Across Protocol vs Circle CCTP
A detailed head-to-head comparison of Across Protocol and Circle CCTP — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
Across Protocol
Intent-based cross-chain bridge with the fastest settlement and lowest fees on EVM routes
Across Protocol is an intent-based bridge that has become the fastest and most capital-efficient way to move assets between Ethereum mainnet and its major Layer 2 networks — Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, …
Full review →Circle CCTP
Native USDC cross-chain transfer via burn-and-mint, no wrapped tokens
Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) is the official, native way to move USDC between blockchains, using a burn-and-mint mechanism issued and guaranteed by Circle itself rather than lock-and-…
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | Across Protocol | Circle CCTP |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement Time | ~2 minutes | ~1-15 min (V2 faster) |
| Bridge Model | Intent-based (relayer network) | Native burn-and-mint |
| Fee Model | Dynamic LP fee only | Minimal / gas |
| Canonical Security | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross Chain Messages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Governance Token | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Chain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self Custody | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arbitrary Messaging | ✗ | ✗ |
| Non Evm Support | ✗ | ✓ |
Across Protocol Pricing
Across Protocol
Free (LP fee only)
Free
- ✓12+ EVM chains
- ✓~2 minute settlement
- ✓0.05–0.15% LP fee
- ✓USDC, ETH, WBTC, DAI, USDT
- ✓No protocol fee
Circle CCTP Pricing
Circle CCTP
Free (bridge fee only)
Free
- ✓Native USDC burn-and-mint
- ✓No wrapped-token risk
- ✓Circle-issued canonical USDC
- ✓Integrated by all major bridges
- ✓V2 faster transfers
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Across Protocol is the better pick if you need fastest evm bridge — ~2 minutes vs hours for canonical bridges. Circle CCTP wins when native usdc — never a wrapped iou. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.