A system that locks an asset on one chain and issues a representation of it on another, releasing the original when the representation is destroyed.
Why it matters
A bridge concentrates pooled collateral behind privileged logic that decides when to release it — which is why bridges account for several of the largest losses on record. Four bridge incidents in this tracker failed through key management or authorisation, not cryptography. See how bridges work and why they keep getting exploited.
Not advice. Definitions are for understanding, not instruction. Nothing here is financial, legal, tax or security advice.