Intent-Based Execution Model

At the core of EtherlinkDAO lies a simple but powerful abstraction: intent-based execution.

In traditional DeFi systems, users submit transactions that explicitly define how and where an action should be executed. The user chooses the chain, the venue, the route, and implicitly accepts the limitations of local liquidity and execution conditions. This model tightly couples user intent with execution mechanics.

EtherlinkDAO breaks this coupling.

An intent represents what the user wants to achieve, not how the system should achieve it. For example: swapping an asset for another at the best possible execution, regardless of where the liquidity resides.

By separating intent declaration from execution resolution, EtherlinkDAO allows the protocol to reason globally about execution rather than being constrained by a single chain or venue.

In this model:

• the user expresses a desired outcome

• the protocol determines the optimal execution path

• execution details remain abstracted from the user

This abstraction is essential in a multi-chain environment. Liquidity is inherently distributed, and optimal execution often requires coordination across multiple execution domains. Encoding execution logic directly into user transactions makes such coordination inefficient or impossible.

Intent-based execution enables EtherlinkDAO to:

• evaluate multiple execution paths across chains

• compare execution quality in real time

• select the route that minimizes slippage and inefficiency

From the user’s perspective, the interaction remains simple and deterministic. From the protocol’s perspective, the problem becomes one of global optimization rather than local execution.

Crucially, intents are not tied to a specific chain, pool, or bridge. They are resolved dynamically at execution time, allowing EtherlinkDAO to adapt to changing liquidity conditions without requiring user intervention.

This model transforms execution into a first-class primitive. Chains become execution environments. Liquidity becomes a global resource.