How to send tokens on Base network
Set your wallet to Base, hold a little ETH there for gas, and check the recipient's address before you approve. A wrong-network send is often unrecoverable.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 6, 20263 min readFact-checked
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Base is an Ethereum layer-2 network. It settles its activity on Ethereum and charges its own gas fees, paid in ETH that sits on Base.
What do you need before sending?
Most wallets include Base among the networks you can switch on, and you can add it in the network settings if yours does not.
How do you send tokens on Base?
The steps below run from the network choice to the final approval. Check each detail in order, because the last one moves the tokens.
- 1Switch your wallet to BaseOpen the network selector and choose Base. The label should read Base, not Ethereum mainnet or another chain.
- 2Paste the Base addressCopy the address the recipient gave you and paste it into the address field. Compare the first and last characters with the original.
- 3Choose the right tokenPick the token you mean to send from your balance. Similar names appear on many networks, so check the network label on the token.
- 4Enter the amountType the amount you want to send, then look at the fee estimate your wallet shows.
- 5Review and approveCheck the address, the token, and the amount one more time. Then approve the transaction in your wallet.
What should you do after sending?
When the transfer confirms, copy the transaction hash from your wallet and keep it with the date, the amount, and the recipient's address. You may need those records for taxes. Paying for goods or services with tokens is a taxable event, and the IRS treats crypto as property.
Frequently asked questions
The tokens usually do not reach the recipient's Base address, and a confirmed transfer cannot be reversed. If you control that address on the other network, you may still reach them there.
Base usually confirms a transfer in seconds to a few minutes. Your wallet shows it as pending until then.
Some exchanges let you withdraw straight to Base, and others support only Ethereum mainnet. Check the withdrawal network options first.
If the tokens already sit on Base, you do not need a bridge. If they sit on Ethereum mainnet or another chain, you usually bridge them to Base first, and bridges carry risks of their own.
