Cross-Chain Swap Pending? Find the Delayed Step

A pending cross-chain swap can be delayed at the source chain, inside the protocol, or during the destination payout. The useful first step is to trace those stages separately, because a wallet’s “pending” label does not show which one is incomplete.

Where can a cross-chain swap get delayed?

A cross-chain swap begins with an inbound transaction on the source blockchain. The protocol waits for the required confirmations, observes the deposit and processes the swap before sending an outbound transaction on the destination chain.

On THORChain, a swap between two assets other than RUNE passes through both assets’ RUNE liquidity pools internally. The user sends the source asset and should receive the destination asset; they do not need to handle RUNE. A thor swap is one example of this native-asset route, with more detail on when that route fits.

Each stage can take time for a different reason. Source-chain confirmation depends on that chain, while the destination payout may await signing, available network capacity or an outbound queue. THORChain also throttles some large outbound transactions as a security measure.

How do you find the delayed step?

Compare the source transaction with the protocol’s swap record and the destination-chain transaction. The last confirmed event narrows down what is still pending.

• No source confirmation: Check the source-chain transaction in its block explorer. The protocol cannot process a deposit it has not observed and confirmed.
• Source confirmed, no completed swap: Check whether the protocol has recorded the inbound transaction and whether the swap is still processing or queued.
• Swap processed, no destination receipt: Look for an outbound transaction or its status. If one exists, check it on the destination chain and confirm the receiving address.

A wallet may update later than the chain itself. If the destination transaction is confirmed but the asset is missing from the wallet view, check the address and whether the wallet displays that asset.

What is confirmed, and what remains open?

A transaction hash and its chain status confirm whether that individual transfer has been broadcast and included. They do not, by themselves, explain why a later protocol step has not happened.

If the source deposit is confirmed but there is no protocol record or outbound transaction, the exact cause remains open. Check the protocol’s transaction status before resubmitting: sending again can create a second swap rather than speed up the first.