Bridging Ethereum and Bitcoin to TON

Unlocking Cross‑Chain TON Bridges

The Open Network (TON) is rapidly evolving into a “blockchain of blockchains”, connecting with other major networks to expand its ecosystem. In this post, we’ll introduce all the available cross-chain bridges to TON, including Ethereum↔TON bridges and the groundbreaking Bitcoin↔TON bridge. We’ll then dive deep into TeleSwap’s testnet Bitcoin-to-TON bridge – how it works, what makes it different (decentralized architecture, no KYC, light client verification), how to test it, and why it’s crucial for TON’s liquidity and DeFi growth. By the end, you’ll understand how to bridge to TON and how these bridges are bringing new assets and users into TON’s flourishing DeFi ecosystem.

Why Cross-Chain Bridges to TON Matter

Blockchain bridges allow users to transfer tokens or data between different networks, making assets like ETH or BTC usable on TON and vice versa. For TON, cross-chain bridges are a gateway for liquidity and users: they enable Bitcoin and Ethereum assets to flow into TON’s low-fee, high-throughput blockchain, where they can fuel decentralized applications (DApps), lending, trading, and more​. In short, TON bridges connect TON with the wider crypto world, unlocking TON DeFi growth by leveraging the value stored on other chains.

For example, bridging BTC to TON lets Bitcoin holders participate in TON’s DeFi – using BTC for lending, yield farming, or trading on TON – without selling their BTC. Meanwhile, bridging assets like ETH or USDT from Ethereum brings stablecoins and liquidity into TON’s ecosystem. These cross-chain links dramatically improve TON’s liquidity and broaden its community of users and developers.

Ethereum ↔ TON Bridges

Ethereum to TON bridges were among the first cross-chain solutions for TON, primarily to transfer Toncoin and tokens between TON and Ethereum (as well as other EVM chains like BNB Smart Chain). The official Toncoin Bridge is a prime example: it allows moving Toncoin between TON and Ethereum or BSC​ This bridge is powered by smart contracts and decentralized oracles that manage lockups and releases across chains​. Users can lock Toncoin on one network and mint equivalent Toncoin on the other, or vice versa, using the bridge’s interface (available via ton.org’s bridge portal). There’s also a TON token bridge that supports Ethereum-based tokens (like USDT or USDC) to TON​, expanding TON’s asset diversity.

Beyond the official bridge, third-party bridges have integrated TON as well:

• Orbit Bridge – a cross-chain bridge by Orbit Chain – added support for TON in late 2022. Orbit Bridge connects TON with 20+ other blockchains (Ethereum, BNB, Polygon, Avalanche, etc.), allowing conversion of tokens across these networks. For instance, ORBS (the Orbs token) was made transferable between Ethereum and TON via Orbit Bridge​. Orbit Bridge uses a federation of validators to manage cross-chain transfers securely.
• Symbiosis Bridge – a more recent solution – acts as a bridge aggregator for TON. Symbiosis introduced TON Bridge v2, a two-way from- and to-TON bridge supporting not only TON itself but also tokens like USDT on TON, and 1000+ assets from 34 networks including Ethereum, various L2s, Tron, and even native Bitcoin​. This decentralized, non-custodial bridge uses smart contracts to swap assets across chains, making bridging into TON seamless. For example, a user can swap ETH on Ethereum directly for TON or even for USDT on TON in one click​. Such broad compatibility greatly lowers the barrier to bring liquidity into TON.
• Other Bridges and Integrations – Additional projects like XP.Network (for NFTs) and community-built solutions are expanding TON’s interoperability. XP.Network’s bridge, for instance, enables NFT transfers to and from TON. As TON’s DeFi grows, we expect even more bridges (and eventually decentralized exchanges with built-in cross-chain features) to support TON.

How to bridge to TON from Ethereum? If you want to bring assets from Ethereum to TON, you have multiple options. The official TON bridge (via ton.org/bridge) is a straightforward way to convert ETH or ERC-20 tokens into wrapped assets on TON (Toncoin or equivalent tokens). You’d connect your Ethereum wallet, specify the amount to bridge, and provide your TON wallet address to receive the funds on TON. The bridge will lock your tokens on Ethereum and mint the corresponding tokens on TON. Alternatively, Symbiosis’ interface or Orbit Bridge’s portal can be used to transfer assets like stablecoins or altcoins into TON in a few clicks. The process is generally user-friendly: select the origin and target chains, choose the asset, enter your TON address, and confirm the transaction. After a short wait for confirmations, your assets arrive in your TON wallet, ready to use in TON DApps.

