Your ETH is on Ethereum mainnet. The app you want to use is on Base. You need to move funds across -- and there are half a dozen ways to do it, ranging from free to expensive, instant to 7-day delays.
The good news: if you're on Coinbase or Base App, you might skip bridging entirely.
Option 0: skip the bridge -- use Coinbase or Base App
From Coinbase (the exchange)
If your crypto is on Coinbase, this is the easiest path:
- Open Coinbase app or website
- Go to your ETH or USDC balance
- Tap Send
- Choose Base as the network
- Paste your Base wallet address (from MetaMask, Base App, or any EVM wallet)
- Confirm the send
Cost: free or near-free. Time: 1-5 minutes. Best for anyone who already has crypto on Coinbase.
This isn't technically "bridging" -- Coinbase handles the network routing for you.
Using Base App
Base App replaced Coinbase Wallet as the consumer entry point to Base. It's a mobile app mixing social features, mini apps, and trading. If you install Base App and connect your Coinbase account, moving funds to Base is built into the experience -- no bridge interface needed.
Base App handles the complexity behind a simple "add funds" flow. For non-crypto-native users, this is the recommended path.
Option 1: the official Base bridge
The Base Bridge is the canonical bridge operated by the Base team. It's the safest option for moving ETH from Ethereum mainnet to Base.
How to use it
- Go to bridge.base.org
- Connect your wallet (MetaMask, Base App, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet)
- Make sure the "From" network is Ethereum and "To" is Base
- Enter the amount of ETH you want to bridge
- Click Bridge and confirm the transaction in your wallet
- Wait for confirmation -- your ETH will appear on Base
Supported tokens: ETH (primary), some ERC-20s. Cost: Ethereum gas fee (roughly $1-5 depending on congestion). Time to Base: roughly 1-5 minutes. Time back to Ethereum: roughly 7 days (this is an L2 security feature, not a bug). Trust level: highest -- operated by Base/Coinbase.
The 7-day withdrawal catch
Bridging to Base is fast. Bridging back to Ethereum takes about 7 days. This is a security feature of optimistic rollups (the technology Base uses, now at Stage 1 since April 2025). Your funds are safe during this period -- they're in a challenge window where anyone can flag a fraudulent transaction.
If you need to move funds back to Ethereum quickly, use a third-party bridge instead.
Option 2: third-party bridges (faster, more flexible)
Third-party bridges move your tokens between chains quickly -- often in under a minute. They're faster than the official bridge and support more tokens and chains.
Relay
Fast and popular. Relay has become one of the go-to bridges for getting onto Base quickly. Simple interface, competitive fees, and reliable execution.
Across Protocol
Best for fast ETH and USDC bridges with low fees. Across uses a network of relayers who front your funds on the destination chain, then settle later. You get your tokens in roughly 1-2 minutes. Fees: roughly $0.50-2 depending on route and congestion.
ChangeNow
No-account swap service that supports bridging to Base. Useful if you want to bridge from non-EVM chains or prefer not to connect a wallet to a bridge interface. Works for both crypto-to-crypto swaps and cross-chain transfers.
Stargate (LayerZero)
Best for bridging USDC and stablecoins between many chains. Uses LayerZero's cross-chain messaging. Supports native USDC transfers with deep stablecoin liquidity. Fees: variable, typically $0.50-3. Time: 1-5 minutes.
Jumper Exchange (LI.FI)
Best for finding the cheapest bridge route automatically. Jumper is a bridge aggregator -- it compares routes across multiple bridges (Relay, Across, Stargate, Hop, and more) and picks the cheapest and fastest option. Also supports cross-chain swaps -- bridge ETH from Arbitrum and receive USDC on Base in one transaction.
Bridging different tokens
ETH
The simplest bridge. Every bridge supports ETH, and you'll need a small amount on Base for gas fees (even though fees are fractions of a penny, you need something).
Tip: bridge at least $5-10 of ETH even if you plan to mostly use USDC.
USDC
Important distinction: USDC on Base is natively issued by Circle -- it's real USDC, not a bridged/wrapped version. When you bridge USDC to Base through supported bridges (Across, Stargate), you receive native USDC.
Some older bridges might give you "USDC.e" (bridged USDC) -- this is less ideal. Stick to bridges that route to native USDC at 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913.
