Hotcoin Research | The Era of Zero-Barrier DeFi Arrives: Observations and Analysis of the Abstraction and Intent Tracks

introduction

One of the hottest topics in the recent crypto market has been the news that River, a chain-abstract stablecoin protocol, received strategic investment from TRON. On January 21, 2026, TRON founder Justin Sun announced an $8 million investment in River to support its deployment of cross-chain stablecoin abstraction technology within the TRON ecosystem. Following the announcement, the price of River's native token, RIVER, skyrocketed: a staggering 1900% increase in the past 30 days, surging from around $5 in early January to $86 recently, pushing its market capitalization above $1.6 billion and placing it among the top 70 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Industry leaders like Arthur Hayes have endorsed the technology, and exchanges have listed RIVER, sparking a wave of discussion about the concept of "abstraction."

This article will use the two main concepts of "abstraction" and "intention" as its main thread to comprehensively review the development history and current status of this emerging field, representative projects, and the risks and opportunities behind them, and will also provide an outlook on future trends. The first part will explain what "abstraction" and "intention" are, and which pain points in the blockchain field they attempt to address; the second part will review the development and current status of related technological concepts, from the inception of Ethereum account abstraction to the demand for chain abstraction spurred by the prosperity of the multi-chain ecosystem, and then to the development of the concept of intention; the third part will focus on representative projects in the abstraction and intention field, dissecting their models and performance; the fourth part will discuss the potential risks and challenges in this field; and the fifth part will explore its opportunities and future prospects. We hope that through comprehensive analysis, we can provide valuable insights for investors and practitioners: how to seize opportunities and be wary of risks in the wave of abstraction and intention, and whether these innovative fields can become the engine of the next round of industry growth.

I. Abstraction and Intention Concepts and Background Analysis

To understand "abstraction" and "intent," we must first understand the pain points of current blockchain user experiences. For ordinary users to use on-chain applications, the barrier to entry is quite high: they must first hold cryptocurrency, have corresponding assets on the target chain, prepare the mainnet token to pay network gas fees, and then deal with cumbersome transaction signing, cross-chain bridge conversions, and transaction fee slippage. This series of steps acts like layers of hurdles, keeping most potential users out of the Web3 world. Therefore, improving blockchain usability and lowering the user barrier has become a common goal for the industry. The new concepts of "abstraction" and "intent" emerged in this context and are expected to significantly improve the user experience.

Abstraction

In the blockchain field, "abstraction" generally refers to a series of technical solutions that hide underlying complexity and simplify user interaction with multiple chains. Depending on the application layer, it can be further subdivided into categories such as "account abstraction" and "chain abstraction." Currently, the "abstraction" field mainly covers two directions: account abstraction and chain abstraction.

• Account abstraction is essentially a proactive technological improvement that makes accounts programmable, enabling functions such as social recovery, payment on behalf of others, and batch transactions, thereby making operations more flexible;
• Chain abstraction is more of a change in user experience. It is a product of the Web3 ecosystem's spontaneous response to the challenges of multi-chain fragmentation, with the goal of eliminating the cumbersome operations for users in cross-chain operations.

Intent

Complementing the "abstraction" track's focus on hiding complexity, the "intent" track aims to redefine interaction logic. In the traditional model, users must step-by-step define and execute transaction processes. For example, if a user wants to buy SOL on Solana using USDC from the Ethereum mainnet, they need to research bridging, exchange paths, and perform each transaction individually.

• Under the "intention-driven" architecture, users only need to declare the final result they want—such as "I want to exchange 1,000 USDC on the ETH mainnet for SOL on the Solana chain"—and the system's solver will automatically find the best route for you, coordinating the cross-chain bridge and DEX to complete this series of steps.
• Instead of submitting specific transactions, users submit an "intent," and the system executes the operation on their behalf based on that intent. This "declaration-result-automatic" paradigm is considered to greatly reduce the difficulty of use and make blockchain interaction more intuitive.

