What Is Base? How to Get, Use and Send USDC on Base

Last updated: 6 November 2026

Base is an Ethereum layer 2 network built by Coinbase. It runs the same kind of apps and tokens as Ethereum, including USDC, usually for lower fees, and you pay those fees in ETH.

If someone has asked you to "send it on Base", or you've seen Base offered as a network at checkout, this guide covers what the Base network is, what it costs to use, how to add it to a wallet and how to get USDC onto it. It also covers the mistake that costs people money most often: sending USDC on the wrong network.

What is the Base network?

Base is a blockchain that sits on top of Ethereum. A layer 2 (L2) processes transactions on its own network and then settles them on Ethereum, the layer 1. Circle, which issues USDC, describes Base as an "Ethereum L2" that is "Built on the OP Stack", the open-source software behind Optimism.

Base's own homepage calls it "Built by Coinbase, trusted by leading institutions, and open to all." Its developer docs describe it as a standard EVM chain, meaning it runs the same smart contracts and uses the same 0x addresses as Ethereum. Base opened its mainnet to everyone on 9 August 2023, according to the Base blog.

In practice, that makes Base feel like Ethereum with a different network selected. Your wallet address looks the same, tokens use the same standards, and many apps that run on Ethereum also run on Base. What changes is where the transaction is processed, what it costs and how long it takes to move funds back to Ethereum.

Ramp Network announced support for Base in 2023, starting with ETH and USDC.

Is Base the same as Coinbase?

No. Base is a network and Coinbase is the company that built it. You don't need a Coinbase account to use Base: any wallet that supports EVM networks can connect to it.

Does Base have its own token?

No official one. In 2023, Coinbase said: "We currently do not plan to issue a new network token. ETH will be our native gas token." That Coinbase help article dates from Base's testnet period, and Base's homepage, checked on 6 November 2026, doesn't announce a token either.

Tokens called "BASE" on price sites have nothing to do with the network. The same Coinbase article warns that "scammers may be offering or sending fake Base tokens." If a token you didn't buy shows up in your wallet, leave it alone.

How Base works and what it costs

Base collects transactions, processes them, and posts the data to Ethereum in batches. That's where the savings come from: many transactions share the cost of one Ethereum posting.

You pay for both halves. According to Base's fee documentation, "Every Base transaction consists of two costs: an L2 (execution) fee and an L1 (security) fee." The first pays for running your transaction on Base. The second pays for publishing it to Ethereum, and the docs say the L1 security fee is typically the bigger of the two. Both are charged in ETH.

Because the L1 part is the cost of publishing to Ethereum, a Base fee tends to rise when Ethereum itself is busy, even if nothing has changed on Base. That's why the same transfer can cost a different amount on different days.

The sequencer is the system that puts Base transactions in order before they're posted to Ethereum. Base's docs list a single transaction-submission endpoint, https://mainnet-sequencer.base.org, and say to use it only for sending transactions.

We haven't put a fee figure here because it changes by the minute. Your wallet shows the estimated fee before you confirm.

How to add Base to your wallet

Many wallets already list Base as a network you can switch to. If yours doesn't, add it by hand with the values from Base's own Connect to Base page:

Source: Base docs, checked 6 November 2026.

In most wallets, the option sits in the network settings, under a name like Add network or Custom network. Paste each value exactly, then switch to Base and check that your balance and the explorer link work.

Only ever copy these from Base's documentation. A network added from a link someone sent you can point your wallet at an RPC server they control.

How to get USDC on Base

USDC on Base is the same Circle-issued dollar stablecoin you'd find on Ethereum, issued natively on a different network. Our guide to what USDC is and how stablecoins work covers the coin itself. Getting it onto Base takes one of three routes.

Buy directly. An on-ramp (a service that turns your local currency into crypto) can send USDC straight to your wallet. You can buy USDC with Ramp Network. Check that the network shown at checkout is the one your wallet uses.

Withdraw from an exchange. On the withdrawal screen, choose USDC and then pick Base as the network. If Base isn't in the list, that exchange can't send USDC on Base.

Bridge from Ethereum. Base's bridges page lists Superbridge and Brid.gg for moving assets from Ethereum to Base, and says "The bridge previously at bridge.base.org has been deprecated." It also warns that Superbridge can route through third-party bridges, and that "Fast bridges do not inherit Base's security", so check which route you've selected before you confirm. Older guides still point to the retired bridge.

Whichever route you take, think about gas before the USDC arrives. If you plan to send it on, you'll also need a small amount of ETH on Base. Getting a little ETH onto Base at the same time saves a second trip later.

Native USDC vs USDbC

There are two USDC-like tokens on Base, and only one is issued by Circle. Native USDC is Circle's own, and Circle lists its Base contract as 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 on its USDC on Base page. USDbC is older. Coinbase describes it as "a bridged version of USDC" and says that "as of September 5, 2023, native USDC is available on Base."

