To swap USDC to BTC, choose USDC on Ethereum, Base or Solana as “from” and BTC on Bitcoin as “to”, paste your Bitcoin address and sign. On October 23, 2026, $1,000 of USDC became about $994.6 of native BTC in about 23 minutes from any of the three networks.
Key Takeaways
- Route: USDC to native BTC in one flow.
- Time: about 23 minutes.
- Cost: about $3.7 route fees; gas from under $0.01 to $0.10.
- Address: a Bitcoin address, checked twice.
Live Quotes: $1,000 of USDC to BTC
| Route | Value in | You receive (value) | Route fees | Source gas | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USDC on Ethereum → BTC | $999.50 | $994.58 | $3.69 | $0.10 | about 23 min |
| USDC on Base → BTC | $995.16 | $994.56 | $3.68 | $0.00 | about 23 min |
| USDC on Solana → BTC | $1,000.04 | $994.56 | $3.70 | $0.01 | about 23 min |
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.
Does the USDC Network Matter?
Not much right now: the three routes returned the same amount within a few cents. Swap from the network where your USDC already is instead of bridging it first. The table shows gas on the source network: $0.10 on Ethereum, under $0.01 on Base and Solana.
Buying BTC in Parts (DCA)
The route fee is roughly 0.37% of $1,000 in our quotes. If you buy BTC every week or month, larger, less frequent swaps keep fees lower than many tiny ones, and every swap gives a dated record for taxes.
Step by Step
- Connect your wallet with USDC on Ethereum, Base or Solana.
- From: USDC. To: BTC on Bitcoin.
- Paste your Bitcoin address and compare it after pasting.
- Confirm and track until BTC arrives.
Gem Wallet holds USDC on several networks and native BTC in one self-custodial app.
Mistakes to Avoid
- 0x or Solana address in the Bitcoin field.
- Approving unlimited USDC for an unknown contract; see token approvals.
- Expecting seconds: native BTC waits for confirmations.
Related: swap BTC to USDC, swap USDT to BTC, swap ETH to BTC. More pairs on the swap hub.
