How to bridge to Avalanche

Blockchains are typically isolated systems and can't interact with other chains, making it inconvenient for users to move funds. Blockchain bridges are built to solve this. Blockchain bridging allows users to move their funds from one chain to another quickly. Cryptocurrency bridges enable blockchain interoperability and make digital asset transfer even more convenient. 

Avalanche is a layer-1 blockchain that competes with Ethereum in speed and cost. It can handle around 6,500 transactions per second, while Ethereum can theoretically process a maximum of 47 transactions per second. Both chains use a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. However, Avalanche blockchain offers a multi-chain architecture powered by its native currency, AVAX. The X-chain, C-chain, and P-chain each serve different functions to achieve high throughput. 

Preparing for bridging: wallet and asset selection

Choosing the right wallet 

The first step before using an Ethereum to Avalanche bridge is to choose the right wallet. 

OKX provides a highly secure and multi-chain OKX Web3 wallet with all OKX accounts. It can safely store BTC or any other cryptocurrency for as long as needed. In addition, the OKX Web3 Wallet features bank-grade security and inbuilt access to hundreds of decentralized applications (DApps) and the OKX NFT Marketplace.

Choosing the right Avalanche chain

Three chains power avalanche: 

1. X-chain: The default asset blockchain designed to facilitate asset creation. 

2. C-chain: The application layer used by DApps. 

3. P-chain: This is the validator chain, which takes care of sub-net operations. 

By default, Avalanche C-chain is the default chain for end consumers as this chain can interact with DApps. Blockchain bridges are DApps, and they use C-chain. 

Selecting assets for bridging 

The first step before you bridge a cryptocurrency from one chain to another is to make sure the asset is supported. For this guide, we’ll be transferring ETH from Ethereum to Avalanche. ETH is not a native asset on Avalanche. As a result, it's wrapped and converted to WETH.e on Avalanche, pegged to the value of ETH. 

To do the bridging, only ETH is required as the asset and fees. However, make sure you have some AVAX on your Avalanche wallet for gas fees to use your ETH after bridging. 

If you’re looking to bridge a different asset like USDT, you have to make sure that Avalanche supports USDT. One easy way to do it is to just check the bridge. If USDT is available as an option, you should be able to bridge it. 

Exploring bridge services

Decentralized bridge services

We recommend OKX Swap as a safe option to bridge ETH to Avalanche. OKX aggregates prices from hundreds of decentralized exchanges to offer the best route, minimizing slippage and network fees. OKX Swap offers convenient blockchain interoperability with secure crypto transactions. 

Avalanche also offers its own solution, Core Bridge. However, it doesn't have the best uptime and also doesn't offer a lot of coins. Other Avalanche bridges you can check out are Meson and Stargate. 

Centralized bridge services

A straightforward way to bridge to Avalanche blockchain is using centralized exchanges. You can deposit your crypto to OKX using one chain and withdraw it using another. Here’s a simple guide on bridging USDT from Ethereum to Avalanche using OKX Exchange. 

Step 1: Create an account on OKX. 

Step 2: Once logged in, head to “Assets” on the top-right and click “Deposit.” If you don’t have USDT, buy some on OKX and skip the deposit step. 

Step 3: Select “USDT” as the crypto and “ETH-ERC20” as the deposit network.  

Step 4: Deposit USDT into the address shown from your Ethereum Wallet. The USDT takes a few minutes to reach your account and be accessible. 

Step 5: Once your funds are ready to be used, go back to “Assets” and click “Withdraw.”

Step 6: Select “USDT” as Crypto and the withdrawal method as “On-chain.”

Step 7: Type in your Avalanche address and select the network as “USDT-Avalanche C-Chain.” Enter the amount of USDT you want to bridge to Avalanche and hit next. You’ll be asked to authenticate your account, and the USDT should arrive in your Avalanche wallet within a few minutes. 

Using an exchange to bridge your assets is one of the easiest methods, as you don’t have to deal with slippage or network fees. 

Choosing a bridge service

Both centralized and decentralized cryptocurrency bridges are good options. It's up to you which one you want to go with. Decentralized cryptocurrency bridging options are helpful as you can move between chains faster. However, they can present their own challenges, such as high fees and slippage.

Security is another crucial factor if you’re going with a decentralized cryptocurrency bridge. It's essential to make sure you’re using a reputable bridge with a strong track record for security. 

Bridging process: a step-by-step guide

Bridging ETH to Avalanche involves connecting your wallet and transferring the assets. We’ll use OKX Web3 Wallet and OKX Swap to bridge ETH to Avalanche. The process should be similar if you want to use a different wallet or bridge service. 

Connecting to a bridge service

Step 1: Head over to OKX Swap

Step 2: Click “Connect wallet” in the top right corner, and select “OKX wallet extension.” If you use another wallet provider like Metamask or Phantom, click “Other” and choose your wallet. 

Step 3: Type in the password for your OKX wallet and select “Confirm” to let your OKX wallet connect to OKX Swap. 

Transferring assets to Avalanche

Now that you’re connected to OKX Swap, you can bridge ETH to Avalanche.

Step 1: Set the bridge parameters and the amount of ETH you want to bridge under “Swap & Bridge.”

1. Select “Ethereum” as the from network and type in the amount of ETH you want to bridge. 

2. Click on the “To” network and select “Avalanche C.” If the network is not immediately visible, click on “View all networks” under “Select Network” and search for “Avalanche.” 