Bitcoin ↔ TON Bridges

Bridging Bitcoin to TON is a newer frontier that promises to bring the king of crypto into TON’s ecosystem. Unlike Ethereum (which has many bridging solutions), Bitcoin’s network is UTXO-based and doesn’t support smart contracts, making trustless bridging a challenge. Until recently, Bitcoin holders who wanted to use TON had to rely on centralized exchanges or custodial wrapped BTC tokens – approaches that involve third-party risk and often KYC/registration. The launch of a decentralized Bitcoin-to-TON bridge is a game-changer for TON.

TON Teleport BTC (tgBTC): In late 2024, the TON Foundation introduced TON Teleport BTC, a trustless bridge for Bitcoin that creates tgBTC, a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed token on TON​. With tgBTC, users can send/receive Bitcoin on TON (e.g. within Telegram’s @wallet or TON DeFi apps) without any intermediaries​. TON Teleport BTC uses a mint-and-burn (peg-in/peg-out) model: when you bring BTC to TON, you receive tgBTC; when you exit, tgBTC is burned and you get back BTC. Importantly, it achieves this without centralized custodians – instead, it leverages TON’s validators and smart contracts for security.

TeleSwap: More Than Just a Bridge: TeleSwap is a decentralized tool that lets users move native Bitcoin to TON and back — fully on-chain, without any third parties. It’s now available on testnet and open to everyone.When you bring BTC into TON using TeleSwap, you receive TeleBTC — a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed token on TON. This token can be used inside TON-based apps and later redeemed for native BTC whenever you want.But TeleSwap does more than just bridging. It also supports direct swaps between different assets on TON, such as:

BTC ↔ TON

BTC ↔ USDT (on TON)

While TON Teleport BTC focuses only on wrapping and unwrapping BTC (creating tgBTC), TeleSwap gives you a full swap experience — making it easy to bring in Bitcoin, receive TeleBTC, and instantly trade it for other tokens inside the TON network.

TeleSwap’s Decentralized BTC↔TON Bridge (Testnet)

TeleSwap’s TON bridge for Bitcoin is the first of its kind: a fully decentralized, trustless Bitcoin-to-TON bridge. It allows users to wrap BTC into “TeleBTC” on TON and unwrap it back to BTC, without relying on any centralized entity, without KYC, and with the process governed by code and network consensus.

How it works: TeleSwap’s bridge uses a lock-mint-burn-unlock protocol across Bitcoin and TON:

• Lock & Mint (Bitcoin to TON): A user sends native BTC to a special bridge deposit address on the Bitcoin network. Once the Bitcoin transaction reaches a safe number of confirmations (e.g. 6 blocks), the bridge smart contracts on TON validate that deposit and then mint an equivalent amount of TeleBTC on TON for the user​. TeleBTC is a Jetton (TON token) that represents BTC at a 1:1 ratio, backed by the actual BTC now held in the bridge’s Bitcoin address.
• Burn & Unlock (TON to Bitcoin): When a user wants to redeem BTC back, they send (burn) their TeleBTC on the TON side. The bridge recognizes this burn and triggers a Bitcoin transaction releasing the corresponding BTC to the user’s Bitcoin address. The release transaction is signed collectively by the bridge’s decentralized operators (more on this below) and broadcast to Bitcoin.

