How to Buy or Swap USDC and ETH on Base for 8lends
There is no balance "on 8lends" — your USDC lives in your own Base wallet, and only you hold the private key. Here are three paths to fund it.
To invest on 8lends you need USDC on the Base blockchain — it is the only settlement currency. You can buy USDC in three ways: directly in the 8lends interface via Meld.io (by card or Apple Pay / Google Pay), through a centralized exchange (Binance, Coinbase, Bybit, etc.) with a subsequent transfer to Base, or through a DEX (Uniswap) by swapping ETH for USDC within the Base network. The minimum for a first investment is 100 USDC. You will additionally need a small amount of ETH for gas — a few cents' worth to pay for transactions.
Video Guide
Buying USDC is shown in the 8lends video guide:https://youtu.be/wABYaut7zVc.
The video shows the real process of buying USDC via Meld.io inside 8lends and through an exchange. This text is a companion to the video for clarifying details.
Important to Understand — There Is No Balance "On 8lends"
Unlike traditional platforms, 8lends has no separate deposit with a balance "in the platform." Your balance is the balance of your wallet on the Base network. The platform looks at the contents of the connected wallet and shows the available USDC.
What this means in practice:
- There is no "top up your 8lends account" step — you simply need to have USDC in your own wallet on Base
- There is no "withdraw from 8lends" step — after you receive interest, the USDC ends up directly in your wallet
- The wallet stays under your control — only you hold the private keys, and 8lends has no access to your wallet
- During an investment, funds are held in a smart contract on the Base blockchain — this is audited code (CertiK + Cyberscope) that automatically distributes interest and returns the loan principal on schedule. Withdrawal of funds is permissionless — you initiate the withdrawal directly, without 8lends' approval.
What comes next depends on where you get your USDC from.
Three Ways to Buy USDC
Method 1. Via Meld.io Directly in the 8lends Interface (the simplest)
Meld.io is an on-ramp aggregator integrated into the platform. It combines several major crypto-purchase providers (MoonPay, Transak, Banxa, Ramp Network, etc.) in a single interface and automatically routes you to the one with the best price and conversion rate for your country and payment method. It lets you buy USDC directly with a bank card or mobile payment.
Advantages:
- The fastest way for a beginner — no dealing with exchanges
- Purchase with Visa / Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- USDC arrives immediately in your wallet on the Base network
- No need to make a cross-network transfer
Limitations:
- The fee is higher than on exchanges (usually 1.5–3.5%)
- There are limits on the amount per operation (depending on the payment method and jurisdiction)
- Not all countries / banks are supported
Method 2. Via a Centralized Exchange
If you already have an exchange account or plan to work with crypto regularly, this is the most cost-effective way in terms of fees.
Steps:
- Buy USDC on an exchange (Binance, Coinbase, Bybit, Kraken, OKX, etc.)
- Find the Withdraw section and select USDC
- Select the Base network — this is critical; not Ethereum, not Polygon, not Solana
- Enter the address of your wallet on Base (the same address connected to 8lends)
- Confirm the withdrawal
- USDC will appear in the wallet within a few minutes
Advantages:
- Low withdrawal fee (often a few cents)
- Support for most purchase methods (card, bank transfer, P2P)
What is important to check:
- The withdrawal network — it must be Base. If you make a mistake and withdraw to Ethereum, the fee will be $5–20 per transfer. If you withdraw to an unsupported network, the funds may be lost.
- The address is copied in full — without spaces or typos
Method 3. Via a DEX (Uniswap or another)
If you already have ETH or other tokens on the Base network, you can swap them for USDC through a decentralized exchange.
Steps:
- Go to app.uniswap.org or another DEX on Base
- Connect the same wallet you use for 8lends
- Select the pair (for example, ETH → USDC)
- Confirm the swap in your wallet
When it is suitable:
- You already have crypto on Base and don't want to withdraw it to an exchange for conversion
- You want a decentralized swap without exchange KYC
What to keep in mind:
- The price and fee include the pool spread + the DEX fee (~0.3%)
- You need ETH for gas on the Base network itself (usually a few cents)
How Much ETH Is Needed for Gas
To operate on 8lends, every transaction (investment, claim, sale on the Secondary Market) requires payment of a network fee — gas. On Base this is very cheap compared to Ethereum:
| Operation | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Investment in a project | $0.05–0.20 |
| Claim of bonuses / payouts | $0.05–0.15 |
| Sale of a position on the Secondary Market | $0.10–0.30 |
| Approve token (one-time) | $0.05–0.10 |
Recommendation: keep at least $2–5 in ETH in your wallet to pay for future transactions. This covers dozens of operations.
