USDC on Base: what a transfer costs right now

Right now one USDC transfer on Base costs about $0.0007 (0.00000027 ETH) to an address that already holds USDC, and about $0.0009 to an address that has never held it. That's the network fee alone, including the fee for publishing the transaction to Ethereum.

Network fees only, in USD. Updated , refreshed every 10 minutes.

Fee per transfer
$0.00070.00000027 ETH
To a new address
$0.0009
Fee paid in
ETH
Circle credits a USDC deposit after
12 Ethereum blocks, about 3 to 9 minutesFinal on Ethereum after about 20 minutes
Issued by
CircleContract address below
Align accepts it
Yes, USDC on Base

Worked out the same way as the stablecoin fee tracker, which compares every network side by side.

What sets the fee on Base

Base is a layer 2 on Ethereum, and every transaction pays two fees, both in ETH: an L2 execution fee for running it on Base, and an L1 security fee for publishing it to Ethereum. Base's docs say the L1 fee is typically the larger of the two, and that it rises and falls with activity on Ethereum.

The execution part works like Ethereum's: the gas a transfer uses times Base's gas price. On 22 October 2026 a USDC transfer used 45,415 gas to an address that already held USDC and 62,964 to one that had never held it. Base has a minimum base fee of 0.005 gwei, so the execution fee doesn't fall below a floor when the network is quiet. For the L1 part we use the upper bound reported by Base's fee oracle.

Because the L1 part follows Ethereum, Base's docs suggest sending when Ethereum is quieter, for example at weekends, if the timing is flexible.

Not included: exchange withdrawal fees, bridging, conversion spreads and Align's own pricing, which is quoted on request.

How long a transfer takes

In a Flashblock (preconfirmation)
About 200 milliseconds
In an L2 block
About 2 seconds
Circle credits a USDC deposit after
12 Ethereum blocks, about 3 to 9 minutes
Final on Ethereum
About 20 minutes

Base's docs describe four stages: a transaction is in a preconfirmation block (a Flashblock) in about 200 milliseconds, in an L2 block after about 2 seconds, posted to Ethereum after about 2 minutes, and final on Ethereum after about 20 minutes. Circle credits a USDC deposit on Base after 12 Ethereum blocks, about 3 to 9 minutes, and that is the time the tracker shows. Moving USDC from Base to Ethereum through Base's own bridge is different: a withdrawal waits 5 days, or 1 day when two proofs back it.

The USDC contract on Base

0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913

Circle lists this as the USDC contract on Base. Circle's announcement of USDC on Base calls it native USDC, issued by Circle, and separates it from USDbC, a version bridged from Ethereum that Circle doesn't issue. A token called USDC at any other address on Base isn't Circle's native USDC. Sources: Circle, USDC contract addresses; Circle, USDC now available natively on Base. View it on the block explorer.

Sending USDC on Base to Align

Align accepts USDC on Base. It also accepts USDC on Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and Avalanche, and lists every network it supports in its docs. Money you receive lands in your balance as USDC, and from there you can send it to wallets or pay out in USD, EUR, GBP or AED from named accounts in your company's name.

Not sure which network to use? See which network to use for USDT and USDC payments.

Common mistakes

  • Sending on Ethereum instead of Base. Base and Ethereum use the same 0x addresses, so a wallet set to the wrong network will send without complaint. Check the network field says Base.
  • Sending USDT on Base to Align. Align accepts USDC on Base but not USDT. Send USDT on Ethereum, Tron, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum or Optimism instead.
  • No ETH on Base for gas. Fees on Base are paid in ETH held on Base, not on Ethereum. A self-custody wallet needs some there.
  • Using Base's bridge when you need dollars on Ethereum fast. A withdrawal from Base to Ethereum through the official bridge takes 5 days, or 1 day on the dual-proof path. Ask the recipient for a Base address instead, if they have one.
  • Trusting the token name. Compare the contract with 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913, the address Circle publishes for native USDC on Base.

If a transfer has already gone to the wrong network or address, see what to do if you send USDT or USDC to the wrong network.

Other networks

Common questions

How much does it cost to send USDC on Base?
An L2 execution fee plus an L1 fee for publishing the transaction to Ethereum, both paid in ETH. Right now that comes to about $0.0007, or about $0.0009 to an address that has never held USDC.
How long does a USDC transfer on Base take?
About 2 seconds to land in a Base block, and about 20 minutes until it's final on Ethereum, according to Base's docs. Circle credits a USDC deposit on Base after 12 Ethereum blocks, about 3 to 9 minutes.
Is USDC on Base the same as USDC on Ethereum?
Both are USDC issued by Circle, at different contract addresses on different networks. You can't receive one on the other network; moving between them takes a bridge, or an exchange or provider that supports both.
Does Align accept USDC on Base?
Yes. Align accepts USDC on Base, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and Avalanche. It doesn't accept USDT on Base. When you send USDC or USDT from an AlignPay balance, Align pays the network fee.

Sources

Estimates of network fees for information, not financial advice. Actual fees depend on network load at the moment you send and on the wallet or provider you use.

Send and receive stablecoins from a business account.

Named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name, with USDC and USDT in and out and gas sponsored by Align. Apply online; our compliance team reviews applications in 1 to 5 business days.

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