How to Buy Coins on Base (Coinbase's Network)

Base is an Ethereum layer 2 network incubated by Coinbase, with much lower fees than Ethereum itself. To buy a token on Base, buy ETH on Coinbase, withdraw it on the Base network to a wallet like Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask, then swap ETH for the token on Uniswap. Coinbase lets you withdraw ETH directly on Base, with no bridge needed, so this is one of the simpler on-chain routes for US buyers. Network fees on Base are usually a few cents or less.

1. Buy ETHOn Coinbase
2. Withdraw on BaseTo your wallet
3. SwapOn Uniswap

Step-by-step

1. Buy ETH on CoinbaseETH pays the network fees on Base. Buy a little more than you plan to swap. USDC also works for the swap itself, but you still need some ETH for fees.
2. Set up your walletInstall Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask. If the wallet gives you a recovery phrase, write it on paper and store it offline. Copy your address: on Base it starts with 0x and is the same as your Ethereum address.
3. Withdraw ETH on the Base networkIn the Coinbase app, start a send of ETH (Coinbase's help center lists sending under the Pay tab), paste your wallet address and choose Base as the network. Coinbase warns that funds sent on the wrong network are lost. Send a small test first and wait for it to arrive.
4. Open Uniswap on BaseGo to app.uniswap.org, connect your wallet and select Base as the network.
5. Paste the token's contract addressIn the token selector, paste the address you verified rather than searching by name. Enter an amount of ETH, review the quote and confirm in your wallet.

Our coin pages build this route for you. Search a Base token on Lasso and the buying guide links to Uniswap on Base with the contract address filled in.

What does it cost?

Base network fees are usually a few cents per transaction, though they can rise when the network is busy. On top of that you pay Coinbase's fee when you buy ETH, plus a network fee when you withdraw, and each swap includes a pool fee. Uniswap Labs says its own app has charged no interface fee since December 27, 2025, but other apps may add one. Check the quote before you confirm. For more on fees, see crypto gas fees explained.

Risks to know

• Copycat tokens are common on Base. Only buy the address you verified. See how to find a token's real contract address.
• Thinly traded tokens can be hard to sell. Check the 24-hour volume before you buy.
• Pick the network carefully. ETH sent on Ethereum instead of Base costs more and arrives on Ethereum, not Base, and Coinbase says funds sent on a network the recipient doesn't support can be lost.
• Transactions can't be undone, and anyone with your recovery phrase controls the wallet.

The IRS treats crypto as property, and you must report exchanges of one digital asset for another, so swaps are generally taxable events. Keep records of each trade.

Find Base tokens you can buy

Search any coin on Lasso to see whether a US exchange lists it. If none does and it lives on Base, the coin page shows this route step by step.