Bridging USDC

Move native USDC between Arc and eleven other chains. The USDC is burned on the chain it leaves and minted on the chain it arrives at, so what lands is real USDC and not a wrapped claim on somebody's reserve.

What is actually happening

This is Circle's CCTP v2. There is no pool of deposits, no wrapped asset, and no Arcanium custody at any point. Your USDC is destroyed on the source chain, Circle observes that and signs an attestation, and that attestation lets the destination chain mint the same amount to you.

Arcanium never holds your money during a transfer. This is the only reason supporting a dozen chains is a configuration problem rather than a security one — a bridge that holds funds is the most attacked kind of contract in this industry, and this is not one.

The steps

Approve — a one-time allowance on the source chain, so the deposit contract can take the amount you named. Skipped if you have one already.
Deposit — your USDC is burned. This is the transaction that moves money.
Wait for Circle — Circle signs the deposit. How long this takes is set by Circle, not by Arcanium, and it differs by source chain.
Claim — the mint on the destination chain. Arriving on Arc is relayed for you, which is what lets someone who has never held Arc gas bridge in at all. For other destinations you send this one yourself, which costs a little gas on the chain you are arriving at — you are bridging there, so you have it. The bridge says which case applies before you sign anything.

Closing the tab

A transfer in flight is saved in your browser, so closing the tab or losing connection does not lose it — reopening the bridge picks the same transfer back up at the step it reached. The claim can always be re-attempted and never creates a second deposit.

Even if this site were unavailable, a burned deposit is not stuck. The attestation is Circle's and the mint is a public contract call, so the funds can be claimed by anyone able to reach the destination chain, including you directly.

What you receive

The amount shown as You receive (at least) is what arrives, net of everything. It is a minimum rather than an estimate because Circle's fast-lane fee is a ceiling you authorise rather than a fixed price — if the real fee comes in lower, more arrives than the figure promised, never less.

Limits

Circle enforces a per-transfer ceiling on some routes, and it is enforced on the chain, not by us. Where one applies, the bridge shows it before you sign rather than letting the deposit fail. Withdrawals from Arc are the route most often limited.

What is actually happening

The steps

Approve — a one-time allowance on the source chain, so the deposit contract can take the amount you named. Skipped if you have one already.

Deposit — your USDC is burned. This is the transaction that moves money.

Wait for Circle — Circle signs the deposit. How long this takes is set by Circle, not by Arcanium, and it differs by source chain.

Claim — the mint on the destination chain. Arriving on Arc is relayed for you, which is what lets someone who has never held Arc gas bridge in at all. For other destinations you send this one yourself, which costs a little gas on the chain you are arriving at — you are bridging there, so you have it. The bridge says which case applies before you sign anything.

Closing the tab