To bridge to Base, choose your token on the source network (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana and others) as “from” and the token on Base as “to” in a bridge or aggregator, check the route and confirm. Deposits usually arrive in minutes. Base is an Ethereum layer 2 built on the OP Stack and incubated by Coinbase; it uses ETH for gas, so bring a little ETH along with any stablecoins.
Key Takeaways
- Gas on Base: ETH.
- In: minutes via aggregator or official bridge.
- Out to Ethereum: about 7 days via the official bridge; minutes via third-party routes.
- From anywhere: aggregators connect Base with Solana, Arbitrum, Polygon and more.
Routes to Base
| From | Typical route | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | Official bridge or aggregator | Minutes; mainnet gas applies |
| Arbitrum / Optimism | Aggregator | Fast, low gas |
| Solana | Cross-chain aggregator | Send from a Solana wallet |
| Exchange | Withdraw on Base network | Check the exchange supports Base |
Step by Step
- Open the swap widget and connect your wallet.
- From: your token and network. To: ETH or USDC on Base.
- Review the time, fees and amount received.
- Confirm; add Base to your wallet if it is not listed.
Bridging Back
Third-party routes return funds to Ethereum in minutes for a fee. The official bridge costs only gas but involves a waiting period of about a week, as with other optimistic rollups; the same logic is explained in how to bridge ETH to Arbitrum. Base’s docs are at docs.base.org.
Why Use Base
Low fees and a large app ecosystem, including Coinbase-linked products. Gas savings versus mainnet are covered in ETH gas fees explained.
