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Intents

An intent is a trade instruction that says what you want, not how to get it. You specify the token to sell, the token to receive, the least you will accept, a deadline, a slippage tolerance, and whether are allowed. then compete to satisfy it. Unlike a routed swap, an intent never forces you to pick a pool or path. You define the acceptable outcome, and the market competes to beat it.

An intent is an on-chain object

In Reiy, an intent is not an off-chain message. It is a real shared object created on Sui when you submit. The object holds your sell tokens in and records the terms of the trade. Your funds stay inside it until the trade settles or you cancel, and no one, not a solver and not the coordinator, can move them without passing the contract’s checks. Each intent object records:
FieldMeaning
Sell assetYour tokens, held in escrow inside the object.
Buy assetThe token you want to receive.
Minimum outThe least you will accept, enforced at settlement.
Admission floorA fair market floor (SBBO) checked when the intent is created.
Slippage toleranceHow far the price may move before the intent is rejected at admission.
Partial fillWhether unfilled volume can roll over to a later round.
Target epochThe settlement window the intent belongs to.
DeadlineWhen the intent expires.
StatusOpen, partially filled, filled, cancelled, or expired.

Advantages and trade-offs

Holding the intent on-chain gives you real guarantees:
  • True custody. Your funds are escrowed in the object, not approved for someone to pull.
  • A hard floor. The contracts reject any settlement below your minimum.
  • Transparency. The intent and its outcome are visible and verifiable on-chain.
  • Composability. Other Sui programs and indexers can read intent state directly.
The model also has trade-offs to be aware of:
  • It depends on solver competition. With few solvers, you may get fewer or worse offers.
  • Coordination is off-chain, so liveness of the coordinator affects how quickly rounds run.
  • Trades settle in rounds rather than instantly, which adds a short wait in exchange for competition.

Reiy intents vs CoW Protocol orders

Reiy’s intents are inspired by CoW Protocol’s order flow but adapted to Sui.
Reiy (Sui)CoW Protocol (EVM)
FormAn on-chain object that escrows your fundsAn off-chain signed order plus a token allowance
CustodyFunds locked in the intent until settle or cancelFunds stay in your wallet until pulled at settlement
LiquiditySolvers aggregate across Sui venues and matchesSolvers use batch auctions and on-chain liquidity
SettlementA signed certificate authorizes an atomic on-chain settlementSolvers settle the batch on-chain
The shared idea is the same: you state an outcome, and a competitive solver market finds the best way to deliver it.

Flow of an intent

See what happens after an intent is submitted.

Submit an intent

Follow the trader-facing submission guide.
Last modified on June 23, 2026