From my perspective, one of the coolest things about Dusk Coin is how it lets you combine privacy and versatility in one ecosystem. On DuskDS, your tokens stay private, shielded from prying eyes but sometimes you want to use them like a regular Ethereum token, interact with smart contracts, test dApps or experiment on an EVM-compatible network. That’s where bridging to DuskEVM comes in. It’s like opening a door between two worlds: one focused on privacy, the other on smart contract flexibility.
I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with both layers and I can tell you, once you understand the process, bridging is surprisingly smooth. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide from my experience.
Step 1: Prepare Everything You Need
Before starting, make sure you’re ready:
You need a Dusk Web Wallet with some testnet DUSK available as unshielded funds. Only unshielded tokens can be bridged.
A Web3 wallet installed in your browser (MetaMask or WalletConnect works).
Optional for developers: familiarity with deploying contracts on DuskEVM.
If your DUSK is shielded, you’ll first need to unshield it. From my perspective, this step is worth doing carefully, you don’t want your bridge transaction to fail because you overlooked a small fee or had insufficient unshielded balance.
Step 2: Access Your DuskDS Wallet
Open your Web Wallet on the DuskDS testnet and unlock it or restore it with your 12-word recovery phrase if needed. Confirm that you have enough unshielded DUSK to cover both the amount you want to bridge and the small bridge fee.
From my experience, always double-check your balance before initiating the bridge. It’s a small step but it prevents unnecessary stress if a transaction gets stuck.
Step 3: Connect Your Web3 Wallet to DuskEVM
Now it’s time to link your Web3 wallet to the DuskEVM testnet:
1. Go to Dashboard → Bridge in your Web Wallet.
2. Click CONNECT WEB3 WALLET.
3. Choose your wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.) and approve the connection.
4. If prompted, add DuskEVM as a network and switch to it. Approve both steps.
Once connected, the bridge UI will know your DuskDS unshielded address and your DuskEVM address. From my point of view, this is where the magic begins, you’re essentially creating a bridge between two worlds.
Step 4: Set Up the Bridge Transaction
The bridge wizard walks you through three simple steps:
4.1 Choose Networks:
From: DuskDS
To: DuskEVM
4.2 Enter the Amount:
Specify how much DUSK you want to bridge. The wallet ensures you don’t spend more than your unshielded balance minus fees.
4.3 Adjust Gas Settings (Optional):
Gas limits and prices are pre-filled with sensible defaults.
Advanced users can tweak them, but for most testnet uses, the defaults are perfect.
From my perspective, I appreciate this balance, it’s beginner-friendly but still flexible enough for developers who want more control.
Step 5: Review and Send
Before sending:
Check the amount, the origin (DuskDS) and destination (DuskEVM) addresses and the gas fees.
Confirm that the transaction direction is correct.
Click SEND when everything looks right. The bridge locks your DUSK on DuskDS and schedules minting on DuskEVM for your connected EVM address. You’ll see the transaction status in the wizard with messages like “Processing transaction” or “Transaction pending.” You can also view it on the Dusk block explorer.
Step 6: Track Your Transaction
On DuskDS:
The status screen shows your transaction as pending.
You can inspect it on the DuskDS testnet explorer using your address or the transaction hash.
On DuskEVM:
After a few minutes, your DUSK will appear in your Web3 wallet.
You can view it on the DuskEVM explorer, just like any Ethereum-style transaction: block number, gas used, logs and more.
From my point of view, this transparency is reassuring. You can see exactly where your funds are and track every step.
Step 7: Using DUSK on DuskEVM
Once your DUSK arrives on DuskEVM:
1. Send and Receive Tokens: Your bridged DUSK acts as the native gas token. Send it, approve transactions or interact with supported dApps.
2. Deploy Smart Contracts: Use Hardhat, Foundry, or other EVM-compatible tools. Set the private key of your bridged account as the deployer. Gas costs and transaction rules follow standard EVM logic.
3. Test dApps: If a dApp supports DuskEVM, connect your wallet and interact as usual, provide liquidity, trade, or run DeFi operations.
From my perspective, bridging gives you the best of both worlds: privacy on DuskDS and full EVM capabilities on DuskEVM.
Step 8: Withdrawing Back to DuskDS
You can also move DUSK back to DuskDS:
In the Web Wallet, go to Dashboard → Bridge, select From: DuskEVM → To: DuskDS.
Enter the amount and review the transaction.
Once submitted, the withdrawal will finalize after a set number of blocks. Click Finalize now to release your DUSK back to your DuskDS account, usually within 15 minutes.
This two-way bridge is essential, it lets you experiment freely on DuskEVM without losing access to the privacy layer.
Bridging DUSK between DuskDS and DuskEVM isn’t just a technical operation, it’s a gateway to innovation. From my point of view, it’s one of the things that makes Dusk Coin unique. You can keep your tokens private while still interacting with EVM-style contracts, testing dApps and exploring DeFi.
Once you’ve tried it, the bridge feels intuitive, reliable and empowering. It’s proof that privacy and interoperability don’t have to be mutually exclusive, they can coexist beautifully in a single blockchain ecosystem.
