LI.FI - With Intents, It’s Solvers All The Way Down

LI.FI argues that intent-based bridges risk centralization because too few solvers execute user intents, and that onboarding more solvers is needed to avoid concentrated order flow. The article names the barriers solvers face: staking requirements, such as 1inch Fusion's top 10 resolvers ranked by "unicorn power," permissioned access, complex cross-chain rebalancing, high fixed costs, and too little order flow for most apps. It cites CoWswap, with 16 independent solvers, and Across, with over 15 relayers, as examples of healthy competition. It proposes ERC-7683, a standardized cross-chain intent format proposed by Uniswap Labs and Across, to lower entry barriers for solvers.