To check which one you hold, open the token in your wallet, copy its contract address and search for it on BaseScan. Native USDC shows Circle's contract above. Anything else is a different token, however it's named. If you're weighing USDC against the other big dollar coin, see how USDC compares with USDT.

How to send USDC on Base without losing it

Most lost USDC on Base wasn't stolen. It was sent on the wrong network. Run through this before every transfer to a new address:

1. Confirm the receiver accepts USDC on Base, not just USDC. An exchange can support USDC on Ethereum and not on Base.
2. Select Base in your wallet before you start the transfer.
3. Keep a little ETH on Base for gas, unless the app you're using says it pays the fee for you. USDC alone can't pay the network fee.
4. Paste the address from the receiver's Base deposit screen. Don't reuse an address from a different network's screen.
5. Send a small test amount first and wait for it to arrive.
6. Check the transaction on BaseScan using the transaction hash your wallet shows.

The confusing part is the address. The same 0x address exists on Ethereum, Base and other EVM networks, but they're separate networks with separate balances. USDC sent on Base arrives on Base only. Our guide explains why the same address works on several networks and how to check one before you send.

Sent USDC on the wrong network?

If you sent it to your own wallet, the funds are still under your key. Add Base to a wallet that supports it, switch to Base, and the USDC should be there.

If you sent it to an exchange that doesn't support USDC on Base, contact the exchange's support with the transaction hash. Some can credit it manually and some can't. A transfer to a stranger's address can't be reversed by anyone.

How to move funds from Base back to Ethereum

Leaving Base is slower than arriving. On Base's standard withdrawal route, the docs set a finalization window of 5 days, or 1 day "when both TEE and ZK proofs back the proposal" (checked 6 November 2026). Before that window starts, waiting for the state to be proposed on Ethereum "usually adds only about 20 to 60 minutes," according to Base's withdrawals documentation.

Fast bridges get you out in minutes because a third party pays you on Ethereum and takes your funds on Base. That speed comes with the bridge's own contracts and liquidity risk. Another option is an exchange that accepts USDC deposits on Base and lets you withdraw on Ethereum, if yours offers both.

Many guides still say withdrawals take seven days. Base's current docs don't.

Is Base safe to use?

There's no yes or no answer, so here's what you rely on when you use it. Base's sequencer orders transactions. Base's contracts on Ethereum, including the bridge, hold the assets that move between the two networks, and whoever controls upgrades to those contracts matters. Base said on its blog in April 2025 that it had reached "Stage 1" decentralization, a rating scale used by the independent tracker L2BEAT. Independent trackers publish their current risk assessments, and they change as Base upgrades, so check the date on whatever you read.

The risks you're most likely to meet are simpler: fake bridge sites, fake "Base" tokens and copycat apps. Bookmark official sites, never connect your wallet to a page you reached from an unsolicited message, and leave unknown tokens alone.

Approvals are the other quiet risk. When you let an app spend a token, that permission stays until you remove it. Review and revoke approvals you no longer use, the same way you would on Ethereum.

What people use Base for

Sending and receiving USDC is the everyday use, and the reason most people first hear of Base: someone asks to be paid on it. People also use apps built on Base, such as exchanges, payment tools and games, through any wallet that connects to it. Basenames give a Base address a readable name, so a friend can send to a name instead of a 42-character string.

Buy USDC
Pick the network your wallet uses at checkout, and see the total before you confirm. Buy USDC

Frequently asked questions

Is Base Network owned by Coinbase?

Base describes itself as "Built by Coinbase." Coinbase created the network, and Base's docs list a single sequencer endpoint for submitting transactions. But Base is a public blockchain: anyone can use it with a compatible wallet, and you don't need a Coinbase account to send, receive or hold assets on Base.

Is Base a crypto wallet?

No. Base is a network, not a wallet. Coinbase also runs a consumer wallet app, and Base's blog has called it the Base App since 2025, while its website, base.app, still uses the Coinbase Wallet name. Any wallet that supports EVM networks can connect to Base, so you can use Base without that app.

Do I need ETH to use Base?

Usually, yes. Fees on Base are paid in ETH, so a wallet holding only USDC on Base can't send it until you add a small amount of ETH on Base. Some apps pay the network fee on your behalf. Check the app's own terms to see whether it does, and for which transactions.

Can I send USDC from Base to an exchange?

Only if the exchange accepts USDC deposits on Base. Open its deposit screen, choose USDC, and check that Base appears as a network before you send. If you send on a network the exchange doesn't support, recovering the funds depends entirely on its support team, and some can't do it.

Can I move USDC from Base to Solana?

Not by sending it directly. Base and Solana are separate networks with different address formats, so a Solana address can't receive USDC sent on Base. You need a bridge or a cross-chain swap that moves the value from one network to the other. Check the route, fees and supported networks before you confirm.

---

Ramp Swaps (Ireland) Limited trading as Ramp Network is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Using Top up, Buy or Sell services: