What is Bridge?
Infrastructure that moves coins between blockchains by locking them on one chain and issuing a representation on another. Historically one of crypto's most hacked components.
Blockchains can't natively talk to each other, so bridges do the moving: lock coins on chain A, mint a wrapped representation on chain B, burn it to go home. It's essential infrastructure for a multi-chain world — and it concentrates enormous value behind whatever security the bridge itself has.
That concentration explains the track record: several of crypto's largest hacks in history have been bridge exploits, with losses in the hundreds of millions each. For most Australians the practical exposure is indirect — using an exchange to move between chains outsources the bridging — but if you bridge directly from a wallet, treat it as the highest-risk routine action in crypto: use the canonical bridge for the chains involved, verify URLs obsessively, and don't park funds in wrapped form longer than needed.
See it in practice
Related terms: Layer 2 · Smart contract · Self-custody · full glossary
FAQ
Why are bridges hacked so often?
They hold huge pooled value, their code spans two chains' security models, and one bug can drain the lot. Complexity plus honeypot-scale funds is the recurring recipe behind the biggest exploits in crypto history.
Do I need a bridge to move coins between exchanges?
No — exchanges handle chain selection internally when you withdraw. Direct bridging matters mainly for self-custody DeFi users moving assets between ecosystems themselves.
General information only, not financial advice. Definitions are maintained in our fact database and reviewed with the daily rebuild.