If your Wormhole bridge transfer is pending, check the source result and destination claim before trying again. The Wormhole bridge moves tokens and messages between connected chains when a failed source attempt means you need to start again. A Wormhole token bridge transfer is complete only after the destination chain records its claim.
What Does Wormhole bridge Move?
It carries a signed message from one blockchain to another so the receiving chain can act on it. For a token transfer, that message records the token, amount, destination chain, and recipient. A message can also carry instructions for an application without moving tokens.
One common route is Wrapped Token Transfers (WTT). It locks the original tokens on their home chain and creates matching “wrapped” tokens on the destination chain. Wrapped tokens represent a claim on the locked originals. Moving them home burns the wrapped tokens and releases the originals.
The Guardian Network checks the source transaction and signs its message. That signed proof is called a Verified Action Approval, or VAA. Someone must then submit the VAA on the destination chain to finish the transfer. An automatic route uses a relayer to do this; a manual route leaves the claim to you.
Which Chains and Tokens Can I Use?
Wormhole bridge supported chains include Ethereum, Solana, and Base, but your exact token and route must work on both ends. Support for a chain alone does not guarantee that every asset can arrive in the form you expect. Check the destination token before you send, especially if you need its native version rather than a wrapped one.
- Ethereum uses ETH to pay transaction fees, including fees for transfers of ERC-20 tokens. ERC-20 is its common format for tokens created by contracts.
- Solana uses SOL for fees. Its common token format is SPL, so a token arriving there may have a different token address.
- Base also uses ETH for fees, but it is a separate chain from Ethereum. An address that looks the same on both chains does not make the balances interchangeable.
A wrapped token must be registered on its destination chain before it can be created there. Some routes handle that preparation; others may be unavailable until registration is done. The deciding check is the token’s destination address and type, not its name or symbol alone.
What Will a Transfer Cost and How Long Will It Take?
Cost depends on source gas, any destination gas, and a relayer charge if someone completes the claim for you. Gas is the chain’s fee for processing a transaction. A manual claim may require you to hold the destination chain’s gas token; an automatic claim generally includes that work in its quote.
Check the quoted amount before signing. For example, a 100-token transfer with an illustrative 0.5-token relayer charge would deliver about 99.5 tokens, before any optional conversion into destination gas. A separate token approval on Ethereum can add another gas payment.
Time depends on the source chain becoming final, the Guardians signing, and the destination claim being processed. Expect minutes rather than an instant balance change. A route waiting for full Ethereum finality can spend around 15–20 minutes at that stage alone; congestion or a delayed claim adds more time.
How Do I Send Tokens Step by Step?
Set the route and recipient before signing, then keep the source transaction record until the destination claim succeeds. Each of these checks prevents a different reason for a missing balance.
- Choose the source and destination chains. Check both names carefully: Ethereum and Base can use the same wallet address while holding separate balances.
- Select the exact token and available transfer route. Check whether it will arrive as a native or wrapped token, since that determines what you can use afterward.
- Enter the recipient address on the destination chain. Compare the full address with your intended wallet before approving a transfer that cannot be reversed.
- Review the quote and fund the needed gas. Keep enough ETH or SOL on the source chain, plus destination gas if you must claim manually.
- Submit the source transfer once and save its transaction hash, the unique record you can search later. An Ethereum token approval only permits spending; it does not start the bridge transfer.
- Complete the destination claim when the signed message is ready. If the route is automatic, check for the relayer’s destination transaction; otherwise, submit the claim using destination gas.
At wormholebridge.org, you would start an eligible move from Ethereum to Solana after checking the token’s destination form. Keep the source transaction hash so you can trace the move if the receiving balance is slow to appear.
Why Is My Transfer Pending or Failed?
A pending transfer has usually stopped at one of three points: the source transaction, the signed message, or the destination claim. Check them in that order before sending again.
First, search the source transaction hash on a chain explorer. Etherscan and Solscan show whether Ethereum and Solana transactions succeeded. If the transaction failed, the tokens generally remain in your wallet, though gas may be spent. If the only successful transaction was a token approval, submit the actual transfer.
If the source transfer succeeded, look for its VAA and allow time for source finality. A successful source transaction means the bridge received the instruction; it does not prove delivery. When a VAA exists but no destination transaction does, the remaining task is the claim. Check whether your route uses a relayer or needs you to submit it.
If the destination transaction succeeded but the wallet still looks empty, check the destination token address. Wrapped tokens may not appear under the original token’s name in your wallet. Follow the source transaction, signed message, and destination claim in sequence, and you can tell when to wait, claim, or start again.