To swap ETH to BTC, choose ETH on Ethereum, Arbitrum or Base as “from” and BTC on the Bitcoin network as “to”, paste your Bitcoin address and sign. On October 23, 2026, about $958 of ETH became about $953 of native BTC in about 23 minutes, from any of the three networks; WBTC on Ethereum arrived in one transaction.
Key Takeaways
- Native BTC: real bitcoin at a Bitcoin address; about 23 minutes in our test.
- WBTC: bitcoin-backed token on Ethereum; seconds.
- Source network: Ethereum, Arbitrum and Base cost almost the same right now.
- Address: a Bitcoin address (bc1…, 3…, or 1…), not your 0x address.
Live Quotes: 0.4 ETH to BTC
| Route | Value in | You receive (value) | Route fees | Source gas | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETH on Ethereum → BTC | $959.27 | $953.48 | $3.55 | $0.04 | about 23 min |
| ETH on Arbitrum → BTC | $958.26 | $953.46 | $3.54 | $0.01 | about 23 min |
| ETH on Base → BTC | $958.52 | $953.65 | $3.54 | $0.00 | about 23 min |
| ETH → WBTC on Ethereum | $959.27 | $955.77 | $2.40 | $0.12 | seconds |
Quotes are live LI.FI routes requested on October 23, 2026, before the 0.7% Step Exchange service fee; they change every minute, and the widget shows the current one before you sign.
Native BTC or WBTC?
| Native BTC | WBTC on Ethereum | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Bitcoin network | Ethereum (ERC-20) |
| Wallet | Bitcoin wallet | your EVM wallet |
| Time from ETH | about 23 min in our test | seconds |
| Extra trust | none beyond Bitcoin | WBTC custodian |
| Best for | holding, payments, cold storage | DeFi, quick trades |
More on wrapped bitcoin: what is wrapped bitcoin.
Why the Source Network Barely Matters Now
With Ethereum gas near 0.1 gwei on October 23, 2026, the gas for the swap was $0.04 on Ethereum and about $0.01 or less on Arbitrum and Base. The route fee (about $3.5) and the Bitcoin confirmation time decide the result, so swap from wherever your ETH already is instead of bridging it first.
Step by Step
- Connect your EVM wallet with ETH on Ethereum, Arbitrum or Base.
- From: ETH. To: BTC on Bitcoin (or WBTC on Ethereum).
- Paste your Bitcoin address and double-check the first and last characters.
- Confirm, then track the status until BTC arrives.
Gem Wallet holds ETH on Ethereum and L2s next to native BTC in one self-custodial app, so the Bitcoin address is one tap away.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Pasting an 0x address as the Bitcoin destination.
- Clipboard malware: compare the address after pasting.
- Expecting instant BTC: native routes wait for Bitcoin confirmations.
Related: swap BTC to ETH, swap USDT to BTC, ETH gas fees. More pairs on the swap hub.
