Asset wrapping is the process by which an external asset becomes usable inside the Polyester system.
Through Zipper, external assets are received, validated, and converted into their on-chain representations as zAssets. These zAssets are then used to back uAssets that power trading and lending across the exchange.
What Asset Wrapping Means
Wrapping does not change the underlying asset.
It establishes a 1:1 representation between an external asset held in a Zipper-controlled vault and a corresponding zAsset minted on Polyester Chain. This representation allows assets from many external chains to join shared liquidity and participate in Polyester’s on-chain accounting and exchange workflows.
Wrapping Lifecycle
The wrapping process follows a deterministic sequence.
First, a supported external asset is sent to a Zipper-controlled deposit address on its native chain. Once the deposit is detected and validated, the asset becomes part of Zipper’s external inventory.
An equivalent amount of the corresponding zAsset is then minted on Polyester Chain. Each source chain produces a unique zAsset contract, ensuring that external existence remains explicit and auditable.
The newly minted zAsset contributes to internal accounting and is sent to the Funding Account, where it backs an equivalent uAsset. That uAsset can then be used for trading or lending across the exchange.
At all times, zAssets minted through wrapping equal the externally held inventory exactly.
Chain-Specific Representation
Asset wrapping preserves the identity of the source chain.
If the same asset exists on multiple external networks, each source chain maps to its own zAsset contract. These representations remain separate until they intentionally unify within the Funding Account.
This design ensures that external chain assets are always traceable, while still allowing liquidity to unify where it matters for exchange activity.
See Zipper Example for more details.