> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bridge-safety-guide.gitbook.io/bridge-safety-guide-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://bridge-safety-guide.gitbook.io/bridge-safety-guide-docs/how-to-bridge-crypto-after-renbridge-shut-down.md). # How to Bridge Crypto After RenBridge Shut Down If you came to RenBridge to move crypto today, that service closed in 2022. It once let people lock Bitcoin and receive renBTC, a token representing Bitcoin on another blockchain. For a new transfer, use an active cross-chain route. If you already hold renBTC, check its value and available markets separately. ### RenBridge Stopped New Transfers in 2022 RenBridge can no longer carry out a new Bitcoin transfer. In a November 2022 announcement, the Ren team said it would stop creating new wrapped assets, allow withdrawals briefly, then shut down the old network. That planned shutdown is why an old walkthrough is no longer a set of steps you can follow. The RenBridge shutdown also matters if renBTC is already in your wallet. A renBTC balance is a token balance on its host chain; it is not native BTC in a Bitcoin wallet. Do not send it to a Bitcoin address expecting BTC to arrive. Check whether a live market will exchange that specific token, and check the amount offered before acting. ### The Original Route Locked Bitcoin and Minted renBTC The old route worked by holding BTC on Bitcoin and creating renBTC on another chain. A user sent BTC to a deposit address. After six Bitcoin confirmations, the system could mint renBTC to the user's destination wallet, minus fees. Six confirmations took around an hour on average, but the wait varied with Bitcoin blocks. Going back reversed the process: the user burned renBTC, meaning those tokens were destroyed, and BTC was released to a Bitcoin address. This explains a key distinction for your next move. Bridging BTC into a token that represents BTC keeps Bitcoin exposure; swapping BTC for ETH changes the asset you own. Choose the result your app actually accepts. ### Your Destination Decides the Route Start with the asset and chain your app requires. A wallet can show a token on several chains, but an app may accept it on only one. For example, if an app needs ETH on Ethereum, receiving a Bitcoin-backed token there will not complete your task. For fresh funds, the [RenBridge renBTC bridge](https://renbridge.cc) lets you move or swap crypto across blockchains in one flow. Use it when you know the asset and chain you need to receive. That solves the current transfer behind a RenBridge crypto bridge search; it does not restore redemption for old renBTC. Before sending, pin down these three details: * Your starting asset and its current chain, such as BTC on Bitcoin. * The exact asset and chain your destination app accepts. * A receiving wallet address for that chain that you control. ### Move the Asset in Six Steps 1. **Check the destination app's deposit requirements.** Write down both the token and the chain it names. “BTC” alone is not enough: native BTC on Bitcoin and a Bitcoin-backed token on another chain are different assets. 2. **Choose a route that reaches that exact result.** If you need Bitcoin exposure in another app, check which Bitcoin-backed token it accepts. If you need a different asset, choose a cross-chain swap. For example, moving BTC from Bitcoin and receiving ETH on Ethereum requires a swap as part of the route. 3. **Prepare the receiving wallet.** Use an address on the destination chain and make sure you can access it. If you plan to use an app afterward, check whether you will also need that chain's native coin to pay its transaction fees, often called gas. 4. **Compare the amount you will receive.** The result can change with the source network fee, any bridge fee, and the exchange rate or trading cost of a swap. These amounts vary by route and network demand. Judge the route by the final asset and amount, rather than assuming one BTC sent means one BTC received. 5. **Send the transfer using the chosen route.** Check the deposit address and network against the route before sending. If the amount is large, a small test transfer can confirm that your receiving wallet works, though it will incur its own fees. 6. **Verify the asset on the destination chain.** Use that chain's block explorer, a public record of transactions, to check arrival at your address. Confirm the token as well as the balance before sending it to an app. A familiar token name alone does not prove it is the asset the app accepts. The practical path is to identify the exact asset your app needs, choose a live route, and verify what arrives. Treat any renBTC you already hold as a separate case: its market value and exchange options need checking before you move it. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://bridge-safety-guide.gitbook.io/bridge-safety-guide-docs/how-to-bridge-crypto-after-renbridge-shut-down.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.