What Is Cross-Chain Routing?
How Terminal One finds the best trade execution across 7 blockchains simultaneously.
The Multi-Chain Problem
The on-chain capital markets exist across multiple blockchains. USDY lives on Ethereum. Some RWA assets are on Polygon. Others are on Arbitrum or Base.
If you want to trade an asset on a different chain than where your funds currently are, you traditionally need to:
- Find a bridge
- Bridge your funds to the right chain (pay fees, wait)
- Find the right exchange on that chain
- Execute the trade
This is slow, expensive, and error-prone.
Cross-Chain Routing Solves This
Terminal One''s routing engine — powered by LI.FI — does all of this automatically, in a single transaction.
You select the asset you want. The routing engine:
- Identifies where the deepest liquidity is
- Finds the most efficient path across chains
- Calculates the optimal bridge and swap route
- Executes everything in one transaction
You do not choose the chain. You do not find the bridge. You confirm one transaction, and the routing engine does the rest.
Why This Matters
Cross-chain routing means:
- You always get the best execution price across all liquidity
- You never pay unnecessary bridging fees
- You never get stuck on the wrong chain
- You can access any asset on any supported chain from any starting position
The 7 Supported Networks
Terminal One routes across:
- Ethereum
- Arbitrum
- Base
- Optimism
- Polygon
- BNB Chain
- Avalanche
More chains are added as the on-chain capital markets expand.