If you hold crypto on one network and need it on another, a relay bridge routes the transfer across chains, sometimes swapping tokens too. If you need a new token as well, choose relay bridge over a native bridge that only moves the same asset; a relay bridge swap handles the network move and token change together.
What does a relay bridge move?
It coordinates a transaction on the source chain with delivery of an asset on the destination chain; the networks keep separate records. In one type of route, your deposit is confirmed on the source chain and funds already available on the destination chain pay your recipient. Another route may lock your tokens and mint a wrapped token, which represents an asset held elsewhere.
If the route includes a swap, it exchanges one token for another before or after the transfer between chains. Check the output asset and its network: if you need SOL to pay fees on Solana, a wrapped token on another network will not work. What arrives matters more than whether the starting and ending tokens have similar names.
What will it cost and how long will it take?
Check gas on the source chain, the bridge fee, any swap cost, and the quoted amount you will receive. Gas pays the network to process your transaction and usually requires its native coin. A swap quote may also show a minimum received amount: the lowest output allowed after a small price change, called slippage.
Say you send $200 worth of a stablecoin. The route deducts $1.50, the swap costs about $1 through its exchange rate, and you pay $3 in gas separately. You receive about $197.50 worth of the destination token but spend $203 overall, so the effective cost is $5.50. Redo that calculation using the live quote for your route.
A route using funds already on the destination chain may finish in minutes, depending on confirmations and available funds. A native withdrawal from some layer 2 networks can take roughly seven days while the network allows time to challenge the transaction. I would compare the estimated arrival time alongside the amount received if I needed the funds by a deadline.
The transfer, step by step
Start with the exact token and network you need at the end. I would choose a route by its delivered asset and amount, because a low displayed bridge fee can be offset by a poor swap rate.
- Check that your source wallet holds the token you will send and enough native coin to cover any gas.
- Enter the source chain, destination chain, starting token, desired token, and amount in the bridge service.
- Provide a destination wallet address that accepts the desired token on that network, and check every character.
- Review the live quote for expected and minimum output, costs, and estimated completion time.
- Approve token spending in your wallet if required, checking the token and allowance amount.
- Confirm the transfer in your wallet after checking the network, recipient, token, and amount again.
- Track the source transaction and destination delivery using their transaction records.
If the source transaction succeeds but your destination balance looks empty, check that your wallet is showing the destination chain and token. Also check whether you have that chain’s native coin to pay gas when you use the new asset. While delivery is pending, track the existing transfer instead of sending it again. The route is complete when the intended asset reaches the intended address on the intended network.