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Avalanche Bridge™ FAQ

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Written by Amanda
Updated today

The Avalanche Bridge™ protocol can be used to transfer ETH or ERC-20s from the Ethereum network to the Avalanche® C-Chain and vice versa. This document answers common questions about converting funds between these networks. If there are additional questions, please contact the Ava Labs team on the Avalanche support website, Discord, or Telegram.

General

What if the gas price is more than the amount I am transferring?

The bridge UI does not allow transfers of less than the gas price/fee amount.

What token do I need to pay for transaction fees on the Avalanche® Network?

Transaction fees on the Avalanche network are paid in AVAX. Users will want to acquire AVAX for future transactions and can do so directly in Core by swapping for AVAX or purchasing AVAX directly.

Is there an airdrop provided for transactions on the Avalanche Bridge™?

When users bridge $75 or more of assets from the Ethereum to the Avalanche network, a portion of AVAX will be airdropped to help pay for initial swaps. There is no airdrop when offboarding tokens from the Avalanche network.

How long does an Avalanche Bridge™ transfer take on each network?

  • The Ethereum network transaction will typically take approximately 20 minutes (96 confirmations).

  • The Avalanche network transaction will typically take a few seconds.

What if my transaction is not visible in the Explorer?

  • To view the Avalanche network transaction, please enter the TXID on the Avalanche Explorer.

  • For Ethereum network transactions, please enter the TXID on Etherscan.

To view recent Avalanche Bridge transactions, please check one of the following explorer links:

What happens if my transaction takes longer than the expected processing time?

Please reach out to Product Support for more information. Due to the sensitivity around the privacy and security of user information, please email [email protected] with your inquiry. The Product Support team will respond as soon as possible.

Can I send tokens created on the Avalanche® network to the Ethereum network?

No. The Avalanche Bridge currently only supports the transfer of ERC-20 tokens created on Ethereum to the Avalanche network and back. These tokens will have a “.e” or “.b” designation on the Avalanche network.

Are there any tutorials on how to use the Avalanche Bridge™?

Yes, you can view video tutorials for Avalanche Bridge functionality here and written tutorials here.

Can I send tokens to a different address on the other network?

For Ethereum transactions, the Avalanche Bridge only allows transfers to the same address on the other network.

Who may use the Avalanche Bridge?

As noted in the FAQs and Terms of Use, do not use the Avalanche Bridge if you are on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or any other sanctions list or if you are otherwise a sanctioned person or from a sanctioned jurisdiction. Those engaged in unlawful conduct, including money laundering, are also prohibited from using the Avalanche Bridge.

FAQs for the Ethereum network:

What are the onboarding and offboarding fees for the Avalanche Bridge™?

  • WETH:

    • $3 from Ethereum to Avalanche. $20 from Avalanche to Ethereum.

  • USDC:

    • When bridging from Ethereum to Avalanche: a fee of 0.02% of the bridged amount will apply, subject to a minimum fee of $3 and a maximum fee of $250.

  • All other tokens follow the below fee structure:

    • When bridging from Ethereum to Avalanche®, a fee of 0.025% of the bridged amount will apply, subject to a minimum fee of $3 and a maximum fee of $250.

When bridging from Avalanche® to Ethereum, a fee of 0.1% of the bridged amount will apply, subject to a minimum fee of $12 and a maximum fee of $1,000.

What does the .e suffix in the token name mean?

When bridging assets from Ethereum to Avalanche, they will arrive on the Avalanche network with the “.e” designation, indicating that they are a bridgeable asset.

When bridging the assets back to the Ethereum network, the “.e” designation is removed.

USDC: Recent additions of CCTP remove the “.e” designation when bridging USDC to and from the Ethereum network.

What are the Avalanche Bridge™ addresses on the Ethereum and Avalanche® networks?

Note: Do not send tokens directly to these addresses.

Can I speed up my Ethereum transaction on the Avalanche Bridge™?

Yes, transactions can be sped up in MetaMask by clicking the “Speed Up” button on MetaMask. “Speeding up” a transaction through MetaMask issues a new transaction on Ethereum that has a higher gas price than the transaction that was originally sent. Since the new transaction has a higher gas price, it is more likely to be included in a block. Only one of the transactions (the original and/or the "sped up") will be accepted.

Speeding up a transaction that is transferring funds to the bridge is safe. However, the user interface will not be aware of the new transaction, meaning it may not see the confirmations in the user interface. Once the new transaction has 96 confirmations on Ethereum, check the MetaMask wallet on the Avalanche® Network to see the wrapped funds.

Important Information

To ensure the safety of users and the protection of their funds, the Avalanche Bridge should only be accessed and used through the UI, located here. Any other use of the Avalanche Bridge could result in the permanent loss of funds. The non-exhaustive list below enumerates possible ways to permanently lose funds by attempting to use the Avalanche Bridge through sources that are not recommended. Funds lost in the examples listed below will be permanently lost, and are not recoverable by Ava Labs, the Bridge Nodes, or the Avalanche Bridge.

  • USERS MUST NOT SEND FUNDS DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THE AVALANCHE BRIDGE CONTRACT ADDRESSES. The Avalanche Bridge should only be accessed through the Avalanche Bridge UI, located here. Any funds sent directly to the Avalanche Bridge contract addresses will be permanently lost, and are not recoverable.

  • USERS MUST NOT SEND FUNDS DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THE AVALANCHE BRIDGE WALLET ADDRESSES. The Avalanche Bridge should only be accessed through the Avalanche Bridge UI, located here. Any funds sent directly to the Avalanche Bridge wallet addresses will be permanently lost and not recoverable.

  • DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE ANY SMART-CONTRACT WALLET WITH THE AVALANCHE BRIDGE. The Avalanche Bridge is currently not compatible with smart contract wallets because smart contracts are currently not supported by the Avalanche Bridge. Using the Avalanche Bridge with a smart contract wallet or smart contract will result in the permanent loss of funds. Users should not use smart contracts with the Avalanche Bridge at this time because no one can retrieve tokens lost when smart contract wallets try to use the Avalanche Bridge. This is not a statement against smart contract wallets or the below list of smart contract wallet projects, which is not an exhaustive list. This is to make users aware of the current technical architecture. WE CAN NOT RETRIEVE YOUR TOKENS.

User Notes

For a more in-depth read on how the Avalanche Bridge works, please read the following articles.

By accessing or using the Avalanche Bridge, you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SUCH TERMS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE AVALANCHE BRIDGE AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY.


For any additional questions, please view our other knowledge base articles or contact a support team member via the chat button. Examples are for illustrative purposes only.

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