How to Use Wormhole Bridge: Step-By-Step Crypto Portal Guide

Moving crypto assets between different blockchains used to be a hassle—multiple exchanges, high fees, and way too many steps. Wormhole Bridge makes life easier by letting you transfer tokens and NFTs straight across more than 30 networks, including Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and Avalanche.

To use Wormhole Bridge, just connect your wallet, pick the asset and destination chain, approve and lock your tokens on the source network, then claim them on the target blockchain. Usually, it takes under two minutes and costs less than $5 in total fees. Wormhole works by locking your original assets in smart contracts and minting wrapped tokens on the destination chain.

Let’s break down each step of the bridging process and look at how to handle your wrapped tokens after transfer. You’ll get the wallet basics for different chains and a few tips for safer cross-chain moves.

How to Use Wormhole Bridge

The Wormhole bridge process asks you to connect wallets for both source and destination chains, pick which tokens and how much you want to move, and then go through a few verification steps to claim your bridged assets.

Connect Wallets to Source and Target Chains

You’ll need to connect your wallets for both the source and destination chains before starting any bridge transaction. The Wormhole interface switches to the right network after you pick your desired blockchain.

If you’re using Ethereum-based chains, Metamask is the main wallet option. No need to manually switch networks—Wormhole handles that for you.

Right now, the platform supports these major networks:

• Ethereum

• Binance Smart Chain (BSC)

• Arbitrum

• Base

  
  

Double-check that your wallet is connected and showing the right address for both chains. Make sure the source wallet has enough tokens for bridging, plus a little extra for gas fees.

Select Tokens and Amounts to Bridge

Once your wallets are connected, pick the token you want to bridge from the asset list. The interface shows your current balance for that token on the source chain.

Enter the amount you want to bridge. You’ll see the bridge route and transfer details before you move on.

Token approval is a key step here. You get two choices:

Unlimited approval can save on gas fees for future transfers with the same token but gives the smart contract broader access.

Transfer and Confirm Bridging Process

Bridging happens in three steps, each needing a bit of patience and some block confirmations. Start by confirming the transaction in your source chain wallet.

Step 1: Send your tokens to the Wormhole smart contract on the source chain. This locks up your original tokens and kicks off the bridging.

Step 2: Wait for enough block confirmations. Wormhole validators keep an eye on your transaction and generate cryptographic proof when confirmations hit the required number.

Step 3: Claim your bridged tokens on the destination chain. Hit the claim button and pay the gas fees on the target network to get your wrapped tokens.

Depending on network congestion and confirmation times, the whole thing might take a few minutes. If your transaction gets interrupted, Wormhole’s transaction recovery feature lets you pick up where you left off.

Redeeming and Managing Wormhole-Wrapped Tokens

After bridging tokens with Wormhole, you’ll need to finish the redemption on your target chain and know how to handle your new wrapped assets.

Redeem Tokens on Target Chain

You have to manually redeem your tokens after the bridge transaction finishes. This means jumping back into the Wormhole interface and connecting your wallet to the destination chain.

Manual Redemption Process:

1. Head to the Wormhole Portal Bridge interface

   
   

2. Click "Redeem" in the upper right corner

   
   

3. Pick the source chain you started with

   
   

4. Connect your destination wallet

   
   

5. Enter the source transaction hash

If you enter the details right, you’ll see a "Recover" button. You’ll need to confirm a few transactions during redemption to wrap things up.

Wait Times and Confirmations: Each chain has its own confirmation times. For example, Ethereum usually needs 15 network confirmations before you can redeem.

If the bridge interface freezes or doesn’t update, try the "find redeem" option to finish your transaction on the destination chain.

Understanding Wormhole-Wrapped Assets

Wormhole doesn't move assets directly between chains—it creates wrapped versions of the original tokens instead. When you bridge, the protocol locks your source tokens in smart contracts and then mints wrapped tokens on the target chain.

Token Identification: You'll spot wrapped tokens by their naming. The "w" at the start signals the token came over via Wormhole. Sometimes, you'll see extra letters to show which chain it originally came from—handy, right?

Asset Properties: Wrapped tokens keep the same name, symbol, and decimal precision as the originals. That way, you don't have to worry about compatibility issues across different blockchains.

You can trade these wrapped assets just like regular tokens on exchanges within the target chain's ecosystem. They act like native assets, but really, they're claims on the originals locked away on the other side.