How to bridge tokens with Rabby

Quick steps

1. Open Bridge in Rabby. Unlock the real Rabby extension or app and select Bridge from the main screen.
2. Choose chains and tokens. Pick the source chain and token under From and the destination chain and token under To.
3. Enter the amount and review routes. Type the amount and compare the routes Rabby finds by amount received, time and cost.
4. Approve the token if asked. If the token needs an approval, approve it, ideally for only the amount you are bridging.
5. Check the signing screen and sign. Read the simulated balance change and any risk alerts, then sign the transaction.
6. Track it in Bridge history. Watch the status in Bridge history until it shows Completed on the destination chain.

Rabby has a built-in bridge for moving tokens between EVM chains, for example USDC from Ethereum to Base or ETH from Arbitrum to Optimism. It does not run its own bridge. It asks bridge aggregators for routes and shows you the options. Rabby's source code lists Bungee and LI.FI as its default aggregators, which in turn route through bridges such as Across, Circle CCTP and the official Arbitrum and Base bridges (Rabby source code, October 2026). The live list can change.

The bridge launched in August 2024 with LI.FI as a routing partner (LI.FI, August 2024) and has been extended since. It sits next to Swap in the app, and like Swap it charges a Rabby fee included in the quote.

Bridge or swap?

• Swap exchanges one token for another on the same chain, for example ETH to USDC on Arbitrum.
• Bridge moves value from one chain to another, for example USDC on Ethereum to USDC on Base. A bridge route can also change the token on the way, for example ETH on Arbitrum to USDC on Optimism.

If you only need gas on another chain, a small bridge works, but GasAccount may be simpler.

Before you bridge

• Use the real Rabby. Fake Rabby extensions and fake "bridge" sites are common. Check your extension with our Rabby extension checker.
• Have gas on the source chain. You need the native token (or a GasAccount balance) to send the bridge transaction. See Rabby Gas Account.
• Check both chains are supported. Bridging only works between EVM chains in Rabby. You cannot bridge to Bitcoin or Solana in Rabby. See supported chains.
• Start small on a route you have not used before.

Step by step

1. Open Rabby and select Bridge from the main screen.
2. Under From, choose the source chain and token. Under To, choose the destination chain and token.
3. Enter the amount. Rabby fetches routes and lists them with the estimated amount you will receive, the time and the costs.
4. Compare routes. Rabby labels one as Best, which it says "is determined by a combination of estimated total cost (including gas fees) and delivery speed" (Rabby extension, October 2026).
5. If the token needs an approval, Rabby asks you to approve it first, or offers "Approve and Bridge". Approve only the amount you need where possible.
6. Read the signing screen: the simulated balance change, the contract you interact with and any risk alerts. Then sign.
7. Track progress in Bridge history. It shows the status on the source and destination chains and an estimated time.

What bridging costs

Unlike swaps, there is no free tier for stablecoins on bridges. If Rabby shows "You're losing" a dollar amount, the costs are high compared to the amount; try a different amount or route. The full fee breakdown is on Rabby swap and bridge fees.

Enabling aggregators

Rabby may ask you to enable a bridge aggregator before you can use its routes. Rabby's warning says that "once enabled, you will interact directly with the contract from this aggregator" and that "Rabby is not liable for any risks arising from the contract of this aggregator" (Rabby extension, October 2026). That is a fair reminder: bridges are among the most attacked contracts in crypto. Enable only the aggregators you need.

How to choose a route

• Compare the amount you receive, not the headline fee. Rabby's estimate already subtracts the Rabby fee and the bridge cost.
• Check the time. Fast routes often cost a little more. For large amounts, a slower but well-known route can be worth it.
• Prefer the same token on both sides (for example USDC to USDC) to avoid price impact.
• Look at the bridge name shown under each route ("via" a named bridge). If you do not recognise it, look it up before you send a large amount.
• Refresh old quotes. Rabby shows "Price expired. Refresh route." when a quote is stale.

Pending, delayed, failed or refunded

• Pending or Still Bridging: most routes finish in seconds to minutes, but some take longer when networks are busy. Rabby says: "Network is busy. This may take longer than usual. Please wait patiently."
• Refunded: if a route fails, the bridge may return your funds, sometimes in a different token or on the source chain. Rabby shows messages such as "Bridge failed. Your assets have been returned."
• Different token received: some routes deliver a different token on the destination chain. Rabby suggests swapping it to the token you wanted.
• Source transaction stuck: if the first transaction never confirms, see Rabby transaction stuck or pending.
• Status unavailable: check the destination address on a block explorer before doing anything else.

Real Rabby support never DMs you first and never asks for your seed phrase. Anyone who contacts you about a "stuck bridge" offering help is a scammer.

Frequently asked questions