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Configure standard gateway bridging

This guide explains how to configure your ERC-20 token to work with Arbitrum's standard gateway. The standard gateway is the simplest option—it automatically creates a standard ERC-20 token on the child chain with no configuration required.

When to use the standard gateway​

Use the standard gateway when:

  • You have a standard ERC-20 token on the parent chain
  • You don't need custom functionality on the child chain token
  • You want automatic setup with no pre-configuration
  • Your token doesn't have special behaviors (rebasing, fee-on-transfer, and similar)

For custom token behavior, see:

Prerequisites​

  • A standard ERC-20 token deployed on the parent chain (or deploy one following this guide)
  • Familiarity with Arbitrum's token bridge system
  • Basic understanding of smart contracts and blockchain development

How the standard gateway works​

When using the standard gateway:

  1. No pre-configuration needed: Your token is automatically bridgeable
  2. Automatic child chain deployment: On the first deposit, a StandardArbERC20 contract is deployed on the child chain
  3. Escrow model: Parent chain tokens are escrowed in the gateway; child chain tokens are minted and burned
  4. Router handles routing: The router automatically directs your token to the standard gateway

For architectural details, see Standard ERC-20 bridging.

Step 1: Deploy your token (or use an existing one)​

If you already have a token on the parent chain, skip to Step 2. Otherwise, create a standard ERC-20 token:

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC20/ERC20.sol";

contract DappToken is ERC20 {
    constructor(uint256 _initialSupply) ERC20("Dapp Token", "DAPP") {
        _mint(msg.sender, _initialSupply * 10 ** decimals());
    }
}

Deploy it to the parent chain:

const { ethers } = require('hardhat');
const { providers, Wallet } = require('ethers');

const parentProvider = new providers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.PARENT_RPC);
const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, parentProvider);

async function deployToken() {
  const TokenFactory = await ethers.getContractFactory('DappToken');
  const token = await TokenFactory.connect(wallet).deploy(1000000);
  await token.deployed();

  console.log(`Token deployed at: ${token.address}`);
  return token.address;
}

Step 2: Understand the bridge contracts​

Two contracts handle token bridging:

Router contracts​

  • L1GatewayRouter: Entry point on parent chain
  • L2GatewayRouter: Entry point on child chain

The router maintains a mapping of which gateway handles which token, falling back to the standard gateway for unmapped tokens.

Gateway contracts​

  • L1ERC20Gateway: Escrows parent chain tokens
  • L2ERC20Gateway: Mints/burns child chain tokens

You can find contract addresses on the contract addresses page.

Step 3: Trigger child chain token deployment​

The child chain token is created automatically on the first deposit. You can trigger deployment by making a small deposit or by waiting until users make their first deposits.

Using the Arbitrum SDK​

import { getArbitrumNetwork, Erc20Bridger } from '@arbitrum/sdk';
import { providers, Wallet } from 'ethers';

const parentProvider = new providers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.PARENT_RPC);
const childProvider = new providers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.CHILD_RPC);
const wallet = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY, parentProvider);

const childNetwork = await getArbitrumNetwork(childProvider);
const erc20Bridge = new Erc20Bridger(childNetwork);

// Approve the gateway
await erc20Bridge.approveToken({
  parentSigner: wallet,
  erc20ParentAddress: tokenAddress,
});

// Make initial deposit to trigger L2 token creation
const depositTx = await erc20Bridge.deposit({
  amount: ethers.utils.parseUnits('1', 18),
  erc20ParentAddress: tokenAddress,
  parentSigner: wallet,
  childProvider: childProvider,
});

const receipt = await depositTx.wait();
console.log(`Deposit complete: ${receipt.transactionHash}`);

For complete deposit instructions, see Deposit tokens.

Step 4: Find your child chain token address​

After the first deposit, find your token's child chain address:

Using the SDK​

const childTokenAddress = await erc20Bridge.getChildErc20Address(parentTokenAddress, parentProvider);

console.log(`L2 token address: ${childTokenAddress}`);

Manually​

Call calculateL2TokenAddress on the L1GatewayRouter contract:

address l2TokenAddress = l1GatewayRouter.calculateL2TokenAddress(l1TokenAddress);

Or look up the token on Arbiscan by searching for the deployment transaction.

Step 5: Verify the child chain token​

The automatically deployed token is an instance of StandardArbERC20 with:

  • Same name and symbol as parent chain token
  • Same decimals as parent chain token
  • l1Address() function returns the parent chain token address
  • Minting/burning controlled by the L2ERC20Gateway

You can verify this on Arbiscan by viewing the token contract.

Configuration complete​

Your token is now bridgeable! Users can:

Important considerations​

Token compatibility​

The standard gateway works for most ERC-20 tokens, but not for:

  • Rebasing tokens (supply changes)
  • Fee-on-transfer tokens
  • Tokens with transfer hooks
  • Tokens with unique minting and burning logic

For these cases, use a generic-custom gateway or a custom gateway.

Gateway assignment​

Once the first deposit occurs, the token is permanently assigned to the standard gateway. You can't change gateway types after this point.

Child chain token ownership​

The gateway controls the automatically deployed child chain token—you can't modify or upgrade it. For control over the child chain token, use the generic-custom gateway.

Next steps​

Resources​