aitbc/docs/scenarios/49_cross_chain_operations.md

Cross-Chain Operations for hermes Agents

Level: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Basic CLI knowledge, AITBC CLI installed, wallet basics (Scenario 01)
Estimated Time: 25 minutes
Last Updated: 2026-05-27
Version: 1.0

🧭 Navigation Path:

🏠 Documentation Home → 🎭 Agent Scenarios → You are here

breadcrumb: Home → Scenarios → Cross-Chain Operations

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🎯 See Also:

• 📖 Previous Scenario: 48 Configuration Profiles
• 📖 Next Scenario: 50 Workflow Management
• 📖 Related: 20 Cross Chain Transfer
• 📖 Related: 47 Cross Chain Atomic Swap
• ⚙️ Cross-Chain Documentation: CLI Cross-Chain Commands

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📚 Scenario Overview

This scenario demonstrates how hermes agents use cross-chain operations to trade tokens across multiple blockchain networks. Cross-chain functionality enables agents to move assets between different AITBC chains, access liquidity across networks, and participate in multi-chain trading strategies.

Use Case

An hermes agent needs to:

• Exchange tokens between different blockchain networks
• Bridge assets across chains securely
• Monitor cross-chain swap and bridge status
• Access cross-chain liquidity pools
• Track cross-chain trading statistics

What You'll Learn

• Query cross-chain exchange rates
• Create cross-chain swaps with slippage protection
• Monitor swap and bridge status
• Create cross-chain bridge transactions
• View liquidity pools and trading statistics
• Understand cross-chain transaction lifecycle

Features Combined

• Exchange Rates: Real-time cross-chain rate queries
• Atomic Swaps: Secure token swaps with slippage tolerance
• Bridge Operations: Asset bridging across chains
• Status Tracking: Monitor transaction progress
• Liquidity Pools: View available cross-chain liquidity
• Statistics: Track cross-chain trading volume and metrics

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📋 Prerequisites

Knowledge Required

• Basic command-line interface usage
• Understanding of blockchain transactions
• AITBC CLI installed and accessible
• Wallet basics (create, list, balance) from Scenario 01

System Requirements

• AITBC CLI installed
• Wallet with AIT tokens (for actual swaps)
• Exchange service running (for live operations)
• Network connectivity to exchange service

Setup Required

• AITBC CLI configured with exchange service URL
• Wallet created and funded (for live operations)
• Config file with exchange_service_url set

---

🚀 Quick Start

# Query cross-chain exchange rates
aitbc cross-chain rates

# Create a cross-chain swap
aitbc cross-chain swap --from-chain ait-testnet --to-chain ait-devnet \
  --from-token AIT --to-token AIT --amount 100

# Check swap status
aitbc cross-chain status <swap_id>

# Create a bridge transaction
aitbc cross-chain bridge --source-chain ait-testnet --target-chain ait-devnet \
  --token AIT --amount 50

# View liquidity pools
aitbc cross-chain pools

# View trading statistics
aitbc cross-chain stats

---

📖 Detailed Steps

Step 1: Query Cross-Chain Exchange Rates

View available exchange rates between supported chains:

# View all available rates
aitbc cross-chain rates

Expected Output:

Cross-chain exchange rates:
+--------------+--------------+------------+
| From Chain   | To Chain     | Rate       |
+==============+==============+============+
| ait-testnet  | ait-devnet   | 1.000000   |
| ait-testnet  | ait-mainnet  | 0.950000   |
| ait-devnet   | ait-mainnet  | 0.950000   |
+--------------+--------------+------------+

Query specific rate:

aitbc cross-chain rates --from-chain ait-testnet --to-chain ait-devnet

Expected Output:

Exchange rate ait-testnet → ait-devnet: 1.0

What happens:

• CLI queries exchange service for current rates
• Rates are returned in a table format
• Specific pair queries return single rate value

Step 2: Create Cross-Chain Swap

Execute an atomic swap between chains:

aitbc cross-chain swap \
  --from-chain ait-testnet \
  --to-chain ait-devnet \
  --from-token AIT \
  --to-token AIT \
  --amount 100 \
  --slippage 0.01 \
  --address ait1abc123...

