How To Easily Bridge to Base Mainnet (Coinbase L2 Network) — A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re confused about how to bridge your cryptocurrency to the Base network, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the most popular methods to transfer ETH to Base, the recently launched layer-2 solution developed by Coinbase.

Introduction to Base Mainnet

On August 9, the Base mainnet was launched for the general public, opening up the platform to non-technical users who want to explore its features. Since its launch, Base, a promising Ethereum layer-2 solution, has witnessed rapid growth. Over 50 protocols are now operating on the Base chain, with BaseSwap leading the way, boasting a Total Value Locked (TVL) exceeding $50 million. In total, the Base network has accumulated a TVL of more than $167 million, making it one of the fastest-growing Ethereum L2 solutions and currently ranking as the third-largest optimistic rollup-based L2, behind Arbitrum and Optimism.

To begin your journey on the Base chain, the first step is to bridge ETH to the platform, which will serve as gas for your transactions. Once your Base wallet is loaded with ETH, you’re all set to start interacting with the various protocols within the Base ecosystem.

Note: The Base network does not have a native token. Gas fees on Base are settled using Ethereum (ETH). Learn more about Base here.

How to Bridge to Base Mainnet (Base Bridge)

Before you can bridge assets to Base, you’ll need to add the Base Mainnet RPC details to your wallet. This can be easily done using Chainlist. Simply connect your wallet to Chainlist, and it will automatically add the Base RPC details to your wallet client.

Once your wallet is set up to support the Base network, you’re ready to start bridging assets. Although Base is relatively new, there are already several ways to transfer assets into its ecosystem.

Pro Tip: After bridging your assets, you can check your balance directly in your wallet or use a Base mainnet explorer to search for your address.

Here are three of the most popular methods to bridge ETH to Base:

Method 1: Using the Official Base Bridge

The official Base bridge is currently the most widely used method to transfer assets to and from the Base network. At present, the bridge supports transfers between Ethereum and Base.

1. Go to the Base Bridge website and select the ‘Deposit’ option.
2. Connect your wallet by clicking the ‘Connect wallet’ button and selecting your wallet from the available options. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your wallet to the bridge.
3. Choose the asset you wish to bridge from the drop-down menu and enter the amount you want to transfer in the ‘Amount’ field.For example, you can bridge 0.5 ETH.
4. When you’re ready, click the ‘Deposit’ button and confirm the transaction in your connected wallet. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay a gas fee.
5. Once the deposit is completed on-chain, your bridged asset will be reflected in your Base chain balance.

Method 2: Use Orbiter Finance

Orbiter Finance is a well-known multi-chain bridge that focuses on layer-2 solutions like Base. The platform supports numerous Ethereum L2 networks, including Optimism, Mantle, and zkSync Era.

1. Visit the Orbiter Finance platform and click on the ‘Connect a Wallet’ button. Follow the prompts in your wallet to connect it to Orbiter—this wallet will send the asset on the origin chain and receive it on the Base chain.
2. Select the origin chain in the ‘From’ section and Base in the ‘To’ section. Enter the amount of ETH you want to bridge.Currently, Orbiter only supports bridging Ether (ETH), so there’s no need to change the asset.
3. When you’re ready, click the ‘Send’ button, and you’ll be shown an overview of the fees associated with the transfer.
4. If you’re satisfied with the fees, click ‘Confirm and Send’ to initiate the transaction. Confirm the transaction in your wallet.
5. Once the transaction is processed, the amount shown in the ‘Received’ section of the confirmation page will be available in your Base chain wallet.

Method 3: Use the Portal Bridge

Portal, powered by Wormhole, is among the first third-party bridges to offer support for Base transfers. In addition to Base, Portal supports over 20 other layer-1 and layer-2 networks.

Important: Use Portal only if you already have native ETH in your Base wallet. You’ll need ETH to pay gas fees when claiming your bridged tokens (which are typically wrapped assets).

1. Start by visiting the Portal platform and selecting the chain from which you want to bridge your assets.
2. Connect your wallet by clicking the ‘Connect’ button and selecting your wallet from the available options. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect the wallet containing the funds you want to bridge.
3. Choose the asset you want to bridge from the drop-down menu and enter the amount in the ‘Amount’ field. Click ‘Next’ to proceed.
4. Switch to the Base Mainnet in your connected wallet when prompted.
5. After approving the network switch, click ‘Next’ again, and you may be asked to switch back to the source network.
6. Click the ‘Transfer’ button to initiate the deposit. Confirm the transaction in your wallet, and Portal will monitor the bridge process and notify you when it is complete.
7. Once the funds have been successfully bridged, proceed to the final step, where you can redeem your tokens from your Base wallet.

Conclusion

Bridging your assets to the Base network is a straightforward process that can be done using a any of the above 3 methods.

Whether you opt for the official Base bridge, Orbiter Finance, or the Portal bridge, you’ll be able to transfer ETH to the Base chain and start exploring its growing ecosystem. As always, make sure to double-check your transactions and ensure your wallet is properly configured for Base Mainnet before initiating any transfers.