3. Next, select “WETH.e” as the token. OKX Swap will automatically show you the amount of ETH you’ll get.

Step 2 (optional): This is an optional step. Only do this if you understand slippage and bridges very well. 

1. Network fee: This estimates the network fee to facilitate the blockchain bridging. 

2. Slippage: Slippage is the amount of tolerance you're willing to have due to price changes. If you set the slippage to 0%, OKX swap will make sure you receive precisely 0.4985 ETH, as shown. Otherwise, the transaction is canceled, and you lose the network fee. Giving room for some slippage is necessary when there is less liquidity. 

3. Trading route: OKX Swap itself is not a bridge. Instead, it's a DeFi aggregator that chooses the best available bridge to Avalanche for you at the time. If you want, you can manually change the service here. 

Step 3: Click “Swap across chains.” When your wallet appears, confirm the transaction. 

OKX Swap is a convenient DeFi tool to get your cryptocurrencies across bridges and swap them along the way.  

OKX Swap or any other bridges can also do the reverse and act as Avalanche to ETH bridges if you want to return. You must select Avalanche C as the first network and Ethereum as the second network to perform AVAX to ETH bridging. OKX Swap can also act as an ETH to AVAX bridge. Instead of setting “WETH.e” as the second currency, set “AVAX.” OKX Swap will automatically convert your ETH from Ethereum to AVAX and bridge to Avalanche. 

Understanding fees and timelines

Fee structures explained

There are multiple fees involved in a decentralized bridging process: 

1. Ethereum gas fees: You must pay a transaction fee to the Ethereum network to send your ETH and interact with OKX Swap. 

2. Bridge fees: OKX Swap acts as a bridge and swap aggregator. The bridge facilitating the bridging takes a small fee for its service. 

3. Avalanche transaction fees: Similar to the Ethereum Gas Fee, an Avalanche transaction fee is taken to facilitate the transaction of ETH from the bridge to your wallet. 

4. Conversion fees: Avalanche doesn't natively support ETH, and converts it to WETH.e. A small fee goes towards this conversion process. However, this fee is absent if you transfer a currency supported on both chains, such as USDT.  

Before transferring, you can get a breakdown of the conversion and bridge fees on OKX Swap. However, the Ethereum gas fee is only shown on the OKX Web3 wallet pop-up before you confirm the transaction. 

Expected transaction times

Just like the fees, the transaction time also depends on multiple factors: 

1. Ethereum confirmation time: This is the time ETH takes to transfer from your wallet to the bridge. If you use enough gas, this should only take a few seconds. 

2. Bridge processing time: This is how long the bridge would take to move your asset from one chain to another. The time changes from bridge to bridge. In the case of OKX Swap, you can see it in the advanced options by clicking on the trading route. 

3. Avalanche blockchain confirmation time: The WETH.e should come to your wallet once the bridging is complete. Since Avalanche is quick, it should reach your wallet in a few seconds. 

Security measures and best practices

Guaranteeing secure transactions

When using a cryptocurrency bridge, remember that you're interacting with a smart contract with access to your wallet. Rouge smart contracts can be used to drain wallet funds. We recommend the following for secure digital asset transfer on bridges: 

1. Make sure you’re using a reputable Bridge to Avalanche, like OKX Swap, which has been in the market for a long time. 

2. Don’t use your main wallet to interact with bridges and other DApps. Maintain a separate cold wallet to store your assets. 

3. Use tools like Revoke to revoke access to your wallet once you’re done bridging. 

One way to mitigate these risks is to use a centralized exchange to bridge. As a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, OKX employs world-class security measures to make sure worldwide users can buy and sell BTC safely and seamlessly. Visit our security of funds and Proof of Reserves page for more details.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Here are some of the common pitfalls you can avoid while you’re bridging your assets to Avalanche blockchain: 

1. Double-check all your fields when you fill them. Once you’ve approved the transaction, there's no going back. 

2. Be mindful of the gas fees. They can be noticeably high on Ethereum when the network is congested and in demand. Wait for the gas fees to cool down, or use a centralized exchange to make the bridge. 

3. High slippage and liquidity issues are another aspect to look out for. You could face high slippage if you use a lesser-known bridge or bridge to a coin with low liquidity. You can avoid this by only bridging assets with high liquidity. 

Troubleshooting and support

Common bridging issues and solutions

1. Stuck transactions are a common issue faced by users. The only aspect under your control is making sure the gas fee on Ethereum is appropriate. The transaction will go through as long as you’ve set enough gas. If your gas is low, your transaction will fail, and the funds will be returned to your wallet. However, transactions can also get stuck on the bridge when the bridge is congested. Worry not — these cryptocurrency bridges are built to handle them and will be settled eventually. You just have to wait longer. 

2. Cross-chain compatibility is another common challenge. Every time you bridge, make sure there's enough liquidity to the asset you’re bridging and that it's compatible with the chain. 

Where to seek help

The crypto community is typically very helpful, and many resources can be found online where you can seek out answers.

In the case of OKX Swap or OKX Exchange, you can head over to OKX Support to see if your issue has already been addressed in the FAQs. If you still need to, you can start a chat with the support team to resolve your problem. Most reputable cryptocurrency bridging providers will have a support system. Only interact with the official support documents, and be careful of scam links.