Bridge

A bridge, or blockchain bridge, is infrastructure that lets tokens and messages move between chains that have no native awareness of each other. The common pattern locks or burns an asset on the source chain and mints a wrapped representation on the destination, redeemable in the other direction. Bridges differ enormously in trust model: some rely on a small multisig, some on an external validator set, some on cryptographic proofs verified on-chain. They have been among the most heavily exploited components in crypto, because one flaw in the minting logic or a compromised signer set can put every locked deposit at risk. Move only what you need, prefer well-reviewed routes, and remember that a wrapped token carries bridge risk on top of market risk.