Two chains. One protocol. The complexity exists because simplicity would require trust, and trust is expensive.Most users interact exclusively with the Index L3 chain. Certain operations — bridge trading, lending, Vision deposits — require the Settlement chain. This guide explains which chain handles what, how to configure your wallet, and the critical decimal difference between them.
Most activity happens on L3. Settlement is required only for specific operations. You will know which chain you need because the app will ask you to switch. The architecture is complex. Your experience of it should not be.
+---------------------------------------------------------------+ | WHICH CHAIN DO I NEED? | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | "I want to..." Chain Why | | ────────────────────────── ─────────── ───────────────── | | Buy/sell an ITP directly L3 Core trading | | Place a Vision bet L3 Markets live here | | Claim Vision winnings L3 Payouts on L3 | | View my portfolio L3 Holdings on L3 | | | | Bridge-buy an ITP Settlement USDC deposited | | Bridge-sell an ITP Settlement BridgedITP sent | | Lend USDC (earn yield) Settlement Morpho lives here | | Borrow against ITP Settlement Collateral here | | Deposit USDC for Vision Settlement Deposits here | | Withdraw from Vision Settlement Withdrawals here | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------+
The app handles chain switching automatically. When an action requires Settlement, your wallet is prompted to switch. The two-chain architecture is a design decision you do not need to understand to use the protocol. But understanding it makes the wait times less mysterious.
Connect your wallet at generalmarket.io and the app prompts you to add both networks automatically. The manual setup above is for those who prefer to know what they are connecting to before they connect.
USDC uses different decimal precision on each chain. This is the single most important fact about the two-chain setup. Misunderstand it and you lose money. Understand it and the bridge handles the rest.
The bridge converts between the two automatically. Never send raw USDC between chains without using the bridge interface. The 10^12 difference between 6 and 18 decimals is not a rounding error. It is a catastrophe.
What 100 USDC looks like in raw token units on each chain:
100 USDC ======== On Settlement (6 decimals): 100_000_000 ^^^^^^^^^^^ 100 * 10^6 On L3 (18 decimals): 100_000_000_000_000_000_000 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 100 * 10^18 Ratio: 1e12 difference ======================= The bridge handles this conversion via DecimalLib: Settlement --> L3: toInternal() (multiplies by 1e12) L3 --> Settlement: toUsdc() (divides by 1e12)
The bridge handles this conversion transparently. Deposit 100 USDC on Settlement, the protocol sees 100 USDC of value on L3. The decimal conversion is purely internal. You never see it. It never fails. These are two separate reassurances.
When you buy a Dex Traded Fund (DTF) through the bridge, you end up with tokens on both chains. The same position, two representations. One real, one reflected.
BRIDGE BUY ========== User deposits USDC on Settlement | v +---------------------+---------------------+ | | v v SETTLEMENT INDEX L3 ========== ======== BridgedITP (ERC-20) ITP shares - Replica of L3 shares - The "real" shares - Mint/burn controlled - Minted by Index.sol by BridgeProxy - Used for NAV tracking - Usable as Morpho collateral - Tradable on L3 - Same 18-decimal precision BRIDGE SELL ========== User sends BridgedITP on Settlement | v +---------------------+---------------------+ | | v v SETTLEMENT INDEX L3 ========== ======== BridgedITP burned ITP shares burned USDC returned to user Underlying assets sold
BridgedITP tokens are full ERC-20 tokens on Settlement. They represent the same position as the L3 shares and can be used as collateral in Morpho lending markets. Both exist simultaneously. The position is one. The representations are two. The bridge maintains the invariant that they are always equal.
Deposit USDC on Settlement to buy DTF shares. The bridge escrows your USDC, the oracles execute the trade, and you receive both DTF shares on L3 and BridgedITP on Settlement.
2
Lend USDC
Go to the Lend section and deposit USDC into the Morpho vault. Your USDC earns yield from borrowers immediately, with no lock-up period.
3
Borrow Against DTF
Deposit BridgedITP shares as collateral in a Morpho lending market and borrow USDC. Monitor your health factor to avoid liquidation.
4
Deposit USDC for Vision
Vision prediction markets require USDC deposited on Settlement. The app handles the deposit flow — approve USDC and confirm the deposit transaction.
The two-chain architecture exists to separate concerns. Trading happens where trading is cheap. Settlement happens where settlement is secure. The bridge connects them. If this sounds complicated, it is. The alternative was trusting a single chain with everything, and that simplicity would have been the most expensive decision of all.
Bridge Architecture
Deep dive into the cross-chain bridge — buy/sell flows, custody, and the backing invariant.
Lending Guide
Step-by-step guide to lending USDC and borrowing against DTF shares on Settlement.
Buy and Sell DTFs
How to trade DTFs on L3 — order submission, batching, and fills.
