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What is Cross-Chain Bridge?
A bridge lets you move crypto from one blockchain to another — like transferring ETH from Ethereum to Polygon. Bridges carry significant security risk.
Full Explanation
Cross-chain bridges are protocols that transfer assets between different blockchains. Since blockchains are independent ledgers, you can't directly send ETH to Solana. Bridges lock your tokens on the source chain and mint equivalent tokens on the destination. The risk: bridges hold massive amounts of locked funds, making them prime targets for hackers. Over $2.5B has been stolen from bridge exploits. Use well-established bridges and avoid moving large amounts at once.
Example
Using the Polygon Bridge to move ETH from Ethereum mainnet to Polygon for lower gas fees.
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Last updated: 2026-03-21
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