Our Top Picks
Discover the best bridges with billions in volume and millions of users:
What Is A Cross-Chain Bridge?
A crypto bridge lets you transfer assets from one blockchain to another in just a few clicks. It's a useful crypto tool where users simply connect their crypto wallet, fill out the fields, and move funds between Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks.
Each bridge might use different technology and support different chains, but the goal is the same: To create fast and secure transfers between blockchains. Since bridging makes crypto easier to use, total volume has been increasing over the years. Data aggregator, Defi Llama, tracked $23B in bridge volume over the last 30 days from 30 platforms.
Here's An Example
Consider a scenario where you hold ETH on Ethereum Mainnet but wish to use the Solana ecosystem. Traditionally, transferring your funds between these networks is difficult and time-consuming. With a cross-chain bridge, you can transfer ETH to your Solana wallet and have it automatically convert to Solana's native token (SOL) upon arrival.
How To Research The Best Bridge
You can evaluate these criteria when finding the best crypto bridge:
Best Cross-Chain Bridges
With over 100 bridges out there, the market is very fragmented. However, these are some of the best bridges I've found with low fees, multi-chain support, and lots of volume.
Bridge | # Of Chains | Total Volume | Why We Picked It | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rango Exchange | 80+ | $9 Billion | ||
Orbiter Finance | 70+ | $40 Billion | ||
Across Protocol | 6 | $20 Billion | ||
Stargate | 50+ | $10 Billion | ||
Wormhole | 25 | $54 Billion |
1. Rango Exchange
Why is Rango first on the list? You can move funds between 80+ blockchains and it's an aggregator, so it compares all bridges to give you the best rates. Plus, it includes both EVM and non-EVM chains. This means you have the freedom to bridge between Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and dozens of chains that don't normally talk to one another.
Since Rango is a bridge aggregator, it analyzes different routes to get your funds from point A to point B, ensuring you always get the lowest rates. If you don't like the route it gives you, just click the "refresh route" button to generate a new one. For these reasons, Rango has been growing quickly and generated over $9 billion in total volume.
2. Orbiter Finance
Orbiter Finance is one of the most popular, speedy, low-cost bridges that supports lots of Layer 2 networks. It has over 3M total users and $40B in volume, according to their site. Right now it supports 19 chains like Base, Starknet, Linea, Immutable X, Scroll, Manta and more. They also have a points system and airdrop potential.
How To Use It
- Go to https://orbiter.finance and connect your wallet.
- Select the network you want to send from. You will need to have ETH on that network already.
- Select the network you want to send to.
- Enter the amount and click "Send" and confirm it in your wallet.
3. Across Protocol
Another option is Across Protocol, a growing cross-chain bridge with $111M total value locked (TVL) and $4B+ in transaction volume so far. It allows you to bridge in and out of 6 Layer 2networks including Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, zkSync, Polygon, and Ethereum.
Bridging is extremely fast, typically under 60 seconds, and fees are very low with these L2 networks. The fee can be as low as a few cents depending which network you choose, plus you can grab an additional 20% off if you use my referral URL below. While Across is great, fast, and has low fees, it supports the least number of networks on this list.
How To Use It
- Go to https://rankfi.com/go/across-protocol/ (that's my referral link for 20% off).
- Connect your wallet and select the tokens and networks you want to use.
- Enter the amount then confirm the transaction to bridge funds.
- In most cases, funds should arrive in under 60 seconds
Visit Across Protocol (20% discount with this link)
4. Stargate
Stargate is powered by LayzerZero technology and has attracted over $20 billion in lifetime volume. It currently supports 50+ chains and offers other DeFi features like liquidity pools, farming, and staking.
While it offers 50+ chains, some combinations are not supported. For example, you can only bridge Arbitrum to 4 networks as of this writing (Base, Linea, Optimism, Ethereum), which limits its functionality. The competitors on this list support all combinations from my experience.
5. Wormhole
Hundreds of projects in the crypto ecosystem use Wormhole technology on the backend. According to Wormholescan, there is over $30 billion in cross-chain activity all time across various networks like Ethereum, Solana, BSC, Avalanche, Sui, and many more.
Wormhole has its own bridge called Portal Bridge, where you can bridge funds between 25 networks like Base, Ethereum, Solana, Osmosis, Sui, Kujira, and many more. The list includes EVM and non-EVM chains making it very useful.
When using Wormhole, transactions can take a while and could require you to do a manual claim. Make sure to keep the window open so you can claim your funds when they arrive. For me personally, this is the most confusing bridge on this list and I've had a couple issues with it, but it's still one of the most popular.
Potential Risks and Vulnerabilities
Cross-chain bridges aren't invincible and can have weak spots. Chainalysis estimates that over $2 billion was stolen from crypto bridge exploits in 2022!
Hackers target them, looking for loopholes in smart contracts or other chinks in the armor. Liquidity can be another issue – if there's not enough on the other side of the bridge, your swap might get stuck. Always keep an eye on a bridge's track record and any news about its security.
FAQ
Is Bridging Safe?
While many bridges are solid, some have had weak spots that led to massive hacks. Bridges are a bit like choosing a crypto exchange. You've got safe options like Coinbase, but there's also the FTX's! Like anything in crypto, bridging involves a bit of risk, so do your homework and don't put all your eggs in one basket!
How Do You Use A Bridge?
To use a bridge, simply connect your crypto wallet and fill out the fields by choosing the amount you want to send and where it's going.
- Choose a bridge and connect your wallet in the top right
- Select the token, network, and amount you want to send from
- Select the token and network where you want to receive funds
- Review and approve the transaction in your wallet
The bridge does the heavy lifting, converting your crypto to the right format for the new blockchain. Just follow the steps, and voila – your crypto's on a whole new chain.