Protocol Spotlight - depouch

Cross-chain swap interfaces often attempt to improve the user experience by adding more assets, routing options, and settings. However, simplicity can sometimes be better than making things overly complex.

This is the philosophy behind depouch. Rather than exposing users to every possible asset and routing decision, depouch simplifies the process of swapping between native assets.

How Does depouch Work?

depouch grew out of a shared interest in crypto between co-founder Thorbjørn Breum and his father. Thorbjørn was introduced to Bitcoin by his father when he was still a child, and the two later began building crypto products together.

After experimenting with a peer-to-peer cash-to-crypto exchange, they started depouch as a part-time project focused on making native cross-chain swaps easier to use.

At the center of depouch is a routing system that compares available routes across THORChain, Maya Protocol, and NEAR Intents.

When a user requests a swap, depouch considers the available execution paths and selects the route it believes provides the best result. The chosen protocol is displayed before the transaction is confirmed, while users who want greater control can open the settings and inspect the available alternatives.

depouch has also made the swapping process very simple, requiring only a few steps.

1. The user connects the wallet containing the asset they want to send.
2. They select the asset they want to receive.
3. They paste the destination wallet address.
4. depouch calculates the available routes.
5. The user reviews and confirms the transaction.

On depouch, only the sending wallet needs to be connected. The receiving wallet does not need to interact with the application, allowing users to send assets directly to a hardware wallet, a different wallet application, or another person.

This also reduces the potential for conflicts between browser extensions. A user swapping ETH for BTC, for example, can connect an Ethereum wallet and paste a native Bitcoin address without also connecting a Bitcoin wallet to the interface.

depouch also allows users to begin another swap while an earlier transaction is still being processed. A pending Bitcoin swap therefore does not prevent the user from starting a separate transaction on another network.

How Is depouch Connected to THORChain?

depouch integrates directly with THORChain rather than relying on an external middleware provider. According to co-founder Thorbjørn Breum, the integration was straightforward because THORChain’s documentation and quote flow were clear. The connection predates THORChain’s newer API, and the team sees no reason to replace an integration that already works.

The platform includes its 0.3% affiliate fee in the quote parameters, expressed in basis points. It uses a THORName to keep the transaction memo compact and receives the fee in RUNE once the swap is completed.

This direct approach also reduces depouch’s dependence on centralized infrastructure. It maintains its own route-selection logic, queries THORChain, Maya Protocol, and NEAR Intents directly, and does not rely on a single hosted gateway to keep its swaps operational.

depouch by the Numbers

depouch began as a part-time project built by a father and son who wanted to make native cross-chain swaps simpler. Since the launch of its current interface in August 2025, the platform has routed almost $200,000 in swap volume.

While that remains modest compared with established cross-chain aggregators, the more important story is what the team was able to build with limited resources.

By integrating permissionless protocols such as THORChain, Maya Protocol, and NEAR Intents, depouch was able to connect its users to more than $100 million in existing liquidity without negotiating listing agreements or receiving approval from a centralized operator.

A small independent team could therefore launch a functioning cross-chain exchange and immediately access liquidity that would otherwise take considerable capital and commercial coordination to establish.

What Is Next for depouch?

depouch has several additions in the pipeline as it looks to expand beyond its current swap experience.

The first planned addition is Convert, a memoless swap mode that would generate an inbound address instead of requiring users to connect their sending wallet. Users could send funds to this address from an external wallet, after which the swap would be executed and delivered to their chosen destination. This could make depouch accessible through wallets and platforms that do not support THORChain memos or direct application connections. Convert is still under development and is not yet live.

Monero support is another priority. The team plans to add XMR once native Monero swaps become available through THORChain.

Further ahead, depouch is also monitoring the Rujira application layer. Perpetual futures would likely be the first Rujira product the team considers integrating, although no integration has been announced.

Conclusion

depouch’s most interesting feature is not its routing system or its current volume. It is the fact that a father and son working part-time were able to build a functioning cross-chain exchange and connect users to more than $100 million in liquidity without asking anyone for permission.

That is what THORChain’s open infrastructure makes possible. depouch can focus on simplifying the user experience while the underlying protocols provide the liquidity and execution. Its nearly $200,000 in volume is still modest, but the platform shows how even a small independent team can build a real financial application on top of permissionless liquidity.