Bridge receipts show a transfer; destination balances show delivery

A bridge receipt records a cross-chain transfer attempt; the destination token balance shows what arrived. The two records answer different questions: the receipt documents a source-chain action, while the destination wallet or transaction shows whether usable tokens reached the other chain.

What does a bridge receipt prove?

A receipt usually identifies a source-chain transaction or message that a bridge can use to process a transfer. Depending on the bridge design, the source action may lock tokens, burn them, or authorize a message; the receipt alone does not prove that the destination transaction succeeded.

Look for the source transaction hash, the asset and amount, the destination chain, and the recipient address. A bridge interface may label a route “complete” after its own process reaches a defined stage, so compare that status with the destination-chain transaction. For a step-by-step account of the route, see how Fermi Swap moves tokens.

Why can the destination balance differ?

The destination balance can differ from the source amount because the route may charge fees, use a different token representation, or apply a conversion. The bridge’s quoted output and the amount credited are therefore more useful for checking delivery than a simple comparison of source and destination numbers.

In a lock-and-mint design, a bridge may issue a wrapped token on the destination chain against assets held elsewhere. In a burn-and-mint design, it may destroy tokens on one chain and create corresponding tokens on another. A liquidity-based route can instead send tokens already held on the destination chain, with the source asset replenishing that pool later. These designs can produce different token names and transaction paths, even when a user thinks of the transfer as moving one asset.

How can you check that tokens arrived?

Check the destination chain, recipient address, token contract, and credited amount in the destination transaction or wallet. A balance is meaningful only for the correct token contract: two assets can share a ticker or display name while having different contracts.

• Match the destination chain and recipient address to the route details.
• Open the destination transaction and confirm it succeeded.
• Check the token contract and credited amount, including any fee or conversion.
• If no destination transaction appears, use the bridge’s receipt or message status to see whether processing is pending or failed.

A successful source transaction can coexist with a pending destination step. In that case, the receipt helps identify the transfer, but the destination record determines whether the wallet received spendable tokens.

Which record should you rely on?

Use the receipt to trace what the source chain submitted, and the destination transaction and balance to verify delivery. Neither view replaces the other: a receipt can exist before processing finishes, and a wallet balance without the matching transaction may reflect an earlier transfer.

For most users, the practical check is to confirm the destination transaction and the token contract before trading, sending, or counting the funds as available. The receipt is the route’s evidence trail; the credited destination balance is the outcome.