If you want to make the most of the different opportunities that decentralized finance offers, chances are you will need to use more than one blockchain. To transfer tokens from one blockchain platform to another, you need to use a bridge.
In this article we will show you the best crypto bridges currently available. When selecting the best cross-chain bridges for crypto transfers, we took into account liquidity, number of supported blockchains, interface quality, and other factors.
The best crypto bridges
It is important to mention that blockchain bridges have unfortunately been a very popular target for exploits. In fact, some of the biggest hacks and exploits we’ve seen so far involved targeted bridges. Bridging tokens between blockchains is still a relatively new concept and many implementations have been exposed as containing critical vulnerabilities that developers did not recognize before deploying their bridging solutions.
So when bridging tokens between blockchains, we recommend that you exercise some caution and never bridge more than you can afford to lose. Given the history of blockchain bridge hacks, it’s probably smarter to err on the side of caution, even if you’re using a popular and reputable bridging solution.
Now let’s look at our list of the 6 best crypto bridges that you can use to transfer tokens between different blockchains:
- Synapse Protocol – A well-rounded token bridging solution
- Arbitrum Bridge – The go-to bridge for transfers between Ethereum and Arbitrum
- Portal Token Bridge – A bridge for both EVM and non-EVM blockchains
- Celer cBridge – Celer’s token bridging solution
- Stargate – Token Bridge with a wide range of supported platforms
- Hop Protocol – Bridge specialized for Ethereum layer 2s
1. Synapse Protocol – A well-rounded token bridging solution
Synapse Protocol is a network that enables communication between different blockchains. The network allows all types of data to be sent on supported blockchains, allowing it to be used to send NFTs, smart contract calls, and other data in addition to tokens.
The Synapse Protocol is the backbone of the Synapse Bridge, one of the most popular blockchain bridges on the market today. One of the reasons for its popularity is that Synapse Bridge supports a wide variety of blockchains, including EVM and non-EVM chains. You can use Synapse to transfer tokens to layer 2s like Optimism and Arbitrum, as well as to layer 1 blockchains like Fantom and BNB Chain.
You can connect to Synapse Bridge via MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet, WalletConnect, or Rabby Wallet.
According to decentralized finance tracker DeFi Llama, Synapse Protocol has a TVL (total value locked) of approximately $107 million at the time of writing.
2. Arbitrum Bridge – The go-to bridge for transfers between Ethereum and Arbitrum
Arbitrum is currently by far the most popular layer 2 for Ethereum, according to layer 2 data aggregator L2Beat. It boasts a TVL of $5.9 billion, which is more than twice as high as second-placed Optimism ($2.7 billion).
Bridging crypto assets between the Ethereum mainnet and Arbitrum is becoming an increasingly common task for anyone active in DeFi. We recommend the Arbitrum Bridge for bridging between these two networks.
If you’d like to learn more about using this bridge, we recommend checking out our comprehensive Arbitrum Bridge guide where we explain the process step by step. The bridge supports 6 different types of Ethereum wallets, so you can probably use it no matter which wallet you prefer.
Please note, however, that Arbitrum Bridge only supports the Ethereum Mainnet, Arbitrum One, and Arbitrum Nova networks. If you also want to bridge to other networks, we recommend exploring the other bridges we’ve described in this article.
When bridging between Ethereum and Arbitrum, it is important to understand that going from Ethereum to Arbitrum is very quick, but withdrawing funds from Arbitrum back to Ethereum takes about seven days.
3. Portal Token Bridge – A bridge for both EVM and non-EVM blockchains
The Portal Token Bridge is a cross-chain bridge for crypto based on the Wormhole protocol. When you use this bridge, the tokens you send are locked using a smart contract, and an equivalent number of wrapped tokens are created on the destination chain.
One of the strongest features of the Portal Token Bridge is its selection of supported blockchains, which are among the largest of all cross-chain bridges. The bridge supports blockchains that you may not find on many other multi-chain bridges, including Sui, Sei, Near, and Aptos. Of course, the Portal Token Bridge also supports more common networks such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana and Polygon.
It is worth noting that Portal also offers an NFT bridge, which supports transfers of NFTs based on the ERC-721 and SPL standards. Overall, the Portal Token Bridge is a good choice if you are active on many different blockchains and want to keep all your bridging under one roof.
4. Celer cBridge – Celer Network’s token bridging solution
The Celer cBridge is a cross-chain crypto bridge developed by the team behind Celer Network. The bridge is powered by the Celer Network blockchain interoperability protocol, which allows developers to create decentralized applications between the chains.
More specifically, the Celer cBridge uses the Celer State Guardian Network (SGN), a Proof-of-Stake blockchain that monitors Layer 1 transactions that impact Layer 2 platforms, and passes information from Layer 2 to Layer 1 when necessary .
A very impressive aspect of the Celer cBridge is the sheer amount of blockchains it supports, as it can be used to bridge crypto assets between 40 different blockchain networks, ranging from the largest platforms like Ethereum and Arbitrum to more niche networks like Canto. Shiden and Aurora.
5. Stargate – Token Bridge with a wide range of supported platforms
The Stargate token bridge supports a variety of EVM-compatible blockchains, including layer 1 and layer 2 platforms. It offers a streamlined user interface and also provides slippage and gas cost estimates so you can see how many tokens you will keep once the bridge is complete. You can also set your slippage tolerance before you make a trade to avoid losing too much value.
On Stargate, you can also stake assets to provide liquidity and earn the protocol’s STG tokens in return. Additionally, STG tokens can be staked to obtain veSTG, which entitles holders to participate in the protocol’s governance process.
The Stargate Protocol has a TVL of $387 million, making it one of the largest bridging solutions in the DeFi sector.
6. Hop Protocol – Bridge specialized for Ethereum layer 2s
Hop Protocol is a solution specialized in transferring tokens across different Ethereum layer 2s. The protocol is designed so that moving tokens between supported Layer 2s is almost instantaneous.
Currently, Hop Protocol supports the Polygon, Gnosis, Optimism, Arbitrum One, Arbitrum Nova, and Base scaling solutions for Ethereum, and it is perhaps the best cross-chain bridge for crypto transfers between Ethereum layer 2s.
Hop operates on a completely non-custodial basis, ensuring that neither the funds of liquidity providers within the Automated Market Maker (AMM), nor the funds of users using the Hop Bridge, are ever held in custody by a single entity. The Hop Protocol has been verified by Solidified and Monoceros Alpha.
it comes down to
If you’re looking for a crypto bridge, you’re in luck as there are a wealth of options available on the market. In our article we presented 6 high-quality bridges. Of course, the most important factor when choosing a bridge is to make sure it supports all the blockchains you are trying to bridge tokens to.
If you want to learn more about the decentralized finance space, be sure to read our article on the best alternatives to Uniswap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cross-chain bridge?
According to our research, Synapse Protocol is the best cross-chain bridge on the market today. However, there are many more high-quality bridges on the market.
Is bridging crypto safe?
Unfortunately, blockchain bridges have been the target of several hacks in recent years. In some cases, hundreds of millions in crypto assets were stolen. We recommend that you be careful when transferring tokens with bridges, and you should not bridge more tokens than you can afford to lose in case the worst-case scenario occurs.
What is the fastest blockchain bridge?
One of the fastest blockchain bridges is the one offered by Stargate Finance.
What is the best bridge for Solana?
Overall, the best bridge for Solana is the Portal Token Bridge, which is based on the Wormhole protocol.
