How to Swap Bitcoin to Ethereum and Other EVM Chains

How do I swap Bitcoin to Ethereum or another EVM chain?

To turn BTC into ETH, USDC or wrapped BTC on Ethereum, Arbitrum or Base, you have three kinds of route: an exchange service that takes your BTC at a deposit address and sends the new coin; a cross-chain protocol such as THORChain or Chainflip; or wrapped BTC such as WBTC. On 9 October 2026, SwapBee returned 6 to 16 quotes per swap for 0.01 and 0.5 BTC, and the highest and lowest quoted amounts were 1.64% to 5.03% apart.

SwapBee publishes this guide. LI.FI, covered below, is one of SwapBee's providers; THORChain, Chainflip and Mayan are not. Sources were checked on 9 October 2026.

What is the difference between native BTC and wrapped BTC?

BTC is the coin of the Bitcoin network. WBTC, per its own FAQ, is "a 1:1 multichain token used on smart contract chains like Ethereum, Solana, TRON and BNB" (WBTC FAQ).

WBTC's docs describe how it is made. A user asks an approved merchant for WBTC; the merchant runs KYC/AML checks; the BTC goes to the custodian's wallet; after six Bitcoin confirmations the custodian mints the same amount of WBTC, which the merchant passes to the user. Redemption runs the other way: the WBTC is burned, the custodian waits for 25 Ethereum confirmations, then releases the BTC (WBTC mint and burn). You can also get WBTC on an exchange or DEX, as the FAQ notes.

So WBTC keeps your exposure to the bitcoin price, but its value rests on the BTC the custodian holds. Swapping into ETH or USDC changes the asset itself.

What are the ways to move BTC to an EVM chain?

Our cross-chain swap vs bridge post explains the difference between receiving a native coin and a wrapped one.

What did the quotes look like on 9 October 2026?

We asked SwapBee for every quote on ten swaps at 15:29 UTC on 9 October 2026. Each figure is the quoted output amount, including the provider's quoted fee. It is an estimate, not a completed payout.

What stands out:

• The gap was about 5%. On every ETH and USDC swap, the lowest quote was 4.66% to 5.03% below the highest.
• Fewer providers quoted the larger swaps on Arbitrum and Base: 13 and 12, against 16 on Ethereum.
• "Best" is not always the top payout. The widget labels the first quote "Best", a ranking that weighs price and speed, and adds a second label to the quote that pays out the most. For 0.5 BTC to ETH on Ethereum, the first quote was Changelly at 16.6172 ETH; SwapGate's quote was 0.0484 ETH (0.29%) higher.
• WBTC quotes came close to one for one. The highest WBTC quotes were 0.997347 and 0.998484 WBTC per BTC sent (99.73% and 99.85%).
• Five providers didn't quote. Quotes came from 16 of the 21 providers SwapBee listed on 9 October 2026; LI.FI, 0x, KyberSwap, Bungee and 1inch returned none for these swaps.

Quotes can change; treat these as estimates captured at the stated time. We compared coins quoted, not dollar values, because providers price in dollars differently.

How do I swap BTC to ETH on SwapBee?

1. Open BTC to ETH or BTC to USDC, and pick the network you want to receive on.
2. Enter the amount and compare quotes. The widget