A chain upgrade can temporarily stop a cross-chain swap route when a network or its connection is paused. A route is the planned path that moves value from one blockchain to another. If you are used to a centralised exchange, the key difference is that your wallet sends a real transaction onto a public network.
An upgrade can pause one part of a swap
A chain upgrade changes the software that network computers use to check transactions and agree on blocks. During a planned restart or rule change, some services may pause activity until they know the network is stable. That can make one route unavailable even if the rest of the swap service still works.
A cross-chain swap depends on both sides: the source chain where your asset starts, and the destination chain where you want it to arrive. A service also needs to observe the source transaction and know when it is safe to act on it. If that chain is changing, the route may be paused to avoid acting on incomplete or uncertain information.
If your task is to move between chains in one wallet-led flow, a thor swap service can route your source asset toward the destination asset without making you manage each cross-chain leg yourself. That is useful when the route is available. During an upgrade, the route may be temporarily unavailable until its chain connections are ready again.
A running chain does not mean every route is ready
A chain can produce blocks while a particular swap route stays paused. For example, Ethereum might be accepting transactions, but a service that watches Ethereum deposits may still be updating or checking its connection. The deciding factor is whether the route can safely observe and complete every required step.
There is also a difference between a route being unavailable and a swap already being in progress. If you have not sent a transaction, you can wait without paying an on-chain fee. If your wallet broadcast the deposit, the source chain may still charge its network fee even when the destination step is delayed.
That is where people often slip: they see a delayed arrival and send the same amount again. First check whether the original transaction was broadcast and whether it has confirmations. A confirmation is a block added after the block containing your transaction; the required number varies by chain and route.
Check the transaction before deciding what to do
Start with the source transaction. If it is absent from the source chain’s public transaction record, it may not have been broadcast, and you can wait for the route to return before trying again. If it appears as pending, avoid repeating it while the network is busy or the route remains paused.
If the source transaction is confirmed, keep its transaction ID and check the swap’s recorded status. A transaction ID is the public reference used to find a transaction on its chain. Depending on the service design, a confirmed deposit might be waiting for processing or might be refunded; do not assume that a pause means either outcome.
For example, say you are swapping from Ethereum to Bitcoin when an upgrade interrupts the Ethereum side. Your Ethereum transaction could confirm while the later Bitcoin transfer waits. Repeating the swap could create a second deposit, so wait for the first transaction’s status to become clear before making another one.
Retry only after the route is usable again
When the route returns, check that the original transaction has completed or that its funds have been returned before starting over. A fresh quote can differ because prices and network conditions may have changed during the pause. A quote is an estimate of the amount expected at the destination.
For thor swap, as with any wallet-led cross-chain swap, the practical question is whether the route is available and what happened to any transaction you already sent. Waiting can cost time and a better exchange price, but retrying too soon can put more funds in motion. Keep the source transaction ID until the destination transfer or refund is complete.
- Check whether the route is paused before sending.
- If you sent a deposit, look up its source transaction and status.
- Do not repeat a swap while the first deposit is unresolved.
- Retry after the original swap completes or its funds return.