While "abstraction" and "intention" have different focuses, they essentially share a common mission: to lower the barrier to entry for users adopting blockchain. Account abstraction makes wallets smarter and more secure by transforming the account system; chain abstraction makes multi-chain operations as smooth as single-chain operations by integrating cross-chain liquidity; and intention-oriented approaches simply revolutionize the transaction paradigm, allowing users to focus solely on what they want, without having to design "how to do it." Web3 development has entered an era of multi-chain coexistence and increasing application complexity, and these concepts address many pain points for ordinary users. Therefore, in the past two years, projects centered around abstraction and intention have frequently attracted capital investment and community attention, becoming a new hot trend. Some even call this stage the "era of abstraction," a new infrastructure era driven by user experience.

II. The Development History and Current Status of the Abstraction and Intention Track

1. The conception and implementation of account abstraction

• As early as 2016-2017, the Ethereum community began discussing the idea of ​​making user accounts more flexible. Vitalik proposed the initial concept of Account Abstraction (AA), hoping to make ordinary accounts programmable like contracts.
• In March 2023, Ethereum implemented account abstraction without altering its underlying protocol: the EIP-4337 standard was officially released, building a smart account system outside the consensus layer, allowing users to create "contract accounts" to replace traditional EOA wallets. This marked the true implementation of account abstraction. With ERC-4337, users can use social recovery wallets, have gas fees paid by third parties, and even pre-set automated transactions or batch execution of complex operations. Immediately, major wallet projects began upgrading to support AA functionality, and some on-chain applications (such as games and social DApps) introduced Gas Sponsor mechanisms to simplify operations for beginners. Giants like Coinbase also launched wallets based on account abstraction, and institutions like Visa developed automatic deduction payment demos based on AA. As of the end of January 2016, the number of AA account users exceeded 40 million, with users performing over 2 million transactions daily.

Source: https://dune.com/sixdegree/account-abstraction-overview

• Ethereum clients are also discussing improvements such as EIP-7702, which would allow external accounts to directly call some smart account functions, hoping to further lower the barrier to entry for AA.

2. The Rise of Multi-Chain Ecosystems and Chain Abstraction

• From 2020 to 2021, high Ethereum transaction fees spurred the proliferation of numerous new public chains and Layer 2 blockchains, resulting in users and assets being scattered across different chains. However, behind this multi-chain boom lies liquidity fragmentation and a surge in user barriers: assets struggle to flow freely between chains, and users need to learn how to use various cross-chain bridges and wallets, which is extremely inconvenient. To address this issue, the industry has gradually explored the method of "chain abstraction," which hides the complexity of multi-chain interactions through protocol-level innovation. For example, some projects have launched smart contracts that enable cross-chain calls, or issued tokens that are simultaneously pegged to assets on multiple chains, allowing users to freely use assets across chains without needing to know which chain they are actually on.
• In the stablecoin space, this approach has given rise to "chain-abstract stablecoins": users can deposit mainstream stablecoins on any chain to mint a globally usable stablecoin at a 1:1 ratio, which can be freely transferred and used between different chains, and the original chain assets can be redeemed when needed. River is one of the pioneers of this model: it supports using USDT (on Ethereum, Tron, etc.), USDD (a stablecoin issued by Tron), and even the compliant USD stablecoin USD1 as collateral to mint the universal stablecoin satUSD with one click, and it can circulate on multiple networks, thereby eliminating the need for cross-chain stablecoin bridging. As long as users hold satUSD, it is equivalent to holding USD liquidity on various chains at the same time, eliminating the need for frequent cross-bridge exchanges.
• In addition, many well-known projects have entered the chain abstraction/cross-chain field: for example, the cross-chain communication protocol LayerZero and Axelar focus on message bridge technology, enabling contracts to directly call each other across chains. It is foreseeable that as Ethereum scaling and multi-chain coexistence become the norm, abstraction layer infrastructure will play an increasingly important role.

