An atomic swap is like the ultimate trust exercise for crypto. It's a way for two people to trade different cryptocurrencies directly with each other, without having to go through a centralizedexchange.
The beauty of an atomic swap is that it's completely trustless. The trade either happens in full, or it doesn't happen at all. There's no way for one party to cheat the other, because the trade is atomic - meaning it's indivisible.
Example
"I just did an atomic swap with someone I met on Reddit. I traded my Bitcoin for their Monero, and it was surprisingly easy!"
"Atomic swaps are the future of cryptotrading. No more having to trust shady exchanges with my funds!"
noun | uh·tom·ik swop
The closest thing to a trustless trade you'll get in the wild west of crypto. Atomic swaps let you trade one coin for another without having to trust some shady-ass centralizedexchange. It's like a digital version of those briefcases full of cash they use in spy movies, except instead of money, it's just a bunch of ones and zeroes.
Example
"I did an atomic swap of 1000 MOONs for 69 DOGE. No middleman, no KYC, no problem!"
"Atomic swaps are cool and all, but have you ever tried to debug a failed HTLC? It's like trying to defuse a bomb while blindfolded."
