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Best Crypto Cross-chain Bridges in 2025

17 July 2025, 08:30 UTC
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What if moving tokens from Solana to Ethereum—or any blockchain you can think of—were as easy as a click? Thanks to cross-chain bridges, this is no longer a barrier for the crypto market today. This article will help you understand what cross-chain bridges are, their functionality, the value they bring to crypto enthusiasts, and a list of the top cross-chain bridges.

8 results found

BNB Chain Bridge (Binance Bridge)

BNB Chain Bridge (Binance Bridge)

Best for cross-chain bridging to the BNB Chain ecosystem

BNB Chain Bridge ensures smooth cross-chain interoperability

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM, Solana, Tron

Supported chains

37

Fees

Fees vary by network selection

Best for using the original bridge for arbitrum deposits

Arbitrum Layer-2 official bridge developed by Offchain Labs

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM

Supported chains

28

Fees

Fees vary by network selection

Best for reliable interaction between Ethereum and Polygon

The official bridge from Polygon for cross-chain transactions

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM

Supported chains

5

Fees

Fees vary by network selection
CORE (Avalanche Bridge)

CORE (Avalanche Bridge)

Best for customizable swap settings

Official Avalanche web 3 app bridge built by Ava Labs

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM, Bitcoin

Supported chains

27

Fees

Fees vary by network selection
Portal (Wormhole)

Portal (Wormhole)

Best for a large selection of supported blockchains

Powered by Wormhole, a leading cross-chain protocol supporting 200+ dApps

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM, Solana, Sui & Aptos, Near, Cosmos

Supported chains

30+

Fees

<$0.01
Stargate Finance

Stargate Finance

Best for high-speed cross-chain exchanges

Powered by the top-tier interoperability protocol, LayerZero

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM, Solana, Tron

Supported chains

41

Fees

0.06%
Synapse Protocol

Synapse Protocol

Best for low-fee cross-chain transfers

Synapse has handled a transaction volume of over $5 billion

Cross-chain compatibility

23

Supported chains

EVM, Solana

Fees

Fees vary by network selection
THORSwap (ThorChain)

THORSwap (ThorChain)

Best for native token perks in bridging

Cross-chain decentralized exchange with 630,000+ unique users

Cross-chain compatibility

EVM, Bitcoin, Solana, Cosmos

Supported chains

16

Fees

0.5%

Summary of the Best Cross-chain Bridges

Cross-chain BridgesCross-chain compatibilitySupported chainsFees
BNB Chain Bridge (Binance Bridge)BNB Chain Bridge (Binance Bridge)
EVM, Solana, Tron37Fees vary by network selectionExplore BNB Chain Bridge
Arbitrum BridgeArbitrum Bridge
EVM28Fees vary by network selectionExplore Arbitrum Bridge
Polygon PortalPolygon Portal
EVM5Fees vary by network selectionExplore Polygon Portal
CORE (Avalanche Bridge)CORE (Avalanche Bridge)
EVM, Bitcoin27Fees vary by network selectionExplore CORE
Portal (Wormhole)Portal (Wormhole)
EVM, Solana, Sui & Aptos, Near, Cosmos30+<$0.01Explore Portal
Stargate FinanceStargate Finance
EVM, Solana, Tron410.06%Explore Stargate Finance
Synapse ProtocolSynapse Protocol
23EVM, SolanaFees vary by network selectionExplore Synapse Protocol
THORSwap (ThorChain)THORSwap (ThorChain)
EVM, Bitcoin, Solana, Cosmos160.5%Explore THORSwap

What are crypto cross-chain bridges?

A cross-chain bridge is a service, typically implemented as a decentralized application (dApp), that enables the transfer of crypto assets and data between different blockchain networks.

It can be compared to a physical bridge connecting two sides of a river, where each side possesses its own unique goods, currency, and resources. For mutual development, the bridge facilitates the exchange and transport of these assets, fostering collaboration and growth. Similarly, a cross-chain bridge establishes communication between blockchains, enabling the seamless transfer of tokens, data, and value to create a more connected and interoperable ecosystem.

What Is the purpose of cross-chain bridges?

The main problem that cross-chain bridges solve is the absence of compatibility between blockchains, which in turn enables developers and users to access a broader range of tools in the crypto market and gain various benefits—all of which we will explore below.

  • Enhance liquidity across networks: provide developers and users access to aggregated liquidity across blockchains, which is essential for decentralized exchanges (DEXs), lending protocols, and other DeFi platforms. Aggregated liquidity means combining liquidity pools from different chains into one accessible resource, allowing for more efficient transactions.
  • Cheap and fast transactions: cross-chain bridges enable users to move assets to blockchains with lower fees and higher transaction speeds. For example, decentralized trading on the Ethereum network can be quite expensive, but you can transfer the same assets to a chain like Arbitrum, where transaction fees are significantly lower, and transactions are processed much faster.
  • Flexibility: Developers can build decentralized applications (dApps) that operate simultaneously on multiple blockchains, making the ecosystem more interconnected and offering a broader range of beneficial interaction options for users. For instance, a protocol could offer 2% returns on the USDT stablecoin in the Ethereum network, while providing 5% in the Binance Smart Chain network, allowing users to choose the most advantageous option.

How does a cross-chain bridge work?

Bridges may vary in their technical implementations, but they typically rely on a few core mechanisms to execute cross-chain transactions. Below are the three primary methods cross-chain bridges use to transfer assets between blockchains.

  • Lock and unlock. When you exchange tokens, such as USDC, between blockchains, the equivalent amount of USDC is locked on the source chain. At the same time, the same amount is withdrawn for you from a liquidity pool on the destination chain. This method relies on liquidity providers to maintain balance across chains, and bridges often offer incentives like fee sharing or staking rewards to attract liquidity. To make the reverse exchange, tokens on the destination chain are returned to the pool, and the original tokens are unlocked on the source chain.
  • Burn and mint. During a token transfer, tokens on the source chain are destroyed, also known as 'burned,' and then the same amount of tokens is minted on the destination chain. To make the reverse exchange, the tokens on the destination chain are burned, and the original tokens are re-minted on the source chain, ensuring balance and avoiding inflation of the token supply.
  • Lock and Mint. During the transfer, your tokens on the source chain are locked, and an equivalent amount of tokens is minted on the destination blockchain as so-called wrapped tokens. Wrapped tokens solve the problem of moving assets between incompatible blockchains. For example, Bitcoin cannot natively exist on Ethereum due to their different structures, but wrapping allows Bitcoin to be represented as an ERC-20 token (e.g., wBTC) on Ethereum. These wrapped tokens can be used like native tokens on the destination chain. To make the reverse exchange, the wrapped tokens are burned, and the original tokens are unlocked on the source chain.

How to choose a cross-chain bridge?

Choosing a cross-chain bridge for transferring tokens or NFTs should primarily depend on your particular needs. Ensure the bridge supports both the source and destination networks you want to use, especially the specific route for exchanging tokens. Additionally, prioritize bridges with a strong reputation for security, fast transaction speeds, and reasonable fees to ensure a safe and efficient cross-chain swap experience.

Conclusion

Cross-chain bridges play an important role in the whole crypto ecosystem by eliminating barriers between different blockchain networks. Before the advent of cross-chain bridges, blockchains were significantly limited in their ability to communicate with one another. Now, blockchains can be compatible and function as an interconnected ecosystem. With BeInCrypto’s Top Picks, you can choose the bridge that best suits your needs, ensuring a seamless and efficient way to interact with multiple blockchains and perform cross-chain swaps.

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Disclaimer

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