3. The emergence and development of the concept of intention

• 2023–2024: Projects like Anoma explicitly proposed an Intent architecture for cross-chain asynchronous transaction execution, emphasizing that users only need to declare "the goal they want to achieve" without caring about the execution path. Account abstraction became one of the infrastructures for entering the intent-based market, improving the flexibility of wallets and transaction processes.
• 2024–2025: More DeFi protocols, DEXs, and aggregators will incorporate intent mechanisms into their product design in an attempt to improve user experience. For example, by having solvers bid to execute intents to obtain the optimal route, operational complexity can be reduced in scenarios such as trading, cross-chain bridges, and asset management.
• Currently, the intent mechanism is still in its early stages, but its applications are growing rapidly, primarily in areas such as transaction aggregation and automated investment execution tools. The intent mechanism is expected to significantly lower the barrier to entry for on-chain users, allowing ordinary users to focus solely on their "purpose," thereby driving wider adoption.

Source: https://blog.particle.network/chain-abstraction-vs-intents/

III. Review of Representative Projects in the Abstraction and Intent Track

3.1 Account Abstraction: Smart Wallets and Seamless Payment

• Safe ($SAFE): Safe is one of the pioneers in account programmability. It provided a multi-signature smart contract wallet long before ERC-4337, supporting advanced features such as social recovery and pre-orchestrated transactions, and has become the largest smart account ecosystem in Web3. The Safe team actively participates in the development of account abstraction standards and plans to integrate new proposals such as EIP-7702 into the ecosystem. Currently, almost all funds of top DAOs are held in Safe wallets, and DeFi protocols are also exploring direct support for users to log in and interact using Safe wallets. Considering Safe's first-mover advantage in the AA field, SAFE is also considered one of the potential core assets in the account abstraction sector.
• Biconomy ($BICO): Starting with gas payment and cross-chain relay services, Biconomy has gradually developed into a complete account and chain abstraction solution for developers. Its SDK allows DApps to integrate "one-click transactions," enabling users to complete multi-step operations such as "exchanging and staking assets" with just a single signature. Gas fees can also be paid by the DApp or a third party, achieving a near-Web2-like smooth experience. Biconomy has also launched a module called "Smart Account Nexus" to help projects create ERC-4337 accounts on a large scale. As its Modular Execution Layer expands to more chains and supports more complex "hypertransactions" (such as cross-chain combination operations), Biconomy is expected to further improve user retention and token value.
• Particle Network ($PARTI): Particle focuses on Web2 user experience, providing an integrated solution of passwordless login and smart wallets. Users can log in using their mobile phone number, email address, etc. Particle creates ERC-4337 smart accounts and manages private key shards behind the scenes, allowing users to seamlessly use the blockchain. Particle's biggest feature is its promotion of the "universal account" concept: under its architecture, users appear to have only one unified account, but in reality, it corresponds to smart contract wallet instances on multiple chains, coordinated and managed by Particle's own underlying chain. This achieves both account abstraction and chain abstraction: users see one account and one balance, and can freely use DApps across all supported chains without needing to know which chain their assets are on or where their gas is paid. Particle incentivizes network nodes through B2B service fees and ecosystem tokens. However, its custody solution also faces questions about its decentralization and security, requiring technological improvements and open-source development to gain user trust.

3.2 Chain Abstraction: Cross-Chain Liquidity and Unified Assets

• River ($RIVER): River allows users to deposit stablecoins from different chains and issues a unified denomination, satUSD, enabling seamless fund transfers across chains. River's core product, satUSD, is an overcollateralized stablecoin with a protocol TVL of approximately $159 million, a slight decrease from its October 2025 peak of $605 million. While the recent surge in River's price was certainly driven by news of Justin Sun investment, it is also related to its relatively small circulating supply and market speculation, requiring caution regarding short-term volatility risks. In the long term, the success of the River model depends on: security (cross-chain minting must guard against contract vulnerabilities and pegged asset risks); network effects (requiring more chains and application scenarios to support satUSD); and regulation (unified stablecoins involve multi-chain regulations, facing regulatory uncertainty).

