BridgeRadar
Bitcoin to Solana Bridge
No bridge between Bitcoin and Solana works without trusting someone. You either swap your BTC for SOL or USDC in one step, or hold a wrapped BTC token on Solana backed by a company or a group of signers.
Reviewed October 14, 2026 ยท 8 solutions checked
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Short answer
If you just want your Bitcoin to become usable money on Solana, do a direct swap. Chainflip, THORChain and NEAR Intents all take BTC from any wallet and pay SOL or USDC to your Solana address. It takes about 10 to 40 minutes. Almost all of that is waiting for Bitcoin blocks.
If you want to keep BTC on Solana, for example to lend it on Kamino or add it to a trading pool, you need a wrapped token, an IOU backed by real BTC. cbBTC is the easiest to get and the most traded, if you are fine with Coinbase holding the coins. tBTC and zBTC spread control across groups of signers. But they trade less and take longer to create.
Avoid routes that hop three or four times through Ethereum, unless an aggregator shows a clearly better price. Every hop adds a fee and another place where the transfer can get stuck.
| Trustless option | No |
|---|---|
| Usual time | 10-40 min |
| BTC tokens on Solana | cbBTC, tBTC, zBTC |
| Direct swap services | Chainflip, THORChain, NEAR Intents, Garden |
| Bitcoin confirmations | 1-3, by service |
| What you pay | Bitcoin fee + swap fee |
| Need SOL on arrival | Yes, a little for fees |
Why this route is difficult
Bitcoin cannot check what happens on Solana. Solana cannot cheaply check Bitcoin either. Neither network can secure a bridge alone, so every Bitcoin to Solana option needs someone else to hold the BTC.
That someone differs by option. Chainflip and THORChain use groups of validators that control Bitcoin vaults together, and no single one can move the coins. Coinbase holds the BTC behind cbBTC. Threshold Network's signer groups hold the BTC behind tBTC. Zeus Network's nodes hold the BTC behind zBTC. Garden avoids a shared vault with atomic swaps: each swap happens directly between you and a solver.
The two networks also move at very different speeds. Solana makes a new block about every 0.4 seconds. Bitcoin makes one about every 10 minutes, and the gaps vary a lot. Nothing is paid out until your BTC deposit confirms, so Bitcoin sets the pace. No app can speed that up unless someone takes the risk of an unconfirmed deposit.
The last limit is liquidity, meaning how much money is available to trade. Direct swaps need pools or traders holding SOL and USDC on Solana. THORChain added Solana only recently, so depth differs between services. Wrapped BTC is split across cbBTC, tBTC and zBTC, and cbBTC has most of the trading.
Possible approaches
1Native cross-chain swap
You sell BTC for SOL or another Solana token. A network of validators holds vaults on both networks and pays you in real coins on Solana.
Trade-offYou get SOL or USDC, not BTC. The vault is only as safe as its validators.
2Atomic swap
You and a solver each lock your coins with a smart lock on Bitcoin and Solana. When the swap completes, both sides get paid. If it does not finish, you can take your coins back after a set time.
Trade-offNo company in the middle, but only for the pairs and amounts solvers will take.
3Custodial wrapped BTC
A regulated company holds BTC and issues one token on Solana for each coin (for example cbBTC by Coinbase).
Trade-offSimple and widely traded, but fully dependent on that company.
4Threshold-signer wrapped BTC
A group of signers controls the BTC deposits together and creates a token on Solana (for example tBTC by Threshold, zBTC by Zeus Network).
Trade-offNo single company, but you depend on the signers and the token's code.
5Light-client verification (research)
Solana would check Bitcoin blocks and payments directly, and BTC would only be released under rules enforced by math, as in BitVM-style designs.
Trade-offThe safest design in theory, but no working BTC to Solana bridge uses it yet.
