Cross-chain bridges connect separate blockchain networks by enabling asset transfers that would otherwise be impossible. Polygon and Arbitrum are both Layer 2 scaling solutions built to enhance Ethereum, but they operate independently. Cross-chain bridges solve the interoperability challenge by using liquidity pools and smart contracts to facilitate trustless asset movement between the two networks.
When you initiate a cross-chain transfer from Polygon to Arbitrum, the bridge protocol locks or burns your token on Polygon and simultaneously mints or releases an equivalent token on Arbitrum. This dual mechanism ensures the total supply across both networks remains consistent. Modern cross-chain bridges support a wide range of tokens including stablecoins like USDC and USDT, native assets like ETH and MATIC, and various ERC-20 tokens used in DeFi protocols.
