Cross-chain · Base → Arbitrum One

Swap USDC from Base to WETH on Arbitrum One

Swap USDC from Base to WETH on Arbitrum One. Circle USDC leaves Base, and Arbitrum WETH arrives on chain 42161.

The USDC is 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on Base, chain 8453, an L2, checked on Basescan. It needs an allowance, and that allowance costs ETH. The WETH is 0x82aF49447D8a07e3bd95BD0d56f35241523fBab1 on Arbitrum One, checked on Arbiscan. It is an ERC-20. It is not native ETH, so it cannot pay gas. Native ETH is 0xEeeeeEeeeEeEeeEeEeEeeEEEeeeeEeeeeeeeEEeE. Base WETH at 0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000006 is a third contract and is not the arrival. This is not Nova.

Diagram for Swap USDC from Base to WETH on Arbitrum One — USDC leaves Base. WETH is what can arrive on Arbitrum One.

Why a pool asks for this contract

Many Arbitrum markets take WETH rather than native ETH because the token interface is uniform. Depositing ETH into 0x82aF49447D8a07e3bd95BD0d56f35241523fBab1 on One would wrap locally. This route buys that wrapped token from a USDC sale on Base. It does not wrap ETH you already hold on Arbitrum, and it does not leave a spendable gas balance by itself.

You still need ETH on One

Unwrapping or approving WETH costs ETH on chain 42161. If the account has none, the WETH can sit on Arbiscan and not move. Base ETH paid the USDC approval and does not migrate. Get a small ETH balance onto One before you depend on the unwrap. The placeholder for that gas coin is 0xEeee, not the WETH address.

Wrong contract, wrong chain

Wrong if you needed native ETH to pay fees immediately. Wrong if you needed Tether, native USDC, or USDC.e. Wrong if you needed ARB. Wrong if the wallet is on Nova. Wrong if you only wanted to wrap on Base, which stays at the 0x4200 predeploy. WBTC is not this asset and is not native bitcoin.

Read Arbiscan for the wrapper

The credit is a token balance at the WETH contract, not a rise in the account's ETH line. Trade on Arbitrum is the network context, and it means One. Basescan shows the USDC debit. No clock is promised for the bridge. Decline the quote if the minimum WETH is too small.

Legal

Risk disclosure

XAUConnect is a non-custodial swap aggregator. Digital assets are volatile and may lose value rapidly. Content on this page is educational and not investment advice. Verify every contract address on the official block explorer before approving a transaction.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to swap USDC from Base to WETH on Arbitrum One?

The USDC is 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on Base, chain 8453, an L2, checked on Basescan. It needs an allowance, and that allowance costs ETH.

Can this WETH pay Arbitrum gas?

Not directly. WETH at 0x82aF49447D8a07e3bd95BD0d56f35241523fBab1 is an ERC-20. Gas on Arbitrum One, chain 42161, is native ETH. You need some of that ETH already before you can unwrap. The 0xEeee placeholder is how quotes refer to the gas coin, and this route does not deliver it.

Is Base WETH the token I will receive?

No. Base WETH is 0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000006 on chain 8453. This route spends Circle USDC and delivers 0x82aF49447D8a07e3bd95BD0d56f35241523fBab1, which you check on Arbiscan. Holding the Base predeploy does not open an Arbitrum position. Basescan and Arbiscan are showing two different networks, and only chain 42161 receives this WETH.

What if the app only accepts native ETH?

Then stop. This route ends at the WETH contract. Unwrapping is a separate transaction on Arbitrum One and needs ETH for gas. If native ETH was the order, choose the route that delivers the gas coin. Nova is the wrong network either way. Chain 42161 is Arbitrum One, and that is the only destination this quote credits.

Live execution

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Open the swap page with this cross-chain route pre-selected, then connect your wallet on the source chain to quote and execute. You keep the keys.

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