Options compared
| Option | You get | Typical time | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native cross-chain swap | SOL, USDC or USDT | 10-40 min | Bitcoin fee + swap fee | Moving value, no wrapped token |
| Atomic swap (HTLC) | SOL or cbBTC, as offered | 10-30 min | Bitcoin fee + solver margin | No company or vault in the middle |
| Custodial wrapped BTC (cbBTC) | cbBTC, worth 1 BTC each | Minutes if BTC is on Coinbase | Solana fee + Coinbase terms | Keeping BTC in Solana apps |
| Signer-network wrapped BTC | tBTC or zBTC | Often 1 hour or more | Bitcoin fee + minting fees | BTC without one company in charge |
| Aggregator (LI.FI and similar) | Any supported Solana token | 10-40 min | Route fees, sometimes an app fee | Comparing prices in one place |
Working solutions
| Solution | You receive | Custody / verification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chainflip | SOL, USDC or USDT | Validator vaults | Real BTC in, real Solana coins out. Waits for 3 Bitcoin confirmations. Optional Boost for faster credit. |
| THORChain | SOL | Validator vaults | Swaps BTC to RUNE to SOL. Solana support is new and pools are still growing. |
| NEAR Intents | SOL, USDC, USDT | Solver pays, NEAR settles | Real BTC in, real Solana coins out. Available in several wallets and apps. |
| Garden Finance | SOL, cbBTC and more | Atomic swap | You keep control and a solver fills it. If a swap fails, you can take your funds back after a set time. |
| cbBTC (Coinbase) | cbBTC | Coinbase | Convert BTC 1:1 inside a Coinbase account, then withdraw on the Solana network. |
| tBTC (Threshold Network) | tBTC | Threshold signer group | Created on Ethereum and carried to Solana by Wormhole, where it arrives as official tBTC. |
| zBTC (Zeus Network) | zBTC | Zeus Network nodes | A BTC token made for Solana, created through the APOLLO app. |
| LI.FI | Any supported Solana token | Depends on the route | Compares Chainflip and other BTC routes for you. |
How to move Bitcoin to Solana
These steps show a direct swap from BTC to SOL or USDC with a service such as Chainflip. It is the most common way, because it works from any Bitcoin wallet and you end up with a real Solana coin.
- 1
Get a Solana address with a little SOL
Open a Solana wallet such as Phantom, Solflare or Backpack and copy your address. Solana addresses are 32 to 44 letters and numbers. They never start with bc1, 1 or 3 like Bitcoin addresses. If you will receive USDC instead of SOL, make sure the wallet already has some SOL for fees.
- 2
Get a quote and set a refund address
In the swap app (Chainflip's own app, or another app that uses it), choose BTC on Bitcoin as what you send and SOL or USDC on Solana as what you get. Enter a Bitcoin refund address you control. If the price moves past your limit, your BTC goes back there.
- 3
Check the minimum and the deposit address
Every service has a minimum swap size. Amounts below it may not be processed. Copy the Bitcoin deposit address exactly and use it for this swap only. These addresses expire.
- 4
Send BTC with a sensible fee
Send from a wallet that lets you choose the fee, such as Sparrow, Electrum or a hardware wallet app. Check mempool.space for current fees. A fee that is too low can leave your transaction waiting for hours. Turn on RBF (replace-by-fee) if your wallet has it, so you can speed it up later.
- 5
Wait for confirmations
Chainflip waits for 3 Bitcoin confirmations, about 30 minutes on average. Follow the Bitcoin side on mempool.space. Follow the swap on the service's tracker: Chainflip Scan for Chainflip, Runescan or THORChain Tracker for THORChain.
- 6
Check that it arrived on Solana
Once the swap runs, the Solana payment lands within seconds. Look up your address on Solscan to see it. Make sure USDC is the official one issued by Circle, not a fake lookalike token.
- 7
If it gets stuck or refunded
If the Bitcoin transaction is stuck, raise the fee with RBF. If the price moved past your limit, the service returns your BTC to the refund address, minus network fees. If nothing happens after the confirmations are in, contact the app's support with your swap ID or deposit address.
Fees and timing
On Bitcoin you pay a normal network fee. It depends on how busy Bitcoin is and on the size of your transaction. A wallet that holds many small deposits pays more, because it has to combine them. The fee is the same whether you send a little or a lot, so it hurts small swaps the most.
