Bridging overview
Token bridging and cross-chain messaging are fundamental aspects of building on Arbitrum. This page helps you find the right guide for your use case.
Move ETH between chains
- Deposit ETH to Arbitrum: Bridge ETH from the parent chain to a child chain using the Inbox contract
- Withdraw ETH to Ethereum: Withdraw ETH from a child chain back to the parent chain via ArbSys
Move ERC-20 tokens between chains
- Deposit tokens to Arbitrum: Move ERC-20 tokens from the parent chain to the child chain
- Withdraw tokens to Ethereum: Move ERC-20 tokens from the child chain back to the parent chain
Make my token bridgeable
Choose a gateway based on your token's requirements:
- Standard gateway (recommended): Automatic deployment of a standard ERC-20 on Arbitrum, no configuration required
- Generic-custom gateway: Custom functionality in your child chain token while using Arbitrum's built-in gateway
- Custom gateway: Specialized gateway logic for advanced use cases
Send arbitrary cross-chain messages
- Parent → child messaging: Send messages from Ethereum to Arbitrum using retryable tickets
- Child → parent messaging: Send messages from Arbitrum to Ethereum via ArbSys and the Outbox
Build on a custom gas token chain
If you're working with an Arbitrum chain that uses a non-ETH gas token, see Custom gas token chain bridging for SDK APIs and workflows.