An intent refers to a user’s desired endstate or goal within an ecosystem.
Another key improvement that intents bring to DeFi is chain and gas abstraction. In traditional blockchain interactions, users must manage complex operations, such as paying gas fees in native tokens and ensuring compatibility with specific chain requirements. Intents simplify this process by allowing users to define their desired outcomes without worrying about the underlying mechanics. For example, users can express their intent to provide liquidity or execute a trade without specifying which chain to use or how to pay for gas. Autonomous agents and execution layers take on the responsibility of optimizing and fulfilling these intents, abstracting away the complexities of multi-chain interactions and gas fee management. This streamlined approach reduces friction and makes DeFi more accessible to both novice and experienced users, lowering barriers to entry and enabling more efficient cross-chain operations.
Intent-centric infrastructure is a layer of abstraction that facilitates the efficient processing, validation, and solving of user intents across different blockchain ecosystems. It abstracts away the complexity of direct interactions with blockchains and smart contracts by providing a higher-level interface for developers to build intent-centric applications compatible with any underlying blockchain protocol.
By leveraging intent-centric infrastructure, developers can build more user-friendly decentralized applications without being constrained by the limitations of individual blockchains. Intent-centric infrastructure can defragment the multichain user and developer experience by uniting blockchains within a single development environment, reducing friction and complexity while enabling greater flexibility in Web3 applications. Ultimately, this will create a more unified and dynamic ecosystem as applications and user intents can flow freely across chains.
Intent-centric infrastructure leverages generalized intents and peer-to-peer networks to unify liquidity and coordinate the efficient solving of user-defined outcomes across protocols. Generalized intents enable users to express any arbitrary outcome, and can be used as a primitive to build sophisticated dApps beyond simple swaps and limit orders for DeFi. Solver networks are used to coordinate counterparty discovery, solving, and settlement for user intents. The wide applicability of intent-centric infrastructures for different use cases fosters innovation in new types of user-friendly, universally compatible applications.
As the concept of intents continues to evolve, their potential to revolutionize DeFi becomes even more apparent. In the future, intents will not only handle straightforward tasks like token swaps or liquidity provision but will also take on increasingly complex and sophisticated operations. Imagine a user setting an intent to maximize their portfolio yield over a given period while maintaining a specific risk tolerance. The system could dynamically allocate assets across multiple protocols, adjust strategies in real-time based on market conditions, and even reinvest rewards—all without requiring active user intervention. This kind of advanced functionality will empower users to achieve their financial goals with minimal effort while maximizing efficiency and returns.
The adoption of intents will also drive the proliferation of autonomous agents and decentralized networks that specialize in intent fulfillment. These agents will compete in open markets, leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning to optimize execution strategies. This competitive environment will not only drive innovation but also ensure that users benefit from the best possible outcomes. Furthermore, as standards like ERC-7683 gain traction, interoperability between protocols will improve, creating a more cohesive and user-friendly DeFi ecosystem. Over time, intents could even expand beyond financial applications, enabling decentralized systems to handle tasks such as e-commerce, governance, resource allocation, and supply chain optimization.
Ultimately, intents represent a paradigm shift in how users interact with blockchain technology and perhaps the internet. By abstracting complexity and enabling seamless, goal-driven interactions, intents have the potential to make DeFi more inclusive, efficient, and powerful. As the infrastructure supporting intents matures, they will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of the decentralized web, driving innovation and unlocking new possibilities for users and developers alike.
About Author:
Adrian Brink is the co-founder of Anoma, a distributed operating system for intent-centric applications. Anoma pioneers a comprehensive plug-and-play infrastructure for building with generalized intents compatible across any blockchain. Adrian is a member of the Anoma Foundation Council and also co-founded Cryptium Labs, a proof-of-stake validator, and Metastate, an R&D company focused on protocol development and architecture. Previously, Adrian was the 3rd core engineer and Head of Partnerships at Tendermint (Cosmos).
Join the thousands already learning crypto!