Cross-chain · Ethereum → Base

Swap ETH from Ethereum to USDC on Base

Swap ETH from Ethereum to USDC on Base. You spend native ETH on Ethereum and a Base wallet receives Circle's native USDC.

Native ETH is marked 0xEeeeeEeeeEeEeeEeEeEeeEEEeeeeEeeeeeeeEEeE, the gas coin Etherscan shows on chain id 1. You do not approve it. The dollar that arrives is 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on Basescan, 6 decimals. Bridged USDbC at 0xd9aAEc86B65D86f6A7B5B1b0c42FFA531710b6CA is not the receipt. Leave ETH behind for the mainnet fee, because the coin you sell and the fee are the same balance. Blocks on Ethereum are about 12 seconds. Base, chain id 8453, still charges ETH, a separate balance, and the USDC cannot pay it. Import the native contract from Basescan after you switch networks. Import the native USDC from Basescan after the wallet is on chain id 8453. USDbC will stay flat.

Diagram for Swap ETH from Ethereum to USDC on Base
ETH leaves Ethereum. USDC is what can arrive on Base.

Leave ETH for the chain id 1 fee

A max send can fail because nothing remains for gas. Lower the amount until the wallet still shows ETH on Ethereum. The USDC lands on Base and cannot refund that mainnet cost. A canonical bridge of ETH to Base would have left you in ETH, not in this dollar.

Native USDC, not USDbC

Watch 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on Basescan. USDbC at 0xd9aAEc86B65D86f6A7B5B1b0c42FFA531710b6CA does not move. Circle USDC on Ethereum, 0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48, is also not the credit. Base is where the native dollar is spent.

A mainnet ETH sale stays home

This route is the wrong tool when you want Circle USDC on Ethereum. That pool already exists on chain id 1. Use the bridge when a Base app whitelisted the native contract. Selling ETH for dollars on mainnet never creates the Basescan balance.

ETH on Base after the dollars land

Native USDC does not pay gas on chain id 8453. If the destination wallet has never held ETH there, the new dollars can show on Basescan and still be unable to move.

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 ETH from Ethereum to USDC on Base?

Native ETH is marked 0xEeeeeEeeeEeEeeEeEeEeeEEEeeeeEeeeeeeeEEeE, the gas coin Etherscan shows on chain id 1. You do not approve it.

Do I approve a contract for the ETH?

No. Native ETH uses 0xEeeeeEeeeEeEeeEeEeEeeEEEeeeeEeeeeeeeEEeE as a placeholder, not a token you import. You sign a send on chain id 1. Keep enough ETH unspent to cover gas, because the amount and the fee come from the same balance. Etherscan shows that native balance falling.

Which USDC row should increase?

The native one, 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on Basescan, 6 decimals, on Base. USDbC at 0xd9aAEc86B65D86f6A7B5B1b0c42FFA531710b6CA stays put. If the app lists the bridged address, this route delivers the wrong contract. Chain id 8453 is the network to select. Confirm the full address on the explorer before you send it onward.

When is an Ethereum swap enough?

When the dollars should remain on chain id 1 as Circle USDC at 0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48. This bridge is the wrong tool for that balance. Open it only if the next use of the money is on Base and the accepted contract is the native USDC.

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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