The cross-chain intent mechanism of the Near ecosystem is indeed impressive. This solution supports a universal cross-chain self-custodied RFQ + settlement model, opening up many possibilities.

Traditional cross-chain interactions either rely on centralized relays or suffer from fragmented liquidity. Near's intent framework changes the approach—by using self-custodied quote requests (RFQ) and on-chain settlement, allowing users to maintain full control while avoiding the complexity of multi-signatures or reserved funds.

This is very important in DeFi. Imagine a user holding assets on one chain but wanting to trade or lend on another chain. Usually, they have to trust a cross-chain bridge (security risks) or go through complex liquidity routing (high costs, high latency). Near's solution greatly simplifies this process—quote providers compete to offer the best rates, and settlement is transparent and on-chain.

Especially for self-custodied users, this is a big advantage. No need to authorize third parties to hold assets; cross-chain interactions can be as smooth as on a single chain. For the ecosystem, it can also attract more developers to build DEXs, aggregators, and similar applications based on this standard.

Near indeed has some unique ideas in infrastructure innovation.