When you deposit stablecoins into a platform after using a cross-chain bridge, the Travel Rule form asks for a "source platform" and an "original address." You should fill in the platform and address that existed before you used the bridge—not the bridge's contract address.
A cross-chain bridge only moves assets from one chain to another. It does not change who originally sent the funds. Compliance systems need to trace where the money first came from—the person or platform that started the cross-chain transfer—not the bridge contract in the middle.
Step 1: Identify the type of cross-chain bridge you used
Check whether you used a "lock-and-mint" bridge or a "liquidity pool" bridge. The tracking path is different for each. Look back at your transaction records: did you complete the transfer just by entering an amount on the bridge page, or did you swap tokens on a DEX on the destination chain? Knowing the bridge type helps you find the key point in the flow of funds.
Case A: DeFi bridges like Celer, Multichain, or Poly Network
These bridges match cross-chain transactions using deposit events on the source chain and withdrawal events on the destination chain. The money flows like this: Your address (source chain) → Bridge contract address (source chain) → Bridge contract address (destination chain) → Your address (destination chain).
When filling in the form, the sender is still you. The sender address is your address on the source chain, not the bridge contract. The platform needs to verify who started the transaction, not who carried out the cross-chain step.
Case B: Cross-chain through a centralized exchange
If you used a centralized exchange to move assets between chains and then withdrew to the deposit platform, it works differently. Your money went into your exchange account first. The exchange took control of the funds, completed the chain swap internally, and sent the assets from its own wallet. In this case, the source platform is the centralized exchange, and the sender address is the exchange's hot or cold wallet address—or you can simply put "N/A".
Risk note: If the on-chain transaction shows that your funds passed through a bridge contract, and you enter the bridge contract address as the "sender address" on the Travel Rule form, the compliance system may flag this as an unusual source. A bridge is not a compliant "sending platform"—it is infrastructure, not a regulated VASP.
Step 2: Prepare proof of the funds' source before the cross-chain move
Besides filling in the form, gather documents that show where the money came from before the cross-chain transfer. Find the transaction ID (TxID) on the source chain from before you initiated the bridge, along with the source chain address you used. If the assets came from a withdrawal on a centralized exchange before the bridge, attach a screenshot of the exchange's withdrawal record that shows the amount, time, withdrawal address, and TxID. Together, these create a clear chain of funds—from the original source to the address before the bridge, then to the deposit address.
Step 3: Make sure the receiving address on the destination chain matches the beneficiary address on the form
Check that the receiving address listed on the deposit form is the same as the address where the bridge finally delivered tokens on the destination chain. Find the destination chain transaction hash from the bridge on a block explorer, and confirm that the receiving address matches your deposit address on the platform. If they are different, the funds may have gone to another wallet, and the deposit platform will reject the transfer.
Common reasons for rejection
Many people submit the destination chain transaction hash from the bridge as "source proof." But Travel Rule checks need information about who owned the funds, not a record of the middle step. Another frequent mistake: the money was withdrawn from a centralized exchange and then bridged, but on the form the sender type is listed as "self-hosted wallet" instead of "exchange." This mismatch causes problems.
Next steps
Open a block explorer and find the transaction on the source chain where the bridge started. Identify the sender address. On the Travel Rule form, enter that address as the "sender address"—not the bridge contract address. If the funds came from a centralized exchange before the bridge, also attach a screenshot of the exchange withdrawal record. Once the deposit platform approves the information, the bridge's transaction-matching method can link cross-chain transactions accurately, letting the reviewer see the full flow of funds.
