A Polygon Bridge withdrawal moves a supported token from Polygon back to Ethereum. It usually takes two transactions on different networks, with a wait between them while Polygon validators attest to the withdrawal.
The withdrawal burns the Polygon-side token first.
When you begin a withdrawal, the bridge burns the token representation held on Polygon. For example, withdrawing 25 units of a mapped token burns those 25 units on Polygon so the corresponding tokens locked on Ethereum can later be released.
This first transaction needs to be signed by your wallet and uses POL for Polygon network gas. Keep its transaction record: the burn is the evidence the bridge needs to verify the withdrawal. Polygon Bridge is one way to start this standard Ethereum-to-Polygon return process.
A checkpoint proves the burn before Ethereum can release tokens.
A checkpoint is a validator-attested record of Polygon blocks submitted to Ethereum. It matters because Ethereum must be able to verify that the burn really happened on Polygon before releasing the matching tokens.
The bridge uses a cryptographic inclusion proof, often called a Merkle proof, to show that your burn transaction is included in a checkpointed block. Until that checkpoint is submitted, the withdrawal cannot be claimed on Ethereum. Checkpoint timing can vary with the network’s operations, so a pending withdrawal during this stage does not by itself mean the tokens are lost.
The Ethereum claim is a separate transaction.
Once the burn is checkpointed, you still need to submit an exit or claim transaction on Ethereum. That transaction supplies the proof and asks the bridge contract to release the locked tokens to your Ethereum address; it uses ETH for Ethereum gas.
In practice, check that the Polygon burn is confirmed, wait until its block is checkpointed, then complete the claim and verify the resulting Ethereum transaction. If the claim is ready but you lack ETH for gas, the tokens remain unclaimed until you can submit it. You pay gas for the Polygon burn and Ethereum claim, and each amount depends on demand on that network when the transaction is sent.
The key distinction is that “burned” and “claimed” are separate stages: the checkpoint connects them, and the Ethereum claim completes the return. For a fuller explanation of Polygon Bridge withdrawal time and cost, read the companion article before deciding when to make the transfer.
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