Currently, integration with the Tron ecosystem has provided River with an opportunity for rapid expansion. If it can attract adoption from more ecosystems outside of Tron, such as Ethereum and BSC, its positioning is expected to upgrade to a "central" cross-chain stablecoin, and the potential value of the RIVER token will also expand. Conversely, if growth encounters obstacles or risk events occur, the high valuation may fall rapidly, and investors need to closely monitor the project's developments.

• ZetaChain ($ZETA): ZetaChain is a public blockchain designed for full-chain interoperability, often referred to as the "first full-domain blockchain." Its key feature is built-in cross-chain messaging and asset functionality. For example, smart contracts can directly control external chain assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana on ZetaChain. Developers can build Omnichain dApps based on this: contracts are deployed on ZetaChain but can read and write the state of various mainstream chains, achieving truly native cross-chain applications. For instance, a user initiating an operation in a DeFi application on ZetaChain can automatically call DEXs on Ethereum and lending on BSC, ultimately returning the result to the user. The entire process is completed natively through ZetaChain, without user intervention or the use of third-party bridges. To avoid centralized risks, ZetaChain uses DPoS multi-node verification of external chain assets, similar in mechanism to a cross-chain version of Ethereum. ZETA, its native token, is used for gas payments and maintaining cross-chain consensus. ZetaChain represents another path for chain abstraction: using a new public chain as a carrier, it fundamentally provides cross-chain abstraction capabilities by integrating multiple chains at the underlying level.
• LayerZero and Axelar: These two projects represent cross-chain communication infrastructure and are crucial components in realizing chain abstraction. LayerZero provides a unified cross-chain messaging protocol, allowing developers to easily build cross-chain DApps. Axelar (AXL) is another prominent cross-chain network that enables asset and message cross-chain communication through decentralized gateways and has launched a cross-chain stablecoin (axlUSD) similar to satUSD. The AXL token is used to pay cross-chain fees and for node staking. LayerZero and Axelar can be seen as paving the way for chain abstraction from different perspectives: the former focuses on the messaging layer, while the latter also considers the asset layer. As more and more applications require cross-chain interoperability, the importance of such protocols continues to rise. It should be noted that cross-chain bridge security has always been a high-risk area, and LayerZero and Axelar have repeatedly emphasized security measures. However, investors should still be aware that if a security incident occurs in cross-chain infrastructure, the impact will be enormous, and its token value will be the first to be affected. Therefore, while enjoying the benefits of chain abstraction brought by LayerZero and Axelar, investors should also pay attention to their technical reliability and audit status.

3.3 Intent: User Needs and Automation

• Anoma ($XAN) is a Layer 1 blockchain project designed around the concept of "intent." Anoma aims to build a "decentralized operating system" where users post any on-chain request, which is automatically matched and executed by the network without requiring users to specify steps. Simply put, on Anoma, users no longer send transactions but instead post "intents"—for example, "I want to exchange 50 tokens A for token B, with an exchange rate of at least 1:100"—and the Anoma network is responsible for finding a matchmaker or pathway to complete the exchange. Architecturally, Anoma consists of three parts: an intent pool (collecting user intents), solvers (competitively matching intents and generating transaction solutions), and a settlement layer (ultimately executing the solution on-chain). Anoma's parallel project, Namada, provides zero-knowledge privacy, allowing user intents to be encrypted, with the result only appearing on-chain after completion. The risks lie in the fact that Anoma's technology is extremely complex; achieving universal intent matching requires solving many open problems (such as solver game theory and the composability of complex intents), and the implementation time and effectiveness are uncertain.
• CowSwap ($COW): CowSwap has become a successful example of applying the concept of intent to existing Ethereum DEX trading. CowSwap is a decentralized trading platform based on the Gnosis protocol. Instead of submitting traditional swap transactions, users submit an intent order in the form of a "Request for Quote" (RFQ). For example, a user declares, "I want to exchange 100 DAI for at least 0.05 WBTC." This order is broadcast to a group of professional market makers and algorithmic solvers. Solvers attempt to find the optimal path across various DEX pools or order books, or match other users' orders, and then provide an execution plan. If a plan satisfies the user's intent (to obtain at least 0.05 WBTC), CowSwap matches the transaction; otherwise, the order is not executed and the user does not pay gas fees. This model has several significant advantages: ① Batch matching: CowSwap processes orders received within a certain period of time in a unified manner to find the optimal batch transaction solution, which often reduces slippage and gas costs; ② Avoiding front-running: Because users intend to match off-chain, not in the public mempool, the MEV bot cannot know in advance and thus jump the queue, which helps to achieve fair pricing; ③ Extremely simple user experience: Users only need to sign and authorize throughout the process, and the gas fee is only deducted when the match is successful. If no transaction is completed, the user does not lose gas fees.