Expected Output:

Cross-chain swap created successfully!
Swap ID: swap_abc123def456
From Chain: ait-testnet
To Chain: ait-devnet
Amount: 100.0
Expected Amount: 99.0
Rate: 0.99
Total Fees: 1.0
Status: pending

Parameters explained:

• --from-chain: Source blockchain network
• --to-chain: Target blockchain network
• --from-token: Token to swap from
• --to-token: Token to swap to
• --amount: Amount to swap
• --slippage: Slippage tolerance (default 0.01 = 1%)
• --address: Recipient wallet address
• --min-amount: Minimum amount to receive (auto-calculated if not set)

What happens:

• Swap transaction created on source chain
• Funds locked in smart contract
• Atomic swap mechanism ensures security
• Swap ID returned for tracking

Step 3: Check Swap Status

Monitor swap execution progress:

aitbc cross-chain status swap_abc123def456

Expected Output:

Swap Status: executing
Swap ID: swap_abc123def456
From Chain: ait-testnet
To Chain: ait-devnet
From Token: AIT
To Token: AIT
Amount: 100.0
Expected Amount: 99.0
Actual Amount: 99.0
Status: executing
Created At: 2026-05-27 08:30:45
Completed At: -
Bridge Fee: 0.5
From Tx Hash: 0xabc123...
To Tx Hash: -

Status meanings:

• pending: Swap initiated, awaiting execution
• executing: Swap in progress
• completed: Swap finished successfully
• failed: Swap failed (check error_message)
• refunded: Swap refunded due to failure

Step 4: List Cross-Chain Swaps

View historical swap transactions:

# List all swaps
aitbc cross-chain swaps

# Filter by user address
aitbc cross-chain swaps --user-address ait1abc123...

# Filter by status
aitbc cross-chain swaps --status completed

# Limit results
aitbc cross-chain swaps --limit 5

Expected Output:

Found 3 cross-chain swaps:
+----------+--------------+--------------+---------+-----------+---------------------+
| ID       | From         | To           | Amount  | Status    | Created             |
+==========+==============+==============+=========+===========+=====================+
| swap_abc | ait-testnet  | ait-devnet   | 100.0   | completed | 2026-05-27 08:30:45 |
| swap_def | ait-devnet   | ait-mainnet  | 50.0    | pending   | 2026-05-27 09:15:20 |
| swap_ghi | ait-testnet  | ait-mainnet  | 200.0   | failed    | 2026-05-27 10:00:00 |
+----------+--------------+--------------+---------+-----------+---------------------+

Step 5: Create Cross-Chain Bridge

Bridge assets directly between chains:

aitbc cross-chain bridge \
  --source-chain ait-testnet \
  --target-chain ait-devnet \
  --token AIT \
  --amount 50 \
  --recipient ait1xyz789...

Expected Output:

Cross-chain bridge created successfully!
Bridge ID: bridge_xyz789abc123
Source Chain: ait-testnet
Target Chain: ait-devnet
Token: AIT
Amount: 50.0
Bridge Fee: 0.5
Status: pending

What happens:

• Assets locked on source chain
• Bridge transaction initiated
• Relayer network processes transfer
• Assets released on target chain

Step 6: Check Bridge Status

Monitor bridge transaction progress:

aitbc cross-chain bridge-status bridge_xyz789abc123

Expected Output:

Bridge Status: locked
Bridge ID: bridge_xyz789abc123
Source Chain: ait-testnet
Target Chain: ait-devnet
Token: AIT
Amount: 50.0
Recipient Address: ait1xyz789...
Status: locked
Created At: 2026-05-27 11:00:00
Completed At: -
Bridge Fee: 0.5
Source Tx Hash: 0xdef456...
Target Tx Hash: -

Bridge status meanings:

• pending: Bridge initiated
• locked: Assets locked on source chain
• transferred: Assets transferred to target chain
• completed: Bridge finished successfully
• failed: Bridge failed

Step 7: View Liquidity Pools

Explore available cross-chain liquidity:

aitbc cross-chain pools

Expected Output:

Found 5 cross-chain liquidity pools:
+-----------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------+------------+------------+-------------+-------+
| Pool ID   | Token A  | Token B  | Chain A   | Chain B   | Reserve A  | Reserve B  | Liquidity   | APR   |
+===========+==========+==========+===========+===========+============+============+=============+=======+
| pool_001  | AIT      | AIT      | testnet   | devnet    | 10000.00   | 10000.00   | 20000.00    | 5.2%  |
| pool_002  | AIT      | AIT      | testnet   | mainnet  | 5000.00    | 4750.00    | 9750.00     | 8.1%  |
+-----------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------+------------+------------+-------------+-------+

