How to Bridge ONE, BNB, and Other Tokens to Avalanche (AVAX)

Looking to bridge your cryptocurrencies to the Avalanche (AVAX) network? You’re not alone. Dozens of projects have migrated to AVAX this year, and they’ve brought thousands of users along for the ride.

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Websites that You Can Use to Bridge AVAX

To begin, you need to find a platform that offers a bridge. You can find one on any search engine — including some that are fraudulent, so proceed with caution. Three of the most popular options are:

The Official Avalanche Bridge (Warning: The official bridge is the most limited. It will only allow you to bridge tokens out of the bitcoin or AVAX networks.)
Relay Chain (This option has some limits. If you’re one of the many people bridging from Harmony to AVAX, it will only allow you to bridge Relay, QI, and AVAX. It will not allow you to bridge Harmony’s actual native token, ONE)
The Synapse Protocol (With the capacity to bridge more than 20 tokens from 17 networks, Synapse offers the widest range of options among the three providers on this list.)

Wallets that You Can Use to Bridge AVAX

In order to use a bridge, you need a browser-based wallet. The official Avalanche bridge is compatible with the fewest: MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and WalletConnect. Synapse and Relay Chain are compatible with those three as well.

Synapse is additionally compatible with two more: The Binance Smart Chain Wallet and Terra Station.

Relay Chain is compatible with Fortmatic and Portis — in addition to the main three choices.

Add Avalanche as a Network in Your Wallet

First, you need to add Avalanche as a network in your wallet. You have a couple of options for doing so. The easiest is going to a website that automatically prompts you to add it and will do it on your behalf. TraderJoe is one option: Here’s a link to their page. (While you’re there, you can explore a long list of AVAX-based liquidity pools.)

You can also add the network yourself. It takes a few extra seconds — 30 if you know what you’re doing — but saves you from connecting your wallet to another website. To do it using the custom method, find the button in your wallet that says, “Add Network.”

In MetaMask, that button appears in the upper right. Here’s a screenshot of what it looks like. You’ll find the “Add Network” option below a list of any networks you’ve already added.

Next, your wallet is going to ask you to enter the network details. They are as follows. A screenshot of the entry form appears below.

Network Name: Avalanche Network (or pick your own)
New RPC URL: https://api.avax.network/ext/bc/C/rpc
ChainID: 43114
Symbol: AVAX
Explorer: https://snowtrace.io/ (or leave it blank)

Connect Your Wallet

After those steps, you can connect your wallet to the bridge of your choice. (Relay, Synapse, the official AVAX bridge, or another one of your choice.) Find the button that says “Connect,” click on it, and follow the prompts to connect your wallet to the platform. You can find a picture below of what that “Connect” button looks like on Relay Chain’s website.

From here, you need to verify that your wallet is connected to the network that your tokens are on. For instance, if they’re on the Ethereum network, you need to select Ethereum. If they’re on Harmony Network, you need to select that one. You should be able to do that by clicking on your wallet in your browser and clicking on the network you want. If you’re having difficulty, here’s a screenshot that (once again) displays the options on MetaMask.

Hit “Approve” and then “Bridge”

Next, you should be able to select the bridges you want to move between, as well as the token you want to move. Here’s a screenshot of you would set it up on Synapse if you wanted to transfer USD Coin (USDC) from the Ethereum network to AVAX.

Note that there is a button to “Approve” the bridge. That action will cost a small transaction fee that varies depending on the network you’re seeking to escape. If you’re trying to leave Ethereum, it’s likely to cost $2 or more. If it’s any other network, it’s likely to be less than $1.

Once you’ve clicked “Approve,” wait a few moments. The button should change to say “Transfer” or something similar. Click that, pay another transaction fee, and wait for your tokens.

Contract IDs for USDC, JEWEL, MAGIC, and More

At some point, you will need to add the tokens you’re using to your wallet. You can do it either before or after you complete the bridging process. If you fail to do so, you’ll still own them. You just won’t be able to see them. You can add them by opening your wallet, clicking on “Import Token,” and adding their contract IDs in the “Token Contract Address” field. The other two — Token Symbol and Token Decimal — should populate automatically.

Here are the contract IDs for some of the more commonly used tokens.

Ethereum: 0xfA9343C3897324496A05fC75abeD6bAC29f8A40f
USDC: 0xB97EF9Ef8734C71904D8002F8b6Bc66Dd9c48a6E
aOne: 0xFCbAD95e80a5B2DF70E319013167d98Ea9929745
Jewel: 0x4f60a160D8C2DDdaAfe16FCC57566dB84D674BD6
Magic: 0x9A8E0217cD870783c3f2317985C57Bf570969153
Cosmic: 0xe48C74833ce6f18A8e54f73f1D02B8E9f9Ff8Caa
Evo: 0x42006Ab57701251B580bDFc24778C43c9ff589A1

Why Aren’t Your Bridged Tokens Showing Up?

So you successfully completed the bridge but your tokens aren’t showing up? Well, maybe next time, you’ll think twice about starting out on Ethereum. (That’s a joke.) In Ethereum’s case, the network is ill-equipped to handle large amounts of traffic. If it’s a busy day, it may take your tokens some time to show up.

Alternatively, maybe you’re bridging from a network like Harmony, where transactions are cheap. That protocol has been plagued by “spammers” who use programs to overwhelm the network with traffic and profit from the ensuing breakdown. (Transactions become more costly when the network is overwhelmed.) Historically, it has also been ill-equipped to handle large amounts of traffic. One infamous day in the network’s history — March 30, 2022 — occurred when thousands of DeFi Kingdoms players attempted to migrate to AVAX using Synapse. Thousands of transactions were stuck for hours, and in some cases, days. (On the bright side, Synapse customer support is relatively responsive.)

Regardless, the odds are very high that your tokens will show up. In the meantime, investigate whether the networks you’re interacting with are experiencing a problem with heightened traffic.

A Cheaper (And Easier) Alternative to Bridging

If you’re trying to move actual fiat (cash) to the AVAX network, you don’t need to use a bridge. Instead, you can buy AVAX on an exchange and send it directly to your wallet’s Ethereum address. It will show up on the AVAX network, and you should pay less in transaction fees. (Don’t try this with other tokens without checking the applicable instructions. And remember: Always send a test transaction to make sure everything is working as planned before you send your entire stash.)

Having Issues?

If you’re experiencing any problems with the bridging process, let us know at GoblinCrypto@ProtonMail.com. We’ll try to help you out in return for letting us know that there was an issue that our guide failed to cover.