Bridge

A bridge is a tool or protocol that helps users move crypto assets or data between different blockchain networks. Bridges are designed to make blockchains faster, cheaper, or able to work with other networks. It is commonly used when an asset exists on one blockchain but a user wants to access a version of it on another network. Instead of physically moving the original asset, many bridges lock the asset on the source chain and create or release a corresponding asset on the destination chain.

For example, a user who holds ETH on Ethereum may use a bridge to move value to another network. The bridge locks or transfers the asset on Ethereum and makes a corresponding version available on Polygon or Arbitrum.