Then the swap service takes its cut. Chainflip and THORChain charge a service fee, the app on top may add its own, and you also pay the spread. On large amounts, slippage (getting a worse price because the trade is big) becomes the biggest cost. This is especially true on THORChain's newer Solana pools, which still hold less money. Compare quotes for anything over a few thousand dollars, and think about splitting very large amounts. The Solana payout fee is tiny. But you still need SOL to move tokens later, and receiving a new kind of token for the first time costs about 0.002 SOL to set up.
Bitcoin decides how long it takes. Blocks come every 10 minutes on average, but this varies a lot, so 3 confirmations can take 15 minutes or more than an hour. Chainflip has a Boost option: for an extra fee, someone credits your deposit early. Wrapped tokens add their own steps. tBTC waits for more confirmations and for the Threshold signers, then travels to Solana through Wormhole.
Common mistakes
- Sending BTC from an exchange to a THORChain address without a memo. THORChain needs swap instructions attached. Use an app that gives you a special deposit address or adds the memo for you.
- Arriving on Solana with USDC or cbBTC and no SOL. You cannot move or swap the tokens until you get SOL for fees, which means yet another transfer.
- Buying the wrong wrapped BTC. cbBTC, tBTC and zBTC are different tokens, and a lending app that accepts one may not accept the others. Check the token address on Solscan before you buy.
- Choosing the lowest Bitcoin fee when the network is busy. The quote can expire, or the price can move enough to trigger a refund, before your deposit confirms.
- Reusing a deposit address from an old swap. These addresses expire. Money sent to an expired one needs manual recovery or may be lost.
Before you transfer
- Decide first: do you want to keep BTC on Solana (wrapped BTC), or just move the value (a direct swap into SOL or USDC)?
- cbBTC, tBTC and zBTC are not the same. Each is a separate token with its own holder and its own market.
- Double-check addresses. Bitcoin addresses start with bc1, 1 or 3. Solana addresses look completely different.
- Always set a Bitcoin refund address you control. Never send from an exchange to a service that needs a memo.
- Have a little SOL in the receiving wallet before the transfer lands.
- For large amounts, compare Chainflip, THORChain and NEAR Intents, and think about splitting the swap.
- Most of the waiting is Bitcoin confirmations. Pick a fee that confirms within the next few blocks.
Frequently asked questions
Not one that works without trust. You can swap real BTC for SOL or USDC through Chainflip, THORChain, NEAR Intents or Garden. Or you can hold wrapped BTC on Solana, such as cbBTC, tBTC or zBTC. Each option relies on validators, a solver, a company or a group of signers.
From your own wallet, a direct swap through Chainflip (or a wallet that has it built in) is simplest. Send BTC to a deposit address and get SOL or USDC. If your BTC is already on Coinbase, converting to cbBTC and withdrawing on Solana is even faster.
Usually 10 to 40 minutes, mostly waiting for Bitcoin confirmations. Solana itself takes seconds. A slow block or a low fee can push it past an hour.
It depends on the amount. For small transfers the Bitcoin fee matters most, so any direct swap at a quiet time works. For large amounts slippage matters more, so compare quotes or use an aggregator.
Who holds the real BTC. Coinbase holds it for cbBTC, the Threshold signer group for tBTC, and Zeus Network's nodes for zBTC. cbBTC is the most traded on Solana.
cbBTC is as safe as Coinbase. Each token is backed by 1 BTC that Coinbase holds, and Coinbase keeps control over the token. So you trust one regulated company, not a decentralized system. For most people that is acceptable. For very large amounts, splitting across several tokens makes sense.
Yes. Chainflip, THORChain, NEAR Intents and Garden all swap back to real BTC. Wrapped tokens can be redeemed through whoever issues them. Going back to Bitcoin costs a Bitcoin network fee.
Not directly. A Bitcoin wallet will reject a Solana address, and BTC cannot land on Solana without a swap or wrapping step. Use a swap service that gives you a Bitcoin deposit address and pays out to your Solana address.