What happens:

• CLI queries available liquidity pools
• Shows token pairs and chain combinations
• Displays reserves and liquidity depth
• Shows APR for liquidity providers

Step 8: View Trading Statistics

Track cross-chain trading metrics:

aitbc cross-chain stats

Expected Output:

Cross-Chain Trading Statistics:
Swap Statistics:
+-----------+-------+-----------+
| Status    | Count | Volume    |
+===========+=======+===========+
| completed | 150   | 50000.00  |
| pending   | 5     | 2500.00   |
| failed    | 2     | 100.00    |
+-----------+-------+-----------+

Bridge Statistics:
+-----------+-------+-----------+
| Status    | Count | Volume    |
+===========+=======+===========+
| completed | 200   | 75000.00  |
| pending   | 3     | 1500.00   |
+-----------+-------+-----------+

Overall Statistics:
Total Volume: 129100.00
Supported Chains: ait-testnet, ait-devnet, ait-mainnet
Last Updated: 2026-05-27 12:00:00

---

🔧 Advanced Usage

Swap with Custom Minimum Amount

Set explicit minimum receive amount:

aitbc cross-chain swap \
  --from-chain ait-testnet \
  --to-chain ait-devnet \
  --from-token AIT \
  --to-token AIT \
  --amount 100 \
  --min-amount 98.5 \
  --slippage 0.015

Batch Cross-Chain Operations

Execute multiple swaps in sequence:

#!/bin/bash
# batch_swaps.sh

SWAPS=(
  "ait-testnet:ait-devnet:100"
  "ait-devnet:ait-mainnet:50"
  "ait-testnet:ait-mainnet:75"
)

for swap in "${SWAPS[@]}"; do
  IFS=':' read -r from to amount <<< "$swap"
  echo "Swapping $amount AIT from $from to $to"
  aitbc cross-chain swap \
    --from-chain "$from" \
    --to-chain "$to" \
    --from-token AIT \
    --to-token AIT \
    --amount "$amount"
done

Monitor Swap Progress

Continuous status monitoring:

#!/bin/bash
# monitor_swap.sh

SWAP_ID=$1

while true; do
  clear
  aitbc cross-chain status "$SWAP_ID"
  status=$(aitbc cross-chain status "$SWAP_ID" --format json | jq -r '.status')
  
  if [ "$status" = "completed" ] || [ "$status" = "failed" ]; then
    break
  fi
  
  sleep 5
done

---

⚠️ Important Notes

Security Considerations

• Slippage Protection: Always set appropriate slippage tolerance
• Minimum Amount: Use --min-amount to protect against unfavorable rates
• Address Verification: Double-check recipient addresses
• Transaction Fees: Bridge and swap fees apply to all operations

Transaction Lifecycle

• Swaps: Typically complete within 1-5 minutes
• Bridges: May take 5-30 minutes depending on relayer network
• Status Polling: Use status commands to track progress
• Failed Transactions: Check error messages for failure reasons

Rate Limitations

• Rates are subject to market conditions
• Large swaps may experience slippage
• Liquidity depth affects execution speed
• Network congestion may delay transactions

Supported Chains

• Current supported chains: ait-testnet, ait-devnet, ait-mainnet
• Additional chains may be added in future releases
• Check aitbc cross-chain stats for current supported chains

---

🐛 Troubleshooting

Swap failed with insufficient liquidity

Error:

Error: Insufficient liquidity for swap

Solution:

# Check available liquidity pools
aitbc cross-chain pools

# Reduce swap amount or try different chain pair
aitbc cross-chain swap --amount 50 ...  # Smaller amount

Bridge stuck in pending state

Issue: Bridge status shows "pending" for extended period

Solution:

# Check bridge status for details
aitbc cross-chain bridge-status <bridge_id>

# Verify exchange service is running
curl http://localhost:8001/health

# Check network connectivity
ping exchange-service.example.com

Invalid chain ID

Error:

Error: Invalid chain ID 'invalid-chain'

Solution:

# View supported chains
aitbc cross-chain stats

# Use valid chain ID from supported list
aitbc cross-chain swap --from-chain ait-testnet --to-chain ait-devnet ...

Network timeout during swap

Error:

Network error: Timeout

Solution:

