Bridge Ethereum to Layer 2
Live cost estimates and auto-best routes for moving ETH and stablecoins from Ethereum mainnet to Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, and Polygon. Updated every minute.
Bridge cost breakdown
Bridge Ethereum → Base now
Jumper compares Across, Hop, Stargate, and 15+ other bridges in one click and routes through whichever is cheapest right now. Opens in a new tab with your bridge pre-selected.
Affiliate disclosure: gasfeepredictor.com may earn a referral fee when you bridge via this link. No additional cost to you and no effect on the route Jumper picks for you.
Compare bridge routes
Each route page shows a cost breakdown, when to use the native bridge vs a paid bridge, and any caveats specific to that L2.
Ethereum → Base
Coinbase-backed OP Stack L2. Cheapest for transfers above ~$500 via the native bridge; Across or Hop win for small amounts.
Ethereum → Arbitrum
Largest L2 by TVL. Native bridge has no protocol fee but takes ~10 min. Paid bridges deliver in seconds for a 0.05-0.3% cut.
Ethereum → Optimism
OP Stack original. Native deposits in ~10 min; withdrawals take 7 days unless you use a paid bridge like Across.
Ethereum → Polygon PoS
Separate chain with its own gas token. Bridging from mainnet uses the Polygon PoS Bridge or third-party providers.
Native vs paid bridges — how to choose
There's no single “best bridge” — the right one depends on amount, speed, and direction. Here's how the main options actually differ:
| Bridge type | Fee | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native / official | L1 gas only, no protocol fee | ~10-15 min in · 7 days out | Large deposits, no rush |
| Across | ~0.05-0.25% | ~1-2 min both ways | Speed, fast withdrawals |
| Hop | ~0.05-0.5% | Minutes | ETH / stablecoins between L2s |
| Stargate | ~0.06% + gas | Minutes | Unified stablecoin liquidity |
| Aggregator (Jumper) | Best of the above, auto-routed | Varies by route | Default — don't want to choose |
The rule of thumb: on transfers above ~$500 the native bridge usually wins because mainnet gas is a small slice of the total and there's no percentage fee. On small transfers the fixed gas cost dominates, so a paid bridge's percentage fee comes out cheaper. For L2 → mainnet withdrawals, a paid bridge skips the 7-day native challenge window for a small cut. Run the live bridge cost estimator for the current numbers on your amount.
Bridge security — the part worth taking seriously
Bridges have historically been one of crypto's highest-loss exploit categories — Ronin, Wormhole, Nomad, and Harmony are among the largest cross-chain bridge incidents on record. The reason is structural: a bridge has to custody or mint assets across two chains, which creates a honeypot that a single-chain wallet doesn't. Match the trust you extend to the amount and time at risk:
- Native rollup bridges inherit rollup security. Deposits to an official rollup bridge (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) carry the security assumptions of the rollup and Ethereum's settlement layer — the lowest trust assumption available, at the cost of a 7-day withdrawal window. Polygon PoS is different: it's a sidechain bridge with its own validator/checkpoint model, not an Ethereum rollup.
- Paid bridges add a trust layer. Across, Hop, and Stargate rely on relayers, liquidity pools, or external validators. The well-audited ones with long track records are the safe picks; obscure high-yield bridges are not.
- Aggregators route, they don't custody. Jumper / LI.FI and Squid select among underlying bridges — your risk is whichever bridge they route through, not the aggregator itself.
- Practical hygiene. Split very large transfers into smaller ones, avoid bridges asking for unlimited token approvals, and revoke approvals you no longer need. Test a new route with a small amount first.
Stablecoin transfers
Moving USDC or USDT between chains has different economics — small fixed costs become a larger percentage on small transfers.
- Cheapest way to send USDC → Coinbase direct withdrawal, native bridges, and CCTP routes compared.
- Cheapest way to send USDT → Tron vs Ethereum vs L2 routes ranked by total cost.
- All stablecoin transfer fees → Side-by-side cost table for USDC, USDT, DAI across mainnet and L2s.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bridge in crypto?
A bridge moves assets between blockchain networks. To use Ethereum L2s like Base, Arbitrum, or Optimism, you typically deposit ETH or ERC-20s on Ethereum mainnet and receive equivalent tokens on the L2. Native bridges (run by the L2 itself) charge only L1 gas; third-party bridges (Across, Hop, Stargate) charge a protocol fee but deliver faster.
What's the cheapest bridge to Ethereum L2s right now?
It depends on the amount and the destination. For transfers above ~$500, native bridges (Base Bridge, Arbitrum Bridge, etc.) are usually cheapest because they have no protocol fee — you only pay mainnet gas. For smaller transfers, paid bridges like Across or Hop typically win because mainnet gas dominates the total cost. Use the live calculator above for current numbers.
How long do bridges take?
Mainnet → L2 deposits: typically 10-15 minutes for native bridges, ~1-2 minutes for paid bridges (Across, Hop, Stargate). L2 → mainnet withdrawals: 7 days for the native official bridges (challenge window), but paid bridges deliver in minutes for a 0.05-0.3% fee.
Is bridging safe?
Bridges are higher-risk than holding on a single chain — they have been the target of the largest crypto hacks. Stick to well-audited bridges with long track records (official L2 bridges, Across, Hop, Stargate) or established aggregators (Jumper, Squid) that route through them. Avoid bridges asking for excessive approvals. For large amounts, consider splitting across multiple smaller transfers.
Why use Jumper instead of a specific bridge?
Jumper aggregates 15+ bridges (Across, Hop, Stargate, Connext, Symbiosis, etc.) and routes your transfer through whichever is cheapest and fastest at that exact moment. You connect once and Jumper handles route selection — under the hood it runs on the LI.FI aggregator protocol. The CTA buttons on this site open Jumper with your destination pre-selected.