Why Base
Base is an Optimism-stack L2 backed by Coinbase. It hosts Aerodrome, Aave, Uniswap, and many consumer crypto apps with sub-cent transaction fees.
Step-by-step: Official bridge
- 01
Open bridge.base.org
Connect the wallet holding ETH or USDC on Ethereum mainnet.
- 02
Select assets and amount
Choose Ethereum as source and Base as destination. Enter the amount to bridge.
- 03
Confirm and wait
Approve and confirm the deposit transaction. The L2 receives funds after the Optimism fault-proof window (typically minutes).
- 04
Verify on Base
Switch wallet network to Base (Chain ID 8453) and confirm balance at basescan.org.
Bridge a small test amount first if you are new to L2 bridging.
Frequently asked questions
How long does bridging to Base take?
Official bridge typically completes in 1–10 minutes; withdrawals from Base to Ethereum take up to 7 days via the standard bridge.
Base vs Arbitrum?
Both are Ethereum L2s. Base has Coinbase distribution; Arbitrum has higher DeFi TVL. See our Arbitrum vs Base comparison.