Atomic swap
In short: A conditional exchange designed to link the completion of exchange legs or provide a defined recovery path.
A conditional exchange designed to link the completion of exchange legs or provide a defined recovery path. Timing, software and the particular construction matter; ordinary instant swaps are not necessarily atomic. Some constructions use conditional mechanisms and timeouts so the exchange follows a defined completion or recovery process. The particular protocol must support the intended assets and conditions. The term should not be applied merely because a provider advertises a quick conversion between two coins.