At a glance
| Chain | Typical Fee | Bridge-In Time | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | $1 – $10+ | — (the hub) | Maximum security, deepest DeFi, everything starts here |
| Arbitrum | $0.01 – $0.30 | 2 – 15 min | The busiest L2 for trading and DeFi |
| Optimism | $0.01 – $0.30 | 2 – 15 min | Mature ecosystem, strong app lineup |
| Base | $0.005 – $0.20 | 2 – 10 min | Consumer apps, USDC flows, fast growth |
| Polygon | $0.005 – $0.10 | 3 – 15 min | Payments, gaming, low-cost transfers at scale |
Ethereum — the hub everything orbits
Mainnet is where the deepest collateral lives and where every L2 ultimately settles. You bridge through it more often than to it. Fees are the highest in the ecosystem and swing with congestion — a send can cost $1 at 3 AM and $12 during a volatile afternoon. Use it when you want maximum security for large holdings or need an app that only exists there; use an L2 for nearly everything else.
Arbitrum — the liquidity heavyweight
The busiest L2 for serious trading. Perps venues, options protocols and the deepest stablecoin pools outside mainnet all live here, and the corridor table reflects it: Ethereum → Arbitrum tolerates five-figure transfers with minimal price impact. If your destination is "wherever the action is," it's probably this.
Optimism — the mature all-rounder
The longest-running major L2 with a deep app lineup and the Superchain architecture powering several sibling networks. Behavior for a bridger is nearly identical to Arbitrum: cheap, quick, deep enough for almost anything short of institutional size.
Base — the consumer magnet
Built on the OP Stack and incubated by Coinbase, Base has become the default landing zone for consumer crypto and USDC circulation. US-based users often find it the cheapest first stop: exchanges withdraw to Base for cents, and the stablecoin corridors are the best-priced in the ecosystem.
Polygon — the volume workhorse
Payments, gaming and high-volume low-value transfers. Fees are fractions of a cent, and the network handles consumer scale gracefully. Destination liquidity for major tokens is good, though a step below the L2 duopoly — check the minimum received on larger transfers.
Choosing a destination
- Follow the app. The chain your target application runs on decides for you.
- When free to choose, default to Base or Arbitrum. Cheapest corridors, deepest liquidity, cents-level gas.
- Keep a gas buffer. Whatever chain you land on, you'll need its native token for the next transaction — most routes can swap a sliver for gas on arrival.
One address serves all five networks — your wallet just switches views. That's the mental model that makes multi-chain simple, and the wallet guide shows the setup. Compare corridors in the route guide.
Last reviewed: September 2026.