Arbitrum Bridge: Guide to Fast & Secure Bridging in 2025

As DeFi continues to mature, Arbitrum has established itself as a leading Ethereum Layer 2 solution with over $2.6 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), 1.3 billion transactions processed, and $18.7 billion in native bridging volume. This robust ecosystem offers significant opportunities for yield farming, trading, and other DeFi activities.

However, accessing these opportunities requires bridging assets onto the network—a process that can be frustratingly slow and expensive with many bridging solutions. While the native Arbitrum bridge works reliably, it doesn't offer the speed many users need in today's fast-moving DeFi landscape.

Read on to discover how to bridge to Arbitrum in 2025 and why Across is the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable Arbitrum bridge for seamless crosschain transactions to mainnet and other L2s. 

Arbitrum is a dominant force in the Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem. An increasingly popular L2 in terms of TVL, Arbitrum delivers scalability, security, and cost-efficiency. By the way, Arbitrum isn’t a single entity; rather, it is a multifaceted network of chains designed for various use cases.

The demand for bridging to Arbitrum has continued to grow as users chase opportunities on the L2. As a result, Arbitrum has maintained one of the highest L2 TVLs, surpassing Optimism by over 300% and, at times, going neck and neck with Base. 

But why is Arbitrum attracting users? Some would argue that it goes back to the ARB token airdrop in March 2023. After that airdrop, Arbitrum has allocated millions in grants and incentives to onboard new users and deepen liquidity across its ecosystem.

In 2024, initiatives like Arbitrum STIP set out to distribute $50 million in incentives to boost adoption across major DeFi platforms like GMX, Radiant Capital, and Camelot, which have made them some of the most competitive yield farms in DeFi; unsurprisingly, the incentives have helped attract new users into the Arbitrum ecosystem. The combination of having DeFi platforms that people want to use and attracting them with economic incentives is a steady growth in the number of crypto users bridging to Arbitrum.

Another factor that makes Arbitrum attractive is its relatively low transaction costs. With gas fees averaging 0.0513 Gwei in 2024—dramatically lower than Ethereum mainnet’s 19.65 Gwei average for the same year—Arbitrum remains a top choice for users looking to maximize capital efficiency while avoiding high costs.

However,  low fees and robust liquidity aren't the only benefits of Arbitrum. While expanding use cases like NFTs and gaming are enhancing the ecosystem, Arbitrum is also gaining traction through partnerships, institutional accessibility, and real-world use cases that should pique the interest of DeFi participants.

While Arbitrum has effectively used liquidity mining incentives to boost ecosystem growth, including targeted programs with Uniswap and Aave, it also drives organic adoption via other verticals. For users exploring DeFi or seeking fast, cost-effective transactions, Arbitrum is a leading choice.

The native Arbitrum bridge is the native path to move assets between Ethereum and Arbitrum. It uses a mint-and-burn mechanism to ensure that tokens are accounted for on both networks. While it offers secure, trust-minimized transfers, it has a major downside: bridging takes up to 15 minutes to complete, and withdrawals take eight days due to Optimistic Rollup security measures.

Here’s an example of the fees and bridging times you can expect from the native Arbitrum bridge:

Bridging to Arbitrum means gaining access to a thriving DeFi ecosystem, but how you bridge matters.

If speed isn’t a concern, and you don’t mind waiting eight days for withdrawals, the official Arbitrum bridge works fine for high-value transfers. But for those who want instant access to their funds, lower fees, and a seamless user experience, Across is the better choice.

Additionally, the native bridge only supports direct transfers between Base, Orbit Chains, and Arbitrum, limiting the options available to users who want to bridge assets from other networks.

Across offers quick transfers and lower costs, making it a practical choice for moving assets to and from Arbitrum. Whether yield farming, trading, or simply transferring funds, using the right bridge helps avoid delays and unnecessary fees.

When to Use the Native Arbitrum Bridge

When to Use Across: The Most Efficient Arbitrum Bridge

For those who need instant bridging, lower fees, and the same level of security, Across is the superior alternative to the native Arbitrum bridge. Instead of waiting days for withdrawals, Across gets your assets to and from Arbitrum in seconds, at a fraction of the cost.

Here’s an example of the fees and times you can expect for bridging to Arbitrum on Across:

Using Across to bridge to Arbitrum means benefiting from:

By reducing bridging times and fees, Across delivers the most efficient solution for users who want the quickest, most efficient, and cheapest way to bridge to Arbitrum.

If you’ve read our previous crypto bridging guides, you would understand how bridging works and why Across is the most efficient crypto bridge.

Let’s look at what bridging to and from Arbitrum with Across entails.

Step 1: Visit app.across.to

To bridge to Arbitrum, start by visiting the Across bridging app.

The first step is to connect your wallet.

Step 2: Select Your Chains

Next, specify your origin (from) chain and destination (to) chain for bridging. For this example, we’ll bridge from ZKsync to Arbitrum. At this time, you’ll also want to specify how much ETH you'd like to bridge, which will prompt Across to estimate how long your transaction might take and how much it will cost.

Note: this process is the same if you’re bridging from Arbitrum back to your original chain. Just reverse the origin and destination chains.

Step 3: Confirm and Send

Once you’ve specified the amount of ETH you'd like to bridge and reviewed the fee details, click “confirm transaction,” and your coins will be on their way. Transactions are completed in seconds, so you’ll receive your assets on Arbitrum almost instantly.

With that, your bridging is complete!

To maximize your bridging experience, always double—or even triple-check your transaction details before bridging. You don't want to waste a gas fee by selecting the wrong destination chain and having to bridge the funds again to the chain you originally wanted.

Bridging to Arbitrum doesn't have to be a slow, expensive process. While the native Arbitrum bridge provides a secure option for those prioritizing trust-minimized transfers, Across offers a superior experience for most users by combining speed, affordability, and security. 

With transaction times of just seconds instead of minutes (or days for withdrawals), and fees that are consistently lower than alternatives, Across has established itself as the premier Arbitrum bridge for 2025.

Whether you're looking to capitalize on Arbitrum's growing DeFi opportunities, participate in liquidity mining programs, or transfer assets between chains, choosing the right bridge makes all the difference in your crosschain experience.

By bridging with Across, you'll save time and money while enjoying the same level of security that makes Ethereum's L2 ecosystem so valuable.

Ready for the cheapest way to bridge to Arbitrum? 

Try Across today and experience the best Arbitrum bridge solution firsthand.

For more information on Arbitrum, bridging, and crosschain transactions, check out these resources:

If you're new to bridging, check out these guides: