30-Day Atomic Swap Carries a Hidden 688 bps Option Cost, Analysis Shows
A technical analysis by the ShortSingh development team reveals that hash-time-locked atomic swaps used for forward settlement embed a significant hidden cost in the form of a free option granted to the secret-holding party. Because only the secret holder can choose to reveal and complete the trade, they effectively own an American-style option to walk away if prices move against them before the timelock expires. Using the Brenner-Subrahmanyam approximation at 60% annualized volatility, this embedded option is valued at approximately 688 basis points of notional for a 30-day timelock. Even a one-hour timelock generates an option worth around 26 basis points, far exceeding typical atomic swap platform fees of 1–2 basis points. The analysis concludes that while short-dated atomic settlement remains viable due to sub-linear time scaling, longer-term forward settlement via atomic swaps imposes costs that dwarf any fee savings advertised by settlement platforms.
This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.
Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion and vote.
Log in