IV. Risks and Challenges Facing the Abstraction and Intention Track

Abstraction and intention, as emerging hot tracks, have promising prospects, but the performance of most related projects since their launch has been unsatisfactory. The process of a new paradigm from its inception to maturity is always accompanied by twists and turns and growing pains, and we need to view the risks and challenges rationally.

• The implementation of these technologies faces significant challenges: While account abstraction standards have been established, integrating them into various DApps still presents considerable obstacles—many applications do not yet support smart account login, and integrating ERC-4337 is a complex and cumbersome development process. Regarding chain abstraction, achieving seamless connectivity between different chains poses a significant challenge to both security and complexity. Therefore, security and reliability are the lifeline of abstraction/intent solutions. For example, River must ensure that satUSD is fully 1:1 backed and mitigate contract risks; otherwise, a de-pegging of stablecoins would severely damage confidence. Intent networks must prevent collusion among solvers for profit, abuse of user intents, and strike a balance between decentralization and efficiency. These technical challenges have no ready-made answers and require continuous iteration and improvement.
• Ecosystem Collaboration and Standardization Challenges: Currently, the abstraction and intent fields are flourishing, with various projects advancing their own solutions. While this fosters innovation in the short term, it may lead to long-term issues of inconsistent standards and fragmentation. For example, account abstraction, besides ERC-4337, also employs different models used by non-EVM chains like Aptos; cross-chain abstraction varies, with some focusing on cross-chain bridges and others on new contract chains, and whether an interoperable standard can be formed remains to be seen. Regarding intent, different projects may design different intent expression formats and protocols, and incompatibility will reduce network effects. To avoid this "go-it-alone" approach, the community needs to promote more open-source collaboration and standardization, such as a common Intent format or cross-chain abstraction API interface. Research institutions like Paradigm have already called for the construction of open intent pools and permissionless resolution networks. In the future, we may see standardization organizations similar to the W3C emerge in the blockchain field to coordinate industry unification of abstraction and intent technologies.
• Economic and Governance Risks: Abstract and intent-based projects often introduce new incentive mechanisms and token economic models. If the project's token distribution is not reasonable or its governance mechanisms are inadequate, issues such as price manipulation and governance attacks may arise. For example, solvers in intent networks might choose the most advantageous solution for themselves rather than the best for users (e.g., secretly pocketing MEV rewards without returning them to users). Designing incentive mechanisms that align interests with user goals presents an economic challenge. Furthermore, the degree of decentralization in these new networks or protocols needs to be carefully considered—many account abstract wallets currently have some services hosted by the project team, many chain abstract bridges are controlled by multi-signature, and intent solving may initially involve only a few nodes. These points of centralization are potential risk points; if breached or abused, they will jeopardize user assets.
• Regulatory compliance risks: Unified cross-chain stablecoins and intent networks that conceal transaction details may attract the attention of regulatory agencies. The stablecoin sector, in particular, has always been a high-pressure area for regulation. For example, projects like River, if operating satUSD in various countries, need to comply with the anti-money laundering and payment regulations of each chain's jurisdiction. Some chain abstraction projects attempt to circumvent traditional financial and cross-border restrictions to achieve free capital flow, which may trigger policy risks. Intent networks involve privacy-based transaction matching and also need to be protected against being used by criminals for money laundering or circumventing scrutiny. All of these require projects to establish compliance mechanisms beyond technology, such as KYT monitoring, prevention of black market addresses, and active communication with regulators.

