BridgeRadar
Bitcoin-style (UTXO)

Bitcoin Bridge: how to bridge to and from Bitcoin

Bitcoin has no smart contracts that can verify other chains, so no bridge can lock and release coins trustlessly on Bitcoin itself. Every route either uses a network of validators that holds the coins, a native swap protocol with its own vaults, or a custodian that issues a wrapped token.

Quick answer

Services supporting Bitcoin: 11. Most used in our guides: NEAR Intents, THORChain, Garden Finance, Chainflip. Direct transfers possible to: Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Base, TRON, Hyperliquid.

Popular services

  • NEAR Intents

    NEAR Intents lets you swap real coins across networks, including Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Zcash. You say what you want to end up with, and solvers compete to give you the best price. You receive the real coin on the destination network, not a wrapped token.

    Go to site Review

  • THORChain

    THORChain lets you swap real coins between many networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. You send one coin and get another real coin back on its own network. Every swap passes through THORChain’s own token, RUNE.

    Go to site Review

  • Garden Finance

    Garden swaps real Bitcoin to and from other networks. Solvers fill your order, and the trade is settled as an atomic swap: either both sides happen or neither does. No custodian ever holds your coins.

    Go to site Review

  • Chainflip

    Chainflip lets you swap real coins across networks, for example real BTC for real SOL or ETH. You send coins to an address and receive the other coin in your wallet. No wrapped tokens are involved.

    Go to site Review

Pick a direction from Bitcoin

Guides from this chain
11
Guides to this chain
6
Projects that support it
11

Popular destinations

How to get from Bitcoin to the most-used chains, including pairs we have not written a guide for yet.

Route guides

From Bitcoin

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To Bitcoin

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Alternative ways to move funds

Native swap protocols

Protocols such as THORChain, Chainflip or NEAR Intents swap native coins across chains from their own vaults. You receive the real coin, not a wrapped token, and you keep custody until you send.

Wrapped tokens

A custodian or federation holds the original coin and issues a token on another chain. Convenient for DeFi, but the token is only as safe as whoever backs it.

Through a centralised exchange

Deposit on Bitcoin, trade if needed, and withdraw on the destination network. Simple and often cheap, but the exchange holds your funds in between and needs identity verification.

Two steps through a well-connected chain

If no single route exists, first move to a chain with many connections (Ethereum, Solana or a major rollup), then on to the destination. It costs two fees, but each step uses a well-tested route.

How transfers work on Bitcoin

  • Native swap protocols (for example THORChain, Chainflip or NEAR Intents) hold Bitcoin in vaults controlled by their validator set and pay out a native coin on the other side.
  • Wrapped versions of the coin are issued on other chains by a custodian or a federation. You hold an IOU, not Bitcoin itself.
  • Centralised exchanges remain the most common route: deposit Bitcoin, trade, and withdraw on the destination chain.

What to watch out for

  • Deposits need several block confirmations, so transfers take longer than between smart-contract chains.
  • Always check whether you will receive the native coin or a wrapped token, and who backs the wrapped token.
  • Some protocols require a memo or a specific deposit address. Sending without it can lose the funds.

Projects that support Bitcoin

Frequently asked questions

How can I bridge from Bitcoin?

11 of the projects we review support Bitcoin, including Chainflip, THORChain, LI.FI. We have 17 route guides that involve Bitcoin.

Which major chains can I reach from Bitcoin directly?

Directly: Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Base, TRON, Hyperliquid. Other destinations need two steps or an exchange.

What if there is no bridge for my Bitcoin route?

Use a centralised exchange, take two steps through a well-connected chain such as Ethereum or Solana, or move a stablecoin instead and swap on arrival.

All blockchains