You can get ETH on Base by:
- Buying it together with USDC via Meld.io (selecting ETH instead of USDC)
- Withdrawing it from an exchange to the Base network (selecting ETH and the Base network)
- Using the Base Bridge (bridge.base.org) to transfer ETH from Ethereum Mainnet
How to Check Your Balance
After buying or withdrawing USDC, the balance will be displayed in your 8lends account automatically — the platform reads the wallet balance on-chain.
Alternative ways to check:
- In your wallet (MetaMask, Trust Wallet) — the USDC and ETH balance on the Base network
- On basescan.org by wallet address — the full transaction history and current balances
Minimum for a First Investment
- 100 USDC — the minimum for a single project
- +$2–5 in ETH — for gas fees for future transactions
- Total: ~$102–105 equivalent
This is a one-time barrier. After the first investment, the ETH is enough for dozens of subsequent operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which way to buy USDC is the most cost-effective? In terms of fees, an exchange is the most cost-effective (a few cents per withdrawal). In terms of simplicity, Meld.io directly in the 8lends interface is the easiest option (1.5–3.5% fee for convenience). If you are a beginner and have not used exchanges — start with Meld.io. If you plan to work with crypto regularly — open an exchange account.
What is Meld.io and why this one in particular? Meld.io is an aggregator of on-ramp providers, founded in 2021. It is not itself a crypto-purchase service — it combines several providers (MoonPay, Transak, Banxa, Ramp Network, and others) and automatically selects the optimal one by price, support for your country, and payment method. This gives a better price compared to using a single fixed provider. 8lends integrated Meld.io precisely because of this advantage — the user gets the best offer without having to compare services manually.
Can I use USDT instead of USDC? No. 8lends works exclusively with USDC. If you have USDT, you must first swap it for USDC (on an exchange or DEX). More on the choice of USDC
Can I use USDC from other networks (Ethereum, Polygon, Solana)? No. 8lends needs USDC specifically on the Base network. USDC from other networks is, technically, a different token on the blockchain. It can be moved to the Base network via bridges (Circle CCTP, Base Bridge) or via an exchange (withdrawing to the Base network).
What happens if I withdrew USDC on the wrong network? If it went to a network supported by the Base ecosystem, it will not be lost, but it will require transfer via a bridge. If it went to an unsupported network — the funds may be lost forever. This is a typical and costly beginner's mistake, so when withdrawing from an exchange, always double-check the Base network.
What is gas and why do I have to pay for it? Gas is the blockchain network's fee for processing a transaction. It is a payment to the network's miners/validators, not to 8lends. On Ethereum, gas can cost $5–50 per transaction; on Base, a few cents. This is not a platform fee, it is an infrastructure fee.
Can I pay gas in USDC instead of ETH? Not at the moment. Gas on the Base network is paid only in ETH. This is the standard for all EVM networks. That is why a minimum of $2–5 worth of ETH must be in the wallet.
How long does it take to transfer USDC from an exchange to Base? Usually from 1 to 5 minutes after confirming the withdrawal on the exchange. Sometimes the exchange runs an additional security check — then it can take up to 30 minutes.
Does 8lends charge a fee for top-ups? No. 8lends does not charge investors any fees — neither for top-ups nor for investments. All fees are either the cost of the purchase (Meld.io, exchange), or the network gas, or the Secondary Market fee when selling a position. More details
Can I buy USDC via P2P (for example, through acquaintances)? Yes, but with caution. The key thing is to receive USDC specifically on the Base network at your address. The payment for the USDC can be made in any way (bank transfer, cash), but the USDC itself must arrive on-chain on Base.
I have fiat money in the bank — what is the fastest path to investing? If you have a Visa/Mastercard and your country is supported — open Meld.io directly in 8lends, buy USDC + a little ETH in one transaction, and invest. The whole path takes 15–20 minutes.
See also:
- How to Start Investing on 8lends: Video Overview
- Registration and Connecting a Wallet on 8lends
- Completing KYC via Sumsub on 8lends
- Data Security and KYC on 8lends: How Data Is Protected
- How to Set Up a Crypto Wallet for 8lends
- How to Make Your First Investment on 8lends Step by Step
- Glossary: Key 8lends Terms
8lends is a platform operated by CLEARCHAIN CORP, registered with FINTRAC (Canada) as a Money Services Business. Maclear AG (Switzerland), a member of PolyReg SRO under the supervision of FINMA, acts as the Collateral Agent. The fees and terms of the on-ramp partners (Meld.io, exchanges) are determined by those services independently of 8lends. Regulatory framework as of September 2026.