Guide to Polygon token transfers using the Polygon Bridge

The Polygon Bridge is a trust-less two-way transaction channel between Polygon and Ethereum consisting of two official bridges that can help with cross-chain transfers of tokens between Polygon and Ethereum:

• Polygon PoS Bridge
• Plasma Bridge

The Plasma Bridge provides an increased security guarantee due to the Plasma exit mechanism but there are restrictions on the token and a 7-day withdrawal period associated with all withdrawals from Polygon to Ethereum using the Plasma bridge.

For those that require faster withdrawals, the Polygon PoS Bridge may offer faster, more flexible withdrawals at some expense of security, then they can withdraw using the PoS Bridge which is secured by a set of external validators. The withdrawal has a faster exit time with one checkpoint interval (~30 mins to 3 hours).

Polygon PoS Bridge vs Plasma Bridge

How to withdraw from Polygon to Ethereum using the Polygon Bridge

In this section, we will explain how to withdraw tokens from Polygon to Ethereum using the Polygon Bridge.

Step 1: Head over to the Polygon Web Wallet and connect your wallet

Step 2: Select Bridge under Proof-of-Stake to deposit and withdraw between networks

Step 3: Withdraw Funds

• Select Withdraw
• Select the asset to bridge
• Enter the amount to bridge
• Click Transfer and sign the transaction

Step 4: Wait for the checkpoint transaction to complete

Once you've sent the transaction to the bridge, you need to wait for the checkpoint transaction – the Merkel Root of the block headers for a given span of blocks – for the validators to submit onto the Ethereum main chain.

This step could take anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours, so sit back and grab a coffee.

You can close the tab and check the status of the transfer later by going to the dashboard and click Transactions on the sidebar.

Step 5: Initiate withdrawal and complete

Once the checkpoint transaction has arrived on the Ethereum network, you will see a modal requesting you to confirm a transaction to receive your funds.

Click Continue to withdraw the funds into your wallet.

Costs to withdraw

The cost to initiate a withdrawal varies according to the gas prices on Ethereum. In our experience, it costs about 0.0060687 ETH ($11 at 18 Gwei).

Conclusion

The Polygon Bridge is just one bridge that can be used to transfer tokens between Ethereum and Polygon. In reality, users might find the long bridging time less ideal.

Thankfully, there are alternatives to withdrawing tokens from Polygon to Ethereum, or using other bridges to bridge from Polygon to other blockchains like BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, Fantom and more – these alternatives may offer a mix of being cheaper and faster at the cost of security.

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