The Problem

Interacting with applications on different blockchains (Ethereum L1, L2s - like Base, Arbitrum, Optimism etc.) is terrible UX:

1. Find the Dapp: Discover the application you want to use (e.g. deployed on Base).
2. Check Funds: Check your balance on this chain the app is deployed to.
3. Find a Bridge: Search for a reliable bridge to move funds. 4 Go to Bridge: Navigate away from the app you want to use, to said bridge.
4. Approve ERC20 Approve bridge to spend ERC20.
5. Approve Transaction Approve the transaction to send funds, paying fees.
6. Wait for finality: Wait for your funds to be bridged.
7. Return to Dapp: Return to the application you wanted to use on Base.
8. Interact: Finally, finally, use the application.

This multi-step process is not good UX, it creates friction, time delays, and causes us to lose users - we need to do better!

While widgets can embed bridging within a dapp's UI, they don't eliminate the underlying issues - the user still experiences multiple transaction steps (approvals, bridge), delays waiting for cross-chain settlement (often bottlenecked by source chain finality or message passing), and potential bridge-specific risks.

For application developers - choice becomes:

• Single-chain deployment: Sacrificing user reach and forcing the pain point onto users.
• Multi-chain deployment: Fragmenting liquidity, increasing maintenance and costs, and diluting network effects.
• Complex cross-chain architecture: Requiring months of development, significant audit costs, and slower product iterations.
• Bridge Widget: As discussed, this doesn't resolve the underlying issue.