> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tedprotocol.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cross-Chain Bridges

> Battle-tested bridge integrations, automatic routing

**Automatic bridge selection system integrating Circle CCTP, LayerZero, and Wormhole**

TED Protocol integrates three proven bridge protocols for cross-chain transfers. The system automatically selects the optimal bridge based on the token being transferred—no manual configuration required.

***

### Bridge Selection

When you initiate a cross-chain transfer, TED Protocol automatically routes your tokens through the most suitable bridge.

| Token     | Bridge        | Cost     | Time     |
| --------- | ------------- | -------- | -------- |
| **USDC**  | Circle CCTP   | Free     | 1-2 min  |
| **USDT**  | LayerZero OFT | \~0.1%   | 1-5 min  |
| **TEDP**  | LayerZero OFT | Gas only | 1-3 min  |
| **Other** | Wormhole      | \~0.1%   | 5-15 min |

*Select your source and destination chains—TED Protocol handles the rest.*

***

### Circle CCTP

**Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol** is Circle's official USDC bridge.

Unlike wrapped token bridges, CCTP uses a **native burn-and-mint** mechanism:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Burn">
    USDC is burned on the source chain
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Circle's attestation service verifies the burn
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mint">
    Native USDC is minted on the destination chain
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Key advantages:**

* **Free** — Circle absorbs infrastructure costs
* **1-2 minutes** to complete
* **Native USDC** minted (not wrapped tokens)
* No liquidity fragmentation or additional counterparty risk

**Supported routes:** Ethereum ↔ Arbitrum, Base, Polygon / Base ↔ Polygon (all bidirectional)

***

### LayerZero OFT

**Omnichain Fungible Token** is LayerZero's standard for cross-chain token transfers.

Like CCTP, OFT uses a **burn-and-mint** model that maintains constant total token supply across all chains:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Burn">
    Tokens burned on source chain
  </Step>

  <Step title="Transmit">
    Message transmitted via LayerZero's **Decentralized Verifier Network (DVN)**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mint">
    Identical tokens minted on destination chain
  </Step>
</Steps>

**TEDP** — Uses OFT standard for seamless transfers across all 6 supported chains. Move freely without liquidity pool dependencies or wrapped token complexity.

**USDT0 (USD₮0)** — Uses LayerZero's OFT standard across all supported chains including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, and Kaia.

*Typically \~0.1-0.2% cost, 1-5 minutes to complete*

***

### Wormhole

**Wormhole** serves as the general-purpose bridge for tokens without native cross-chain support via CCTP or OFT.

Uses a **lock-and-mint** model:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Lock">
    Tokens locked on source chain
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Wormhole's **Guardian Network** (19 validators) verifies the lock
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mint">
    Wrapped tokens minted on destination
  </Step>
</Steps>

*Typically \~0.1% cost, 5-15 minutes*

TED Protocol uses Wormhole as a fallback when preferred bridges aren't available for specific tokens or routes.

***

### Transfer Tracking

All cross-chain transfers can be monitored through their respective explorers:

| Bridge      | Explorer                                    |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Circle CCTP | [cctp.circle.com](https://cctp.circle.com)  |
| LayerZero   | [LayerZero Scan](https://layerzeroscan.com) |
| Wormhole    | [Wormhole Scan](https://wormholescan.io)    |

TED Protocol also provides in-app tracking via the **Bridge Tracker** feature, where you can enter your transaction hash to check transfer status.

***

### Security Considerations

Cross-chain bridges introduce additional trust assumptions beyond single-chain operations. TED Protocol mitigates these risks by integrating only proven bridges with billions in cumulative volume.

| Bridge        | Security Model                                              |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **CCTP**      | Circle attestation service (centralized but trusted issuer) |
| **LayerZero** | Configurable DVN set (decentralized verification)           |
| **Wormhole**  | 19-guardian multisig consensus                              |

Users can see which bridge will be used before confirming transactions, and all transfers include real-time status monitoring.

For deeper understanding of bridge-related risks, see [Bridge Risks](/risks/bridge-risks).