The magic of TeleSwap’s bridge lies in its decentralized architecture. Instead of a single custodian holding the BTC or a simple multisig controlled by a few parties, the bridge is secured by a light client and strong economic guarantees.:

• On-chain Light Client: A Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) client for Bitcoin runs as a smart contract on TON This means the TON blockchain itself can verify Bitcoin block headers and transactions, just like a Bitcoin “light node.” Every BTC deposit is verified on TON by checking Bitcoin’s proof-of-work and transaction inclusion via this light client​. This eliminates the need to trust an off-chain server – the TON smart contract independently confirms that “Yes, 0.1 BTC was received at address X in Bitcoin block Y”.
• No Custodial Risk / No KYC: Because the system is governed by code (smart contracts) and the distributed validator network, there’s no need for a trusted middleman or any user verification. Anyone with a Bitcoin wallet and a TON wallet can use TeleSwap’s bridge permissionlessly. This decentralized trust model is a huge leap from wrapped BTC solutions of the past, where users had to trust a company or a consortium. TeleBTC is transparently backed 1:1 by real BTC, with on-chain proof and decentralized custody​.

Together, these features make TeleSwap’s TON bridge truly trustless. All critical operations – Bitcoin transaction verification, TeleBTC minting, and BTC releasing – are automated by smart contracts on TON, observed and executed by the decentralized network. This design dramatically minimizes the risk of hacks or insider misuse that have plagued some earlier bridges​.

How to Test TeleSwap’s Bitcoin↔TON Bridge (Step-by-Step)

TeleSwap’s BTC-TON bridge is currently live on testnet, which means anyone can try it using testnet coins. Here’s an overview of how you can experiment with bridging BTC to TON on the test network:

1. Prepare a Bitcoin Testnet Wallet: You’ll need a Bitcoin testnet (Signet) wallet. A popular option is UniSat Wallet (originally for Ordinals) which supports multiple Bitcoin testnets. Install the UniSat browser extension and switch it to “Bitcoin Testnet4 (Signet)” in the network settings. (Insert screenshot of UniSat wallet with Testnet4 selected.) You should see your testnet BTC address (it will start with tb1...).
   
   

1. Get Testnet BTC: Acquire some testnet BTC from a faucet. For Signet, you can use the official faucet (for example, via mempool.space’s Testnet4 faucet interface). Submit your testnet BTC address and request coins – you might need to log in with an X (Twitter) account to receive faucet funds. Within minutes, a small amount (e.g. 0.001 tBTC) should arrive in your wallet.
2. Prepare a TON Testnet Wallet: Next, set up a TON wallet on testnet. For instance, you can use MyTonWallet (browser extension or web) or TON Wallet on Telegram. In MyTonWallet, enable Developer Options in settings, then switch the network to Testnet. Also, use the @testgiver_ton_bot on Telegram to get some free TON testnet tokens (you’ll need a little TON for gas fees on testnet)​. Now you have a TON (testnet) address with some test Toncoin.
3. Use TeleSwap’s Testnet DApp: Go to testnet.teleswap.xyz (TeleSwap’s testnet bridge interface) and connect both wallets: your Bitcoin testnet wallet (UniSat) and your TON testnet wallet. The DApp will prompt you to connect; approve the connections. Once connected, you should see the BTC → TON bridge interface. (Insert screenshot of TeleSwap testnet interface with wallets connected and a BTC amount entered.)
4. Wrap BTC to TeleBTC: In the interface, enter the amount of BTC you want to bridge (e.g. 0.0005 tBTC) and make sure your TON address is set as the recipient on TON. The DApp will show the fee breakdown (Bitcoin network fee, TON fee, etc.) for the swap. When ready, click “Get TELEBTC” (or similar button to initiate the wrap). Confirm the transaction on your Bitcoin wallet – you’ll likely be asked to sign a message or transaction in UniSat. Once you approve, the BTC will be sent to the bridge’s address.
5. Wait for Confirmation: The TeleSwap interface will update with the status. After the required confirmations on Bitcoin (e.g. ~6 blocks, which on Signet might be a couple of minutes), the bridge will mint the equivalent TeleBTC on TON. You should then see a confirmation that TeleBTC was received in your TON wallet. In the app’s “My History” or transactions tab, you can track progress and see a record of the swap. (Insert screenshot of a completed TeleBTC mint transaction in TeleSwap’s history.)
6. Unwrap TeleBTC to BTC: To test the reverse, use the TON → BTC direction in the DApp. Enter the amount of TeleBTC to redeem and provide your Bitcoin testnet address for the payout. Click “Get BTC” to initiate the peg-out. You will confirm a transaction in your TON wallet to burn the TeleBTC. After that, the bridge will process the Bitcoin release. This may take some time as the network gathers signatures and broadcasts the BTC transaction. Once done, you’ll see a transaction ID for Bitcoin – and your BTC will arrive at your address on the Signet network, completing the round trip!​

Throughout this process, no registration or KYC is ever needed. You’re interacting purely with blockchain wallets and smart contracts. The testnet experience is designed to mirror how it will work on mainnet, so users and developers can familiarize themselves and even try to stress-test the system. TeleSwap often encourages the community to test and give feedback, as this helps ensure the bridge is robust before the mainnet launch.

