Sushiswap is a Multichain Exchange Powered by Route Processor 9

Price Impact and Slippage Decide Whether a Quote Executes

A Sushiswap trade fails when realized output falls below the transaction’s minimum-received value. Price impact changes the quote before signing, while slippage tolerance defines the lowest acceptable execution afterward. The signed call enforces that floor on-chain.

Price impact begins inside the pools. Each Sushiswap V2 pool contains exactly two ERC-20 assets and follows the constant-product relationship x × y = k before fees. Removing one reserve makes its next unit more expensive relative to the other. V3 concentrated liquidity adds another dimension: usable depth sits within selected price ranges. Crossing a thin range moves the execution price faster. Aggregation reduces this effect when deeper liquidity exists elsewhere, although a longer path introduces more pool calls and gas. The relevant depth is route-specific rather than the pool’s headline reserve total. The same ground is broken down in Sushiswap walkthrough.

Reading the Quote

The quote separates expected output from minimum received. Expected output reflects the route at quotation time; minimum received applies the chosen tolerance. A path crossing two pools pays the fee charged by each pool, and both price curves affect the final amount. Compare the output token amount, price impact, route composition and estimated gas as one decision. A higher gross quote loses its advantage when extra execution cost exceeds the improvement.

Handling a Reverted Swap

A reverted swap changes no token balances, yet the network still charges gas for computation already performed.

Request a fresh quote after a delay or reserve change. Reducing order size also reduces pressure on a shallow pool. Widening tolerance accepts a worse minimum, so it belongs only within a deliberate execution limit. If stable-asset routes remain weak, compare Curve liquidity before accepting a materially lower amount.

Pool Fees and Network Gas Form the Real Cost

Swap cost on Sushiswap combines pool fees, any displayed interface charge and network gas. The route quote incorporates pool-level deductions, while the wallet shows the separate native-token charge before signature. More hops increase execution work even when they improve the token output.

Fixed Pool Charges

Sushiswap V3 pools expose four fixed fee tiers: 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.30% and 1.00%. Lower tiers suit closely priced assets, while wider fees compensate liquidity allocated to more volatile pairs. A V2 swap charges 0.30% of the input: 0.25% accrues to liquidity providers and 0.05% supports the xSUSHI allocation. An interface or integrator charge appears separately when applied. Ethereum, Arbitrum One and Base use ETH for gas, Polygon uses POL and Avalanche C-Chain uses AVAX.

A Worked Cost Example

Worked example: for one hypothetical case, assume these changing inputs: 10,000 USDC sent through a direct V2 pool, a 9,970 USDT quote and 0.50% slippage tolerance. The fixed 0.30% pool fee corresponds to 30 USDC and is already reflected in the quote. Minimum received equals 9,970 × 0.995, producing 9,920.15 USDT. Gas remains separate. On a smaller Ethereum trade, compare gas-inclusive output with Base or Arbitrum One before choosing the route.

Swaps and Liquidity Positions Serve Different Jobs

Swaps and liquidity positions on Sushiswap serve different purposes, commitments and risk profiles. A swap exchanges one asset for another in a signed transaction. A position commits two assets to market-making rules and earns a share of eligible pool fees.

The swap side draws on Sushiswap pools and external venues available to Route Processor 9. A trader chooses an input, output and amount, then evaluates the resulting path. The aggregator may split flow or use an intermediate asset when the combined route returns more after its modeled costs. This structure helps when liquidity is fragmented across Sushiswap V2, Sushiswap V3, Uniswap, Curve, Algebra, Camelot and Trader Joe. The destination remains the selected token on the same chain unless a distinct cross-chain flow is chosen. No single venue needs to contain the entire executable amount.

Liquidity provision changes the job from taking a quote to supplying inventory. V2 begins with equal market values of two assets and issues an SLP token representing the pool share. V3 uses an ERC-721 position with one fee tier plus lower and upper price bounds. An out-of-range V3 position stops earning swap fees until price returns, and its inventory shifts toward one asset. That active range exposure differs from simply holding both tokens, while a direct swap avoids ongoing position management.

Wallet and Network Checks Before the First Swap

A first Sushiswap swap requires a compatible wallet, the correct network and native gas funds. MetaMask and Rabby provide direct EVM account control, while WalletConnect links other compatible wallets. Connection alone does not authorize token movement.

Match the Chain

Ethereum uses chain ID 1, Arbitrum One 42161, Base 8453, Polygon 137, Avalanche C-Chain 43114 and Gnosis Chain 100. Those identifiers distinguish networks even when several use ETH as their gas asset. Gnosis Chain pays gas in xDAI, while Polygon pays in POL. Check the wallet network before evaluating balances because the same account address can hold unrelated assets on several chains. The identifier is a stronger network check than a logo or color alone.

Confirm Token Identity

On EVM networks, a token contract address is 20 bytes, displayed as 0x plus 40 hexadecimal characters. Match the contract, network and symbol together. WETH uses 18 decimals, while native USDC contracts use 6 decimals. Decimal precision changes display units, not the token’s identity. A familiar ticker attached to another contract represents another asset from the router’s perspective.

Review and Sign

When allowance is absent and the interface uses a standard ERC-20 approval flow, two state-changing transactions are required: approval first and swap second. Read the approval amount, spender and chain in the wallet. An exact-amount allowance covers the intended input; a larger allowance remains available until spent or changed. Native-token input removes the ERC-20 approval transaction.

The final confirmation should match the selected input, recipient and minimum received. Keep enough native currency beyond the input amount for gas. A wallet with USDC but no ETH cannot execute on Base or Arbitrum One, whereas the equivalent gas asset check on Polygon concerns POL.

How Does Route Processor 9 Build a Swap?

Route Processor 9 turns an off-chain route calculation into one on-chain swap execution. The calculation compares candidate paths, while the contract executes the encoded sequence under the signed minimum-output condition.

The source set extends beyond native pools. Established integrations include Uniswap V2 and V3, Curve, Algebra, Camelot, Trader Joe, Maverick V2 and PancakeSwap Infinity. Availability differs by network because each chain has its own deployments and reserves. The routing service models pool fees, price movement and execution cost, then encodes the selected transfers and pool calls. A split route assigns portions of one input to separate paths before recombining the output for the recipient.

Same-chain execution is atomic: every encoded call succeeds or the state changes revert together. A confirmed EVM transaction has one 32-byte transaction hash. Its receipt status is 1 for success and 0 for failure. Token balances, pool reserves and allowances update under the rules of the contracts called by that transaction, providing a concrete record distinct from the interface quote. RP9 adds execution support for PancakeSwap Infinity pools and hooks, broadening the routes the aggregator can consider. Direct Uniswap or Curve trading remains useful when a reader wants one named venue instead of aggregated path selection.

Uniswap, Curve, 1inch and CoW Swap by Decision Criterion

Next to that, Sushiswap suits multichain routing, while alternatives emphasize narrower liquidity or different execution models. Uniswap offers direct access to its concentrated-liquidity pools. Curve specializes in stable-value asset curves. The 1inch aggregator searches multiple decentralized exchanges through its own routing stack. CoW Swap uses solver competition and batch auctions on supported networks. Choose by quoted net output, network coverage, execution model and the pools holding the pair’s deepest usable liquidity.