The deBridge Liquidity Network (DLN) protocol supports bridging any liquid token from the source chain to the destination chain, not just reserve assets. While the actions taken by the system are similar to those used when bridging reserve assets, the internal flow differs and introduces considerations that must be communicated clearly for a seamless end-user experience. Cross-chain settlements are executed in reserve assets to simplify operations for solvers. As a result, whenever a non-reserve asset is bridged, it must first be swapped into a reserve asset before the order is created—a process referred to as the Pre-Order-Swap. The create-tx API automatically handles this swap step. It queries DeFi aggregators in the background to simulate the swap and produce response.tx.calldata (see step 1a in the diagram). The API is optimized to select the best available rate. Once a user signs and submits response.tx, the DLN smart contracts initiate the process by transferring the approved non-reserve assets to themselves (step 3a). The actual Pre-Order-Swap is executed via an Automated Market Maker (AMM) (step 3b). Given the potential for price slippage, the destination chain estimate is based on the minimum amount a user would receive from the swap.
If integrators prefer to manage the swap path manually, they can perform the conversion to reserve assets themselves before calling the create-tx endpoint — ensuring complete control over the swap route.
This design—basing estimates on the minimum outcome of the Pre-Order-Swap — helps shield users from market volatility and reduces the likelihood of orders being ignored due to insufficient profitability from a solver’s perspective. Once the swap completes, the reserve assets are locked within the protocol until the order is either fulfilled or cancelled.
If the order is cancelled, the locked reserve assets are returned to the user. It is important to note that the user will receive reserve assets back — not the original non-reserve assets used at the start of the process.