Intent Matching and Execution Model

In the Saline network, intents define the desired outcomes for asset owners. However, the actual execution of these intents—i.e., submitting transactions that fulfill them—is delegated to third parties known as matchers.

Matchers: Open Participation

• Definition: A matcher is any participant who submits a transaction that fulfills one or more existing intents on-chain.
• Access: There is no privileged status—any network participant can act as a matcher.
• Incentive: Matchers are compensated via matcher rewards, predefined by the intent originator.

Stateless Execution via Preauthorized Intents

Saline reverses the conventional blockchain model where each transaction must be explicitly signed by the account owner. Instead:

• Transactions are validated based on intent compatibility, not signature origin.
• Validators check whether a proposed transaction fulfills the on-chain mandate (intent) of any address it touches.
• If it does, the transaction is authorized and valid—even if the address owner did not sign it directly.

Intent Installation and Authorship

• Intents are installed through signed transactions by the wallet owner.
• Installation is equivalent to preauthorization: it encodes a set of rules that govern future asset interactions.
• Subsequent transactions require no further involvement from the wallet owner, provided they conform to the installed intent.

Example: Intent-Based Swap

Suppose a user at address <w> installs the following intent:

Swap up to 1.5 BTC for ETH at a rate of at least R.

Once committed on-chain:

• The intent becomes publicly visible and verifiable.
• Any participant can now execute the swap on behalf of <w>, as long as the transaction:
  • Withdraws ≤ 1.5 BTC from <w>,
  • Deposits at least R × BTC ETH into <w>,
  • And conforms to the atomic execution model.

No further approval or signature from <w> is needed.

Flexible Matching Scenarios

A matcher M may fulfill the intent in multiple ways:

• Use their own ETH to swap with <w>'s BTC.
• Route through a third party <k> that has a compatible counter-intent (e.g., ETH → BTC).
• Combine assets from multiple sources to assemble a complete or partial match.

The execution is atomic: either all conditions are met and the transaction is applied, or nothing happens.

Economic Incentives and Matcher Rewards

To incentivize fulfillment, intents can include a matcher reward—a specified amount or fee offered to whoever successfully executes the transaction.

Key properties:

• The reward is automatically paid out upon successful execution.
• Multiple matchers may compete to fulfill high-value or high-reward intents.
• This model supports the emergence of automated matching bots and solver infrastructure.

Saline enables a model where submitting a transaction can be a source of income.

Unlike traditional networks where users pay to act, Saline allows users to earn by acting.

Validator Economics

Saline operates as a verification-first network, offloading the burden of transaction orchestration to matchers. Validators focus solely on:

• Verifying compatibility of transactions against declared intents.
• Ensuring correct execution and consensus ordering.

Efficiency and Profitability

• Validation is computationally light compared to traditional smart contract execution.
• Storage and bandwidth dominate resource costs; computation costs are minimal.

This leads to:

• Low gas fees for users (e.g., an atomic swap may cost no more than a transfer).
• Higher validator rewards, due to low operational overhead.

Saline's Transaction Fee Mechanism (TFM) further optimizes fee distribution, creating a sustainable and profitable validator environment.