1/ Cross-chain transfers on @kadena_io deserve a more detailed explanation. As I've discussed previously, Kadena scales by using multiple chains connected together. Each chain behaves as a standalone blockchain. This has several ramifications.
2/ Nothing can happen on a blockchain without someone sending in a transaction. Smart contracts cannot "go out to the internet" to get more data. They can only access what's already on the blockchain and in the transaction itself.
3/ This means that to do a cross-chain transfer, you have to do two transactions: one to burn the coins on the sending chain, and a second to reconstitute those coins on the target chain. Because of the above criteria, there's no way around this. It's essential complexity.
4/ The cross-chain transfer procedure has three distinct steps. First you initiate the transfer using the transfer-crosschain function.
5/ After the transaction goes through, you have to wait a few blocks (currently no more than 3, the diameter of our current 2-chain graph) for the evidence of the transfer to make its way through the chain graph and become available to the target chain.
6/ Once you have waited for those few blocks to go by, you query the blockchain with the transaction hash and it gives you back some data that is the proof that you initiated the cross-chain transfer.
7/ Then, in the third and final step, you submit that proof in a new transaction to the target chain. This step doesn't have to be done by you. Anyone can do it! And the money will still show up in your account!
8/ One consequence of this is that someone has to have coins on the target chain to pay the gas for the transaction to finish the cross-chain transfer. But never fear! Kadena has a gas station for that and a tool available at transfer.chainweb.com that can finish it for you.
9/ All this may seem annoying but it's absolutely essential for scalability. I anticipate that as Kadena gets more use the ecosystem will develop better and better tools for dealing with these things and that eventually you won't have to think about it.
10/ Until then, I think it's a small price to pay in exchange for having a scalable blockchain that eliminates exorbitant gas fees and makes digital currency affordable for the everyman. @kadena_io
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