You can see full Detail Here.

Why TeleSwap’s BTC-TON Bridge Is Crucial for TON’s Ecosystem

Bringing Bitcoin into TON isn’t just a cool technical achievement – it’s a transformative milestone for the TON ecosystem’s growth:

• Boosting TON Liquidity: Bitcoin is the largest crypto by market cap and has massive idle liquidity. With a trustless bridge, some of that liquidity can flow into TON. TON’s DeFi platforms can tap into BTC’s value, increasing available liquidity for lending pools, decentralized exchanges, and yield farms. More liquidity typically means tighter spreads, better stability, and more user confidence across TON DeFi.
• Attracting BTC Native Users to TON DeFi: Many Bitcoin holders have never ventured into DeFi on smart contract chains, either due to complexity or lack of trust in wrapped BTC. TeleSwap’s solution provides a simple, secure way for BTC holders to explore TON’s DeFi. They can hold tgBTC/TeleBTC knowing it’s fully backed and redeemable, and use it within TON DApps. This opens TON to a huge new audience of crypto users. As the TON Foundation noted, the BTC bridge allows Bitcoin to be used in TON DApps, lending, and more​ – effectively onboarding Bitcoin users into the TON community.
• Strengthening TON’s Position in Web3: With bridges to both Ethereum and Bitcoin, TON positions itself as a hub for cross-chain activity. Users can consolidate assets from multiple chains onto TON and leverage Telegram’s user-friendly interfaces (like TON Apps in Telegram) for managing their crypto. The convenience of sending Bitcoin in a Telegram chat (via tgBTC) or using BTC in a Telegram mini-app will be a unique value proposition​. This seamless user experience can drive adoption and make TON a centerpiece of the Web3 landscape.
• Decentralization and Trust: TeleSwap’s bridge exemplifies the TON ethos of decentralization. By employing TON’s validators and on-chain verification, it avoids the pitfalls of earlier bridges that have been hacked due to centralized weak points. This enhances confidence in TON as a secure network for value transfer. In essence, TON Teleport BTC (TeleSwap’s bridge) is as secure as TON itself – it inherits the strong validator security of the network​. Such robustness will attract not only users but also developers and liquidity providers who seek a trustworthy cross-chain environment.
• Fueling TON DeFi Growth: With Bitcoin and Ethereum-based assets available on TON, developers can build a richer DeFi ecosystem. Imagine TON DEXes where you can swap Toncoin <-> tgBTC, or lending protocols where BTC serves as collateral for loans in stablecoins. Yield farmers can put their BTC to work on TON for returns, and innovators can create new products (like BTC-denominated stablecoins or indices) on TON. This cross-pollination of assets greatly expands the design space for TON DeFi. Ultimately, the TON bridge network (Ethereum↔TON, Bitcoin↔TON, etc.) will support TON’s DeFi growth by ensuring that no asset is out of reach.

With these bridges, TON evolves into a more liquid, vibrant network where assets from anywhere can be put to use in its fast and user-friendly blockchain (even within Telegram!). TON’s liquidity is set to deepen and TON DeFi’s growth is poised to accelerate as Ethereum traders and Bitcoin holders alike join the party.

The testnet phase of TeleSwap’s BTC-TON bridge is an exciting opportunity for the community to get hands-on experience. We encourage you to try the testnet, give feedback, and watch as this technology moves to mainnet. Soon, sending Bitcoin to TON or bringing an ERC-20 token into TON will be as easy as a few clicks – ushering in a new era of cross-chain connectivity for TON.

Welcome to a connected TON ecosystem, where bridging assets is seamless and the entire crypto world’s liquidity can flow through TON’s veins. The Open Network is truly opening up! 🚀