V. Opportunities and Prospects: Ushering in a New Paradigm for Web3

Despite the challenges, the direction represented by abstraction and intent is still widely believed to contain the key driving force for the large-scale adoption of blockchain. With technological iteration and ecosystem evolution, we have reason to remain cautiously optimistic about the broad prospects of this field:

1. From a user experience perspective, abstraction and intent have the potential to elevate Web3's usability to unprecedented levels. Account abstraction addresses wallet usability and security, preventing ordinary users from losing everything overnight due to lost private keys and eliminating the need to constantly calculate gas fees. Chain abstraction breaks down ecosystem barriers, freeing users from worrying about "which chain my coins are on" or "which L2 platform this DApp belongs to," making assets and applications readily accessible. Intent-driven approaches further revolutionize user interaction with the blockchain, allowing users to automatically receive services simply by expressing their purpose. It's conceivable that if these technologies mature and integrate, the future user experience of blockchain applications will approach or even surpass that of traditional internet products—registering and logging into an account, selecting desired services, and seamlessly navigating various underlying blockchains. This will truly remove barriers to widespread adoption of Web3, making it possible for the next hundred million users to enter the crypto world.
2. From an innovative application perspective, abstraction and intent will open up a whole new world. When cross-chain and complex interactions become simple and efficient, developers can unleash their creativity and build application scenarios that were previously impossible. For example, through chain abstraction, a DeFi application can aggregate liquidity across the entire chain to provide users with the best interest rates, while users are completely unaware of where their assets come from. Combined with intent, a wealth management protocol can allow users to publish intents such as "automatically rotate funds among the three highest-yielding pools," which will be optimized and executed by a smart agent. These complex strategies, which previously required manual operation by advanced users or were even impossible to implement, will become readily available thanks to abstraction/intent infrastructure. Furthermore, intent-driven approaches have enormous potential in areas such as NFTs, games, and social networking. For instance, NFT marketplaces can allow users to publish purchase intents, with the platform automatically seeking offers for them; blockchain game players can propose complex operational intents (such as "defeat a certain boss and redeem the reward"), with game contracts automatically coordinating multiple parties to complete the task. It is foreseeable that abstraction and intent will give rise to entirely new DApp paradigms, containing a wealth of new opportunities.
3. From an industry trend perspective, abstraction and intent align with the current multi-chain landscape and the user-centric trend, and are expected to become one of the key themes of the next cycle. The Ethereum Foundation and many L2 teams have prioritized improving user experience in their R&D, and account abstraction is accelerating the optimization of standards. Layer 2 projects are also exploring integration with AA and Intent. New non-EVM public chains such as Sui and Aptos are also exploring abstraction and intent functionalities, allowing developers to customize account authentication logic using the Move language. Meanwhile, Web2 technology companies and traditional financial giants are also paying close attention to this area. Payment companies like Visa and Mastercard are researching AA for automatic deductions; decentralized social applications are also raising expectations for breakthroughs in account abstraction within the social finance field. It can be said that abstraction and intent are on the eve of a powerful breakthrough: once the accumulated technologies and concepts mature and integrate, they may trigger a sudden surge in user growth and application prosperity at some point.

Conclusion

In today's blockchain world, technological innovation never ceases. The rise of abstraction and intent-based approaches reflects the industry's urgent need for improved user experience and application connectivity. From the River Chain's abstract stablecoin to the Anoma intent-based public chain, these projects are boldly reshaping underlying logic and interaction paradigms. This article analyzes their exciting innovations while also soberly examining the inherent risks. Looking ahead, it's foreseeable that the concepts of abstraction and intent will continue to gain momentum and gradually permeate mainstream blockchain applications. When the vision of seamless cross-chain transactions and effortless trading truly becomes a reality, the value of blockchain will be accessible to a much wider audience.

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