No the major difference is atomic swapping
An atomic swap works in the same way users would send funds to one another, but there are some major differences. More specifically, it allows users to cross-trade different cryptocurrencies without relying on centralized parties. If user A has bitcoin, and user B wants Ethereum Classic, for example, they can agree to a fixed trading price and complete the transaction immediately.
One might argue using an atomic swap would require a certain degree of trust, but that is not the case. Every atomic swap uses a hashed time-locked contract, which is a part of the scripting language used for most major cryptocurrencies in existence right now. Both parties submit their individual transaction to the appropriate blockchain. User A sends bitcoin on the Bitcoin blockchain, and user B sends ETC on the Ethereum Classic chain. The recipient can only claim this transaction by revealing a secret number.
This results in both transactions being linked to one another, despite them taking place across two different blockchains. The process sounds a lot more complicated than it really is.Or to be more precise, it will be a lot easier on the Lightning Network is successfully activated on the Bitcoin network. Any altcoin forked from Bitcoins codebase is more than capable of implementing the Lightning Network as well. Other currencies require extensive scripting capabilities to make atomic swaps possible.