Other ERC-20 tokens
Not all tokens exist on Base. Before bridging a random ERC-20: check if the token has an official Base deployment (check the project's docs). If it doesn't exist on Base, bridge ETH or USDC and then swap on a Base DEX (Aerodrome or Uniswap). Never bridge tokens to a chain where they don't have liquidity -- you'll have tokens you can't trade.
Cost comparison
Coinbase Send is free and takes 1-5 minutes -- best for Coinbase users. Base App is free and takes 1-5 minutes -- best for mobile users. The official Base Bridge costs $1-5 in ETH gas and takes 1-5 minutes -- best for maximum security. Relay is fast with competitive fees and takes 1-2 minutes. Across costs $0.50-2 and takes 1-2 minutes -- best for fast ETH/USDC bridges. ChangeNow requires no account and supports non-EVM chains. Stargate costs $0.50-3 and takes 1-5 minutes -- best for stablecoin bridges. Jumper varies and takes 1-5 minutes -- best for finding the cheapest rate automatically.
For amounts under $500, third-party bridges are usually cheaper because the flat fee matters less. For amounts over $10,000, consider the official bridge for maximum security, or split across multiple bridges to reduce single-point risk.
Safety tips: don't lose your funds
1. Always use official links
Bookmark these: bridge.base.org, relay.link, across.to, changenow.io, stargate.finance, jumper.exchange. Never click bridge links from DMs, Discord messages, or random tweets. Scammers create identical-looking fake bridge sites that steal your funds.
2. Start with a small test transaction
Bridging $10,000? Send $10 first. Wait for it to arrive. Confirm the right token landed in the right wallet on the right chain. Then send the rest.
3. Double-check the destination chain
Before confirming, verify the source chain is correct, the destination chain says Base (Chain ID 8453), and your wallet address is correct.
4. Have gas on both sides
You need ETH on Ethereum to pay for the bridge transaction, and you'll need a tiny amount of ETH on Base for future transactions. If you bridge your entire ETH balance, you might not be able to do anything once it arrives.
5. Verify token addresses
When bridging to Base for the first time, the token might not show in your wallet automatically. Add it manually using the contract address from Basescan.
Common Base token addresses: ETH is native (no address needed). USDC is at 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
"My tokens aren't showing up": your wallet probably isn't connected to Base network. Switch to Base (Chain ID 8453, RPC: https://mainnet.base.org). Most wallets auto-add Base when you use a Base dApp, or add it via chainlist.org.
"The bridge transaction is stuck": check the bridge's transaction tracker. Most "stuck" transactions are just waiting for confirmations. If it's been over 30 minutes, check the bridge's Discord or support.
"I bridged to the wrong address": if you sent to a wallet you control on a different chain, your funds are likely recoverable -- the same private key works on all EVM chains. If you sent to someone else's address, those funds are gone.
"Gas fees are higher than expected": you're paying Ethereum mainnet gas for the bridge transaction. If gas is high, wait for a low-gas period (typically weekends or early morning US time). Or bridge from a cheaper L2 like Arbitrum instead of mainnet.
"I bridged all my ETH and can't do anything": use Coinbase or Base App to send $5 of ETH directly to your Base wallet. Some dApps support gasless transactions via paymasters, but don't count on it.
Setting up your wallet for Base
MetaMask
Go to any Base dApp (like Aerodrome) and it'll prompt you to add the network. Or add manually: Network Name "Base", RPC URL https://mainnet.base.org, Chain ID 8453, Currency Symbol ETH, Block Explorer https://basescan.org.
Base App
Base is supported natively. Just install and go.
Other wallets
Most EVM wallets (Rainbow, Trust Wallet, Rabby) support Base natively or can add it via chainlist.org.
What to do after bridging
You've got ETH or USDC on Base. Now what?
Explore DeFi: swap tokens on Aerodrome or Uniswap, provide liquidity, or lend on Morpho or Aave. The building DeFi on Base guide covers the developer side.
Trade tokens: use Bankr to trade directly from X, or check Checkr for real-time token insights before you buy.
Build something: if you're a developer, the dev environment setup gets you ready to deploy in 30 minutes. The smart contract deployment guide walks you through your first contract.
Monitor the ecosystem: Sonarbot lets you track wallet activity, token movements, and contract events across Base.
Browse apps: check base.org/ecosystem for live applications. With 26M+ monthly active users and $10B in TVL, the ecosystem has depth.
Welcome to Base. Transactions cost fractions of a penny, and you're building on a chain backed by Coinbase's 110M+ verified users.