Stargate — bridge native assets across networks

Native assets across networks

Stargate is a cross-chain bridge for native assets. The transfer is USDC, USDT, ETH, or an OFT, from one supported network to another, without wrapping the asset into a Stargate-specific IOU when a native version exists on both sides.

The map is wide — the product describes 80 or more networks. STG is the token. Lock it for veSTG and you vote in the DAO and earn a share of monthly transfer fees. A protocol overview reads TVL, volume, and transfer activity.

This paper covers native transfers, how an OFT differs from a wrapped bridge token, what veSTG governs, how to bridge or stake, and how Stargate compares with other rails.

What “native” means on this bridge

A wrapped bridge gives you a token that is redeemable for the original, issued by the bridge. A native transfer gives you the asset the destination chain already calls USDC, USDT, or ETH. The recipient does not have to unwrap a Stargate voucher before a DEX will accept it. That is the product distinction.

OFTs are the omnichain-fungible path for tokens built to move as one supply across chains. They are not the same as native USDC. An OFT is that token’s own cross-chain representation. Bridging USDC and bridging a project’s OFT are two listings that share the Stargate interface.

USDC, USDT, ETH are the core native routes.
OFTs are tokens built to be omnichain.
veSTG is locked STG. It governs and earns fees.
Overview is protocol activity, not your transfer status.

How a transfer and a lock work

A transfer burns or escrows on the source and delivers the native or OFT balance on the destination. Unified liquidity is what lets the bridge pay out from the destination pool instead of minting a unique wrapper per route. If the destination pool is short, the transfer waits or the quote reflects the limit. You do not receive a surprise substitute token.

Staking STG locks it into veSTG. Voting power and the fee share attach to that lock. Monthly transfer fees are the revenue being shared. They depend on volume. A quiet month is a smaller fee share. Unlocking follows the lock, not a market sell. Selling STG is instant and does not include the veSTG fee position.

Action	You end with	You do not get
Bridge USDC	USDC on the destination chain	A Stargate-wrapped USD voucher
Bridge an OFT	That token’s OFT balance on the destination	Native USDC, unless that was the token
Lock STG	veSTG, votes, and a fee share	Liquid STG until the lock allows

Routes, fees, and governance

Each route has a fee and a cap. The fee is how the pool and the protocol are paid. The cap is how much can move before liquidity or risk limits stop the transfer. A route that exists for USDC may not exist for a given OFT. The form is the list that matters.

veSTG governance decides protocol parameters, including how fees and liquidity are treated. Holding unlocked STG is exposure to the token. Holding veSTG is the governance position plus the fee claim. They are not interchangeable in a vote.

Destination native asset must be the one you wanted. Check the ticker and the chain.
Slippage or fee quote on a transfer is the cost of the bridge, not a DEX price impact, unless the route includes a swap.
Pool liquidity limits size. Split a large move rather than assuming one ticket clears.
Overview stats describe the protocol. They do not confirm your transaction.

Bridging and staking

Select asset, source, and destination from the supported lists. Confirm the receiving address on that chain.
Read the fee and the amount out. Submit, and keep the source hash until the destination balance arrives.
Do not send tokens to a Stargate contract address copied from somewhere else. Use the bridge form.
Stake STG only with tokens you can lock. Confirm you received veSTG or the lock position the app shows.
Vote and claim fees on the staking screen’s schedule. A lock that never votes still has to follow the fee rules the app states.

If you need a swap on the destination, do it after the native asset has arrived, in a separate app.

Among the other bridges

Stargate is the native-asset and OFT bridge, associated with LayerZero messaging. Relay optimizes for fast payment fills across a broad chain list. Symbiosis emphasizes swap routing across Bitcoin, Solana, Tron, and EVM. deBridge is its own liquidity network for cross-chain trades. PulseBridge is only the Ethereum–PulseChain door.

Use Stargate when the asset you want on the far side is the native USDC, USDT, ETH, or a specific OFT, and the route is listed. Use a different rail when you need a swap into a long-tail token as part of the same signature, or a chain Stargate does not list.

STG and veSTG are this protocol’s governance. They are not required to bridge a single USDC transfer.