delayed?

Start with the status shown for the swap, then check the corresponding chain explorer. “Awaiting Deposit” means the incoming transaction has not yet been detected or has not reached the necessary confirmations. Confirm that the source transaction was broadcast and that it went to the correct address on the correct chain. Deposit addresses are asset- and chain-specific, so a mismatched transfer may not be recognised as the intended swap.

• Awaiting Deposit: check the source transaction’s confirmation status and verify the address and asset.
• Swap Executing: the deposit has been witnessed and is being processed on the State Chain.
• Egress Pending: execution has occurred and the outbound transaction is being prepared.
• Broadcast or Complete: use the outbound transaction hash to check delivery and confirmations on the destination chain.

Chainflip’s status guidance notes that destination congestion can extend egress waits. A “Complete” status means the lifecycle is finished; compare the outbound transaction’s destination address and amount with your intended recipient and check its confirmation on the destination chain.

What can cause a swap to refund or stop progressing?

A chainflip swap may take longer when the source chain needs more confirmations, the destination chain is congested, or the swap was configured with price protection or split execution. Chainflip’s protocol documentation says minimum-price or oracle-slippage conditions can cause retries; if the set retry period expires without a qualifying execution, remaining funds are refunded to the specified refund address. With a DCA swap, earlier completed chunks may still be delivered while unexecuted funds are refunded.

If the deposit has not appeared, verify the transaction and details before sending anything again. Deposit channels expire, so a late transfer to an expired channel may not be accepted. If the swap is broadcast but funds remain absent, follow the outbound hash on the destination chain. The useful diagnosis is the stage: source confirmation, State Chain execution or destination delivery each points to a different place to check.