DeFi

Swap

The exchange of one token for another through a DEX, either via an AMM pool or an order book. The user specifies an input token/amount and receives output tokens at the current market rate minus slippage and fees. On Solana, swaps settle in a single transaction (~400ms) with fees typically 0.01-0.3% per trade.

IDswap

Plain meaning

Start with the shortest useful explanation before going deeper.

The exchange of one token for another through a DEX, either via an AMM pool or an order book. The user specifies an input token/amount and receives output tokens at the current market rate minus slippage and fees. On Solana, swaps settle in a single transaction (~400ms) with fees typically 0.01-0.3% per trade.

Mental model

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Think of it as a market mechanic used to price, route, or move capital through liquidity apps.

Technical context

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AMMs, routing, liquidity, lending, and trading infrastructure.

Why builders care

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Most useful when you are moving through DeFi Builder Path and need grounded vocabulary inside a real build flow.

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Swap (swap)
Category: DeFi
Definition: The exchange of one token for another through a DEX, either via an AMM pool or an order book. The user specifies an input token/amount and receives output tokens at the current market rate minus slippage and fees. On Solana, swaps settle in a single transaction (~400ms) with fees typically 0.01-0.3% per trade.
Related: AMM (Automated Market Maker), Slippage, DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
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Concept graph

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These branches show which concepts this term touches directly and what sits one layer beyond them.

Branch

AMM (Automated Market Maker)

A protocol that enables token swaps using algorithmic pricing against pooled liquidity instead of matching individual buyers and sellers. AMMs use mathematical formulas (typically constant product x*y=k) to determine prices based on the ratio of tokens in a liquidity pool. On Solana, major AMMs include Raydium, Orca, and Meteora.

Branch

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a swap and the actual execution price due to pool ratio changes between submission and execution. Users set slippage tolerance (e.g., 0.5-1%) as a maximum acceptable deviation; the transaction reverts if exceeded. High slippage occurs in thin pools or large trades relative to pool depth.

Branch

DEX (Decentralized Exchange)

A protocol for trading tokens directly on-chain without a centralized intermediary. Solana DEXs use either AMM pools (Raydium, Orca, Meteora) or on-chain order books (Phoenix, OpenBook). DEXs are composable—aggregators like Jupiter route through multiple DEXs for optimal pricing.

Next concepts to explore

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These are the next concepts worth opening if you want this term to make more sense inside a real Solana workflow.

DeFi

AMM (Automated Market Maker)

A protocol that enables token swaps using algorithmic pricing against pooled liquidity instead of matching individual buyers and sellers. AMMs use mathematical formulas (typically constant product x*y=k) to determine prices based on the ratio of tokens in a liquidity pool. On Solana, major AMMs include Raydium, Orca, and Meteora.

DeFi

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a swap and the actual execution price due to pool ratio changes between submission and execution. Users set slippage tolerance (e.g., 0.5-1%) as a maximum acceptable deviation; the transaction reverts if exceeded. High slippage occurs in thin pools or large trades relative to pool depth.

DeFi

DEX (Decentralized Exchange)

A protocol for trading tokens directly on-chain without a centralized intermediary. Solana DEXs use either AMM pools (Raydium, Orca, Meteora) or on-chain order books (Phoenix, OpenBook). DEXs are composable—aggregators like Jupiter route through multiple DEXs for optimal pricing.

DeFi

Switchboard

A decentralized oracle network on Solana providing custom data feeds, verifiable random functions (VRF), and serverless compute (Functions). Unlike Pyth's publisher model, Switchboard uses a permissionless oracle queue where operators run jobs defined by feed creators. Supports any data source via its off-chain oracle job framework.

Commonly confused with

Terms nearby in vocabulary, acronym, or conceptual neighborhood.

These entries are easy to mix up when you are reading quickly, prompting an LLM, or onboarding into a new layer of Solana.

DeFisanctum

Sanctum

A protocol that unifies fragmented liquidity across Solana's liquid staking token (LST) ecosystem by enabling instant swaps between any LSTs and providing the INF token as a unified liquid staking position. Sanctum solves the cold-start liquidity problem for new LST providers and allows validators to launch their own LSTs.

AliasSanctum LST
DeFislippage

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a swap and the actual execution price due to pool ratio changes between submission and execution. Users set slippage tolerance (e.g., 0.5-1%) as a maximum acceptable deviation; the transaction reverts if exceeded. High slippage occurs in thin pools or large trades relative to pool depth.

DeFistablecoin

Stablecoin

A token pegged to a stable asset, typically the US dollar. Major stablecoins on Solana include USDC (Circle, natively minted), USDT (Tether), and UXD (algorithmic). Stablecoins are critical DeFi primitives used as trading pairs, lending collateral, and yield farming. USDC on Solana uses the SPL Token program with freeze authority retained by Circle.

AliasUSDCAliasUSDT
Related terms

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Glossary entries become useful when they are connected. These links are the shortest path to adjacent ideas.

DeFiamm

AMM (Automated Market Maker)

A protocol that enables token swaps using algorithmic pricing against pooled liquidity instead of matching individual buyers and sellers. AMMs use mathematical formulas (typically constant product x*y=k) to determine prices based on the ratio of tokens in a liquidity pool. On Solana, major AMMs include Raydium, Orca, and Meteora.

DeFislippage

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a swap and the actual execution price due to pool ratio changes between submission and execution. Users set slippage tolerance (e.g., 0.5-1%) as a maximum acceptable deviation; the transaction reverts if exceeded. High slippage occurs in thin pools or large trades relative to pool depth.

DeFidex

DEX (Decentralized Exchange)

A protocol for trading tokens directly on-chain without a centralized intermediary. Solana DEXs use either AMM pools (Raydium, Orca, Meteora) or on-chain order books (Phoenix, OpenBook). DEXs are composable—aggregators like Jupiter route through multiple DEXs for optimal pricing.

Builder paths

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Builder Path

DeFi Builder Path

Learn the trading and liquidity vocabulary behind the app layer.

6 terms
More in category

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DeFi

AMM (Automated Market Maker)

A protocol that enables token swaps using algorithmic pricing against pooled liquidity instead of matching individual buyers and sellers. AMMs use mathematical formulas (typically constant product x*y=k) to determine prices based on the ratio of tokens in a liquidity pool. On Solana, major AMMs include Raydium, Orca, and Meteora.

DeFi

CLMM (Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker)

An AMM design where liquidity providers concentrate their capital within specific price ranges instead of across the full 0-to-infinity range. CLMMs dramatically improve capital efficiency—LPs earn more fees per dollar deposited within their active range. If the price moves outside the range, the position becomes inactive. Orca Whirlpools and Raydium CLMM are leading implementations on Solana.

DeFi

Liquidity Pool

A smart-contract-held reserve of two or more tokens that enables trading via an AMM. Users deposit token pairs in specified ratios to become liquidity providers and earn trading fees. Pools are identified by their token pair and fee tier. Pool depth (total value locked) determines price impact for trades.

DeFi

LP Token

A token issued to liquidity providers representing their proportional share of a pool's reserves and accrued fees. LP tokens can be burned to withdraw the underlying assets. The value of LP tokens changes as the pool's token ratios shift and fees accumulate. LP tokens are often stakeable in yield farming programs for additional rewards.