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Oct 01, 2024

December 14, 2023

Getting Started with USDC on Solana

what you’ll learn

Learn how you can access USDC to spend, trade, lend, and borrow across the Solana ecosystem.

Getting Started with USDC on Solana

USDC is the most widely used dollar-backed stablecoin in the Solana ecosystem, which is home to many popular NFT, Payments, and DeFi apps for FX, trading, borrowing, lending and more.

If you have USDC on Solana today, it’s easy to jump right into these apps and begin transacting:

Cube Exchange, Drift Protocol, Hxro Network, Jupiter Exchange, Kamino, Mango Markets, marginfi, MeteoraOrca, Phoenix, Raydium, Saber, Solend, Tulip, Zeta

Explore the broader Solana ecosystem with this overview map created by Phantom:

Source: Phantom

There’s also many ways to access USDC on Solana for new users. Check out our guide below for a variety of fast and user-friendly options.

Getting started for the first time

Get USDC on Solana from fiat on-ramps

Coinbase Wallet and Phantom make it easy to convert your local currency (e.g. USD) to USDC on Solana via fiat on-ramps like bank transfers and debit card deposits.

How it works via Coinbase Wallet when funding with a Coinbase account:

  1. Download Coinbase Wallet on desktop or mobile
  2. Set up your wallet and securely store your credentials
  3. Tap “Buy” and select “Buy or transfer from Coinbase”
  4. Login or link your Coinbase account (separate app)
  5. Select USDC
  6. Enter in an amount, and your payment information. Note: there are no Coinbase fees for using bank transfers to buy USDC.
  7. On the Order preview screen, change the Network from Ethereum to Solana
  8. Select Confirm
  9. Once completed, USDC on Solana will appear in your Coinbase Wallet

How it works via Coinbase Wallet when funding with a third party:

  1. Download Coinbase Wallet on desktop or mobile
  2. Set up your wallet and securely store your credentials
  3. Tap “Buy”
  4. Select USDC as the asset, and Solana as the network
  5. Select a payment method and provider you’d like to pay with
  6. Click “Continue to payment” and complete the remaining prompts
  7. Once completed, USDC on Solana will appear in your Coinbase Wallet

How it works via Phantom:

  1. Download Phantom on desktop or mobile
  2. Set up your wallet and securely store your credentials
  3. Tap “Buy” and select USDC on Solana
  4. Choose an on-ramp provider
    • MoonPay (currently zero-fee)
    • Coinbase Pay
    • Robinhood Connect
  5. Provide your payment information
  6. Upon completion, you’ll receive USDC on Solana in your wallet

Note: You can also use Solflare and other digital wallets for similar accessibility.

Current users of crypto or USDC on a different blockchain

Get USDC to Solana from cross-chain bridges

Allbridge Core makes it easy to swap your crypto (e.g. ETH on Ethereum) or USDC on a different blockchain (e.g. USDC on Ethereum) to USDC on Solana.

How it works:

  1. Navigate to Allbridge Core on desktop or mobile
  2. Tap “Connect Wallet” and connect your external wallet
  3. Select the asset that you want to swap (e.g. USDC on Ethereum) for USDC on Solana
  4. Select USDC on Solana as your destination asset
  5. Click “Send” and approve the transaction
  6. Upon completion, you’ll receive USDC on Solana in your wallet

Note: Phantom has a "Cross-Chain Swapper" function powered by Allbridge Core that you can access directly in your wallet for more convenience. 

Deposit USDC into an exchange and withdraw as USDC on Solana

Coinbase enables users to send USDC from an external wallet to a Coinbase account on a variety of blockchains, such as Ethereum. Then, it’s easy to withdraw USDC on Solana back to a Solana-compatible external wallet like Coinbase Wallet or Phantom.

How it works:

  1. Open a Coinbase account
  2. Tap “Receive” and select USDC
  3. Choose the network that you currently hold USDC in your external wallet (e.g. Ethereum)
  4. Tap “Copy” to copy your Coinbase-specific wallet address
  5. Use your external wallet (e.g. MetaMask) to paste your Coinbase-specific wallet address and send your USDC. Upon completion, USDC will appear in your Coinbase account.
  6. Download Phantom on desktop or mobile
  7. Set up your wallet and securely store your credentials
  8. Tap “Receive” and tap the copy icon for your Solana wallet address
  9. Navigate to “Home” for your Coinbase account
  10. Tap “Send” and select USDC
  11. Paste your Solana wallet address and send your USDC
  12. Upon completion, USDC will appear in your Phantom wallet

Make sure to follow @Circle on X for the latest news on USDC on Solana.

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