CoW Protocol

Do what you want, build what you want

CoW Protocol has the largest solver competition and the most advanced developer framework - so you can build any DeFi-related action you can imagineStart building

23

active solvers settling batches

#1

intent-based DEX protocol by volume

1.2B+

all time transactions

View all metrics on DUNE ↗
The leading intents-based DEX aggregation protocol

CoW Protocol leverages intents, batch auctions, and the largest solver network in DeFi to bring surplus-capturing, MEV-protected trades to users

How it works

CoW Protocol hosts a continuous competition between solvers to find better prices and protect users from MEV

Intents

CoW Protocol users sign an "intent to trade" message instead of directly executing orders on-chain (like on Uniswap). This lets solvers trade on behalf of the user.

Learn more
Solvers

Professional third parties known as solvers find the most optimal trade path from a combination of public and private liquidity sources - finding better prices than most users could find on their own.

Learn more
Batch Auctions

Solvers compete for the right to settle trades in batches, which give users additional MEV protection and allow for Coincidence of Wants.

The solver that wins the batch auction is the solver that finds the most surplus - so they win when you win.

Learn more
Going where others can't

Thanks to its unique architecture, CoW Protocol can do things other DEXs can't

Advanced order types
Limit orders

Placing a limit order is like setting a trap for a price for your trade. CoW Swap is the only DEX that offers surplus on limit orders - and one of the only DEXs that offers limit orders at all

TWAP orders

Time-weighted average price (TWAP) orders minimize price impact and volatility risk by letting you trade assets at fixed intervals over a period of time

Milkman orders

Created with our friends at Yearn.fi, Milkman orders let you prep a trade today to be executed in the future - with the help of a price oracle so you don't get rekt

Unique trading logic
Smart orders

ERC-1271 smart orders let you custom code any trading logic into your smart contract

Programmatic orders

Easily deploy conditional orders that trigger when specified on-chain conditions are met

Hooks

Add pre- and post- hooks to tie your trade to any other DeFi activity (bridging, staking, depositing, etc.)

Powering innovation across DeFi
Automating advanced treasury tasks

Curve uses programmatic orders from CoW Protocol to streamline their fee burning processes. With the integration in place, Curve can take fees in any token and convert them automatically to CRV, while generating surplus and protecting themselves from MEV

Adding security to sensitive transactions

Lido leverages programmatic orders as the backbone of “stonks” - a set of smart contracts that they use to manage treasury ops smoothly and securely without taking custody of funds. Stonks allows Lido DAO to "set and forget" complex trade intents without compromising the prices they receive on future swaps - minimizing time spent and human error

Powering native swaps

Safe chose CoW Protocol to power native swaps on the Safe app. The team chose to build on top of the CoW widget (the simplest way to integrate CoW Protocol) and is now earning revenue by offering MEV-protected swaps to its users

Trusted by the best
Aave

Aave DAO used CoW Swap to swap over $4 million directly into a Balancer liquidity pool

Read more
ENS

ENS DAO traded a whopping 10,000 ETH for USDC through CoW Swap

Read more
Nexus Mutual

In the largest DAO trade ever, Nexus Mutual relied on CoW Swap to trade 14,400 ETH for rETH, a liquid staking token

Read more
Build with CoW Protocol
For developers

CoW Protocol is open-source and permissionless. Thanks to comprehensive documentation and live coding tutorials, integrating the protocol is easy.

Read the docs
For DeFi projects

Don't need overly custom trading logic? The CoW Swap widget is the easiest way to integrate swaps, TWAPs, and limit orders directly into your project site.

Integrate the widget
For anyone

The CoW DAO Grants program has awarded over $100,000 in grants to innovators that build public DeFi applications with CoW Protocol.

Apply for a grant
Want to build a solver?

Solvers are the backbone of CoW Protocol. In a nutshell, solvers are optimization algorithms that compete to find CoW Protocol users the best possible settlements for their trade intents.

Advanced solver teams can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year by winning batch auctions frequently.

Learn more about building a solver by reading the CoW Protocol docs.

Read the docs
FAQs
What is CoW Protocol?
How is CoW Protocol different from CoW Swap?
How does CoW Protocol provide better prices for trades?
How does CoW Protocol source liquidity for trades?
How can I become a liquidity provider?
What are intents?
What are solvers?
What are batch auctions?
What chains does CoW Protocol currently support?
How do I get support?