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Cross-chain bridges are infrastructure components that enable interoperability between different blockchain networks. In the TON ecosystem, bridges allows users to transfer assets and data between TON and other major blockchains like Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon. In this article we will explore cross-chain bridges on TON.

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What are Cross-Chain Bridges?

Cross-chain bridges are protocols that allow users to transfer cryptocurrencies, tokens, and sometimes arbitrary data from one blockchain to another. They act as connectors between otherwise isolated blockchain networks, enabling a multi-chain ecosystem where assets can move freely across different platforms. Bridges typically work by locking assets on the source blockchain and minting equivalent wrapped tokens on the destination blockchain. When users want to move assets back, the wrapped tokens are burned on the destination chain, and the original assets are unlocked on the source chain.

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Types of Cross-Chain Bridges

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1. Trustless vs. Custodial Bridges

Trustless Bridges:
  • Use smart contracts and cryptographic proofs for validation
  • No single point of failure
  • Decentralized verification mechanisms
Centralized Bridges:
  • Rely on trusted entities or multi-signature wallets
  • Single point of failure risk
  • Generally, are easier to implement

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2. Asset Transfer Methods

Lock-and-Mint Bridges:
  • Lock original assets on source chain
  • Mint wrapped tokens on destination chain
  • Most common bridge type
Burn-and-Mint Bridges:
  • Burn tokens on source chain
  • Mint new tokens on destination chain
  • Used for native multi-chain tokens

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Bridges on TON

The TON blockchain has bridge ecosystem that connects it to major EVM-compatible networks. There are several kinds of bridge providers on TON.

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Legacy: Official TON Bridges

During early development of TON ecosystem (2021-2023 years) there were a few official TON bridges, supported at the protocol level. Now, they are considered legacy and not recommended for usage since they can be deprecated at any moment.
TON blockchain supports several official bridges configured at the protocol level:

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Outbound Bridges (Config parameters 71-73)

These bridges wrap TON into other networks:

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Inbound Bridges (Config parameters 79, 81-82)

These bridges wrap tokens from other networks into TON: You can read more about these bridge configuration parameters on the TON Config page.

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Third-Party Bridge Ecosystem

The TON ecosystem features multiple bridge providers offering different features and supported networks. You can read more about them in TON Bridges page. You can see existing bridges statistics on TON Foundation Bridge Dashboard.
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