Destination Coin or Output Token: What Unsticks a Swap?

A stuck cross-chain swap is cleared by resolving the stage it has reached; changing the destination coin or output token alone will not move it forward. First, your source-chain transaction sends the input asset to the protocol. Validators observe and confirm that deposit. The protocol then runs the swap, and a vault signs an outbound transaction to send the destination asset to your chosen address.

For a swap between two non-RUNE assets on THORChain, the route passes through RUNE internally: the input is exchanged into RUNE in one liquidity pool, then into the requested asset in another. You do not need to handle that middle step. A fuller account of how those routes work appears in this thor swap guide. The practical distinction is that the destination coin names what the protocol should send; the output is what the swap actually produces after pricing and fees.

What is the difference between a destination coin and an output token?

The destination coin is the asset selected for delivery, while the output token is the asset and amount produced by the swap. The selected destination also determines which chain must receive the outbound transaction. The output amount can be lower than a simple market-price conversion because pool liquidity, price impact and fees affect the calculation.

That difference matters when diagnosing a missing balance. A wallet may not display a token automatically even after the destination-chain transaction succeeds. Check the transaction on the destination chain and confirm its recipient address and asset. If the transaction succeeded and the asset is supported by the wallet, adding or selecting the correct token display may reveal the balance. That does not repair a swap whose outbound transaction never happened.

How can you tell where a swap is stuck?

Follow the transaction through its stages: source-chain deposit, protocol processing, then destination-chain payout or refund. Start with the source transaction hash and confirm that the deposit reached the expected address with the required details. Then look for the swap’s status and any outbound or refund transaction. A submitted swap can take longer if it is waiting for chain confirmations, processing, or an outbound slot.

• No confirmed deposit: Check the source-chain transaction and required deposit details. The protocol cannot process funds it has not observed.
• Deposit confirmed, no completed swap: Check the protocol’s transaction status for processing, a queued swap or a refund. The destination selection cannot force this step to finish.
• Swap processed, no visible output: Find the outbound transaction and check its destination chain, recipient and status. If it succeeded, investigate wallet display; if it is pending, the payout is the unresolved step.
• Refund recorded: Check the refund transaction and its destination. A refund returns the input asset; it is not the requested output token.

Which detail should you change to recover the funds?

Change a destination detail only when the swap has not been submitted and the interface still lets you edit it. Once the deposit is on-chain, the requested asset and destination address are part of that swap’s instructions. If the outbound transaction is pending, changing the wallet’s token display or starting another swap will not accelerate it. Use the transaction status or the interface’s support path to understand the pending step.

Before retrying, establish whether the original input was paid out or refunded. A new swap requires a new deposit and can expose you to another price move and another set of fees. The useful rule is simple: the destination coin tells the protocol what to send; the output token tells you what the swap produced. To clear a stuck swap, find the unfinished transaction stage and follow that stage’s status.