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Write down your bridge hop before you send it
A short note before a bridge transfer, and a short list of places to check after, keeps a stuck hop from turning into a panic.
Written by John AlewineReviewed by the Crypto Guidance team
Published ยท Updated
A bridge locks or burns something on one chain and trusts a set of contracts, validators, or a company to mint or release something on another. When it does not work, your money sits in a waiting room you do not control.
Before you start
I write down the start chain, the end chain, and the exact asset I expect to see on the other side. Then a small test amount goes first.
What goes wrong most: wrong network, a fake bridge site, a lookalike token, a bridge that pauses mid-transfer.
If it looks stuck
Do not sign "speed up" messages from a helpful stranger. Check these first:
- The source chain explorer
- The destination chain explorer
- The bridge's own status page
Adding a second send to a new address rarely helps. If an AI chatbot or a stranger in a chat offers a fix, check those places yourself first. Your written note is what you compare against.
The bridging page has the longer version. A second pair of eyes on a specific hop is what consulting is for: bring the two chain names, never the seed.