For a Bitcoin-to-Ethereum swap, Chainflip Boost can save around 20 minutes when enough pool funds are available. A regular Bitcoin deposit often takes about 20–30 minutes to clear; Boost can let the swap start after the deposit appears in a block.
What does Boost change?
Boost replaces the wait for Bitcoin confirmations with funds supplied temporarily by liquidity providers. These providers put up collateral, meaning funds that cover the deposit while the network waits for it to become final.
Validators first check that your Bitcoin transaction appears in a block. If enough Boost funds are available, the protocol uses those funds, minus a fee, to start the swap early. Later, when the Bitcoin deposit clears, the funds return to the providers.
The time savings depend on when your transaction enters a block and how quickly the destination chain confirms the payout. Chainflip’s published estimates put a boosted BTC-to-ETH swap at roughly 0.5–10.5 minutes, compared with about 20.5–30.5 minutes without Boost. These are estimates, not a guaranteed arrival time.
How do I use Boost for a Bitcoin swap?
Choose Bitcoin as the asset to send, pick your destination asset and enter the receiving address. Before sending, check whether Boost is offered for that swap and review the fee and estimated output shown.
If you choose Boost, the swap request opens a deposit address that supports it. Send Bitcoin to that address, then keep the swap’s tracking page open or save its identifier. Once the deposit is seen in a block and Boost succeeds, the swap runs automatically.
Check the address and network before sending. A deposit sent to the wrong address may not reach your intended wallet, and Boost does not correct an address mistake.
What does Boost cost, and what if it fails?
The Boost fee depends on which providers’ funds are used. Providers set fee tiers, and the protocol uses lower-fee funds first; if it needs funds from more than one tier, your fee can be an average of those rates.
For example, the protocol documentation shows 5 and 10 basis-point tiers. A basis point is one hundredth of a percent, so those rates are 0.05% and 0.10%. On a 0.01 BTC deposit, that example works out to about 0.000005–0.00001 BTC in Boost fees. Treat this as an illustration: the fee shown for your swap is the one to check.
Boost either covers the whole deposit or does not happen. If there is not enough eligible funding, your deposit follows the normal confirmation wait and no Boost fee is charged. If the swap later refunds because its price protection is not met, the Boost fee is not refunded.
Should I boost a swap I already sent?
Usually, no: Boost is chosen when the swap is set up, so it cannot speed up a regular deposit already in progress. Check the tracker to see whether your deposit is waiting for Bitcoin confirmations or whether the swap has moved on to payout.
If you are planning a new Bitcoin swap and the wait matters, compare the displayed Boost fee with the time saved. I would pay it only when getting the destination funds sooner is worth that cost; Chainflip liquidity explains the providers whose funds help make that faster start possible.
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