What is THORChain?

THORChain is a decentralized liquidity protocol that enables native cross-chain swaps—without wrapping or using intermediary tokens. It allows users to exchange crypto assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others directly across blockchains, with no need to trust a central party or give up custody.

THORChain stands out in the DeFi space for solving a long-standing challenge: seamless, trustless asset exchange between different blockchains. Unlike bridges or centralized exchanges, THORChain operates fully on-chain and supports native assets in their original form.

How THORChain Works

THORChain uses a unique system of liquidity pools and an automated market maker (AMM) model, powered by its native token, RUNE. When users provide liquidity to a pool (for example, BTC/RUNE), they earn fees from swaps made by other users.

Here’s how a typical swap works:

1. A user sends Bitcoin to a THORChain vault.
2. The protocol executes a native BTC → RUNE swap, then a RUNE → ETH swap.
3. The user receives native ETH in their wallet—without any wrapped assets or custodial intermediaries.

Everything is handled by THORChain’s decentralized network of nodes and smart contracts. Nodes are incentivized with RUNE rewards to maintain uptime, validate transactions, and secure the network.

Key Features

• Native Cross-Chain Swaps: Trade BTC, ETH, LTC, BNB, ATOM, and other native assets directly across chains.
• Non-Custodial: Users maintain full control over their assets. No KYC, no sign-ups.
• Decentralized Liquidity: Liquidity providers earn yield from swap fees and block rewards.
• Security by Design: Built with robust economic incentives and continuous audits.

Why THORChain Matters

Before THORChain, users had to rely on centralized exchanges or wrapped tokens to move assets between blockchains. This introduced risk, reduced privacy, and added friction. THORChain eliminates those barriers with a trustless, decentralized alternative that stays true to the ethos of crypto.

It’s a vital piece of infrastructure for the multi-chain future—bridging ecosystems without bridges.

Use Cases

• Cross-Chain Trading: Instantly swap Bitcoin for Ethereum, Litecoin, or Cosmos without custodians.
• Yield Farming: Earn fees by providing liquidity to cross-chain pools.
• Decentralized Apps (dApps): Developers can integrate THORChain’s cross-chain capabilities to offer seamless asset swaps within wallets, games, or DeFi platforms.

The Role of RUNE

RUNE is the utility token that powers the THORChain network. It is used for:

• Liquidity pairing in every pool
• Network security via bonded nodes
• Governance and incentives

RUNE aligns economic interests between users, liquidity providers, and node operators—ensuring the protocol remains secure, decentralized, and efficient.

Join the Cross-Chain Revolution

THORChain is building a truly interoperable future for crypto. Whether you're a trader, yield farmer, or developer, THORChain offers a powerful, decentralized way to interact across blockchains—securely, instantly, and without compromise.

[Explore THORChain →]