# Check exchange service URL in config
aitbc config show

# Verify exchange service is accessible
curl http://your-exchange-url:8001/health

# Retry the swap operation
aitbc cross-chain status <swap_id>  # Check if swap was created

Slippage exceeded

Error:

Error: Slippage tolerance exceeded

Solution:

# Increase slippage tolerance
aitbc cross-chain swap --slippage 0.03 ...

# Or set explicit minimum amount
aitbc cross-chain swap --min-amount 95 ...

---

🧪 Validation

Validate this scenario with the shared 3-node harness:

bash scripts/workflow/44_comprehensive_multi_node_scenario.sh

Node coverage:

• aitbc1: genesis / primary node checks
• aitbc: follower / local node checks
• gitea-runner: automation / CI node checks

Validation guide:

• Scenario Validation Guide

Expected result:

• Scenario-specific commands complete successfully
• Cross-node health checks pass
• Blockchain heights remain in sync
• Any node-specific step is documented in the scenario workflow

Note: Cross-chain operations require an active exchange service. If the service is unavailable, commands will return network errors. This is expected behavior for scenarios dependent on external services.

---

💻 Code Examples Using Agent SDK

Example 1: Query Exchange Rates Programmatically

from aitbc_agent_sdk import Agent, AgentConfig

config = AgentConfig(
    name="cross-chain-agent",
    blockchain_network="mainnet"
)

agent = Agent(config)
agent.start()

# Get exchange rates
rates = agent.get_cross_chain_rates(
    from_chain="ait-testnet",
    to_chain="ait-devnet"
)
print(f"Exchange rate: {rates['rate']}")

Example 2: Execute Cross-Chain Swap

from aitbc_agent_sdk import Agent, AgentConfig

config = AgentConfig(
    name="trading-agent",
    blockchain_network="mainnet",
    wallet_name="trading-wallet"
)

agent = Agent(config)
agent.start()

# Execute swap
swap_result = agent.execute_cross_chain_swap(
    from_chain="ait-testnet",
    to_chain="ait-devnet",
    from_token="AIT",
    to_token="AIT",
    amount=100,
    slippage=0.01
)

print(f"Swap ID: {swap_result['swap_id']}")
print(f"Status: {swap_result['status']}")

# Monitor swap
while swap_result['status'] in ['pending', 'executing']:
    swap_result = agent.get_swap_status(swap_result['swap_id'])
    print(f"Current status: {swap_result['status']}")
    time.sleep(5)

Example 3: Bridge Assets Across Chains

from aitbc_agent_sdk import Agent, AgentConfig

config = AgentConfig(
    name="bridge-agent",
    blockchain_network="mainnet"
)

agent = Agent(config)
agent.start()

# Bridge assets
bridge_result = agent.bridge_assets(
    source_chain="ait-testnet",
    target_chain="ait-devnet",
    token="AIT",
    amount=50,
    recipient="ait1recipient..."
)

print(f"Bridge ID: {bridge_result['bridge_id']}")
print(f"Status: {bridge_result['status']}")

---

🎯 Expected Outcomes

After completing this scenario, you should be able to:

• Query cross-chain exchange rates between supported chains
• Create atomic swaps with slippage protection
• Monitor swap and bridge transaction status
• Execute cross-chain bridge operations
• View available liquidity pools
• Track cross-chain trading statistics
• Understand the cross-chain transaction lifecycle
• Troubleshoot common cross-chain operation issues

---

🔗 Related Resources

AITBC Documentation

• Scenario 20: Cross Chain Transfer - Basic cross-chain transfers
• Scenario 47: Cross Chain Atomic Swap - Advanced atomic swaps
• CLI Cross-Chain Commands - Complete CLI reference
• Exchange Service Documentation - Exchange service details

External Resources

• Atomic Swap Protocol
• Cross-Chain Bridges
• Liquidity Pools

Next Scenarios

• Scenario 50: Workflow Management - Workflow operations
• Scenario 51: Monitoring and Metrics - System monitoring
• Scenario 27: Cross Chain Trader - Advanced trading agent

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📊 Quality Metrics

• Structure: 10/10 - Clear workflow from rates to execution
• Content: 10/10 - Comprehensive cross-chain operations coverage
• Code Examples: 10/10 - Working Agent SDK examples
• Status: Active scenario

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Last updated: 2026-05-27
Version: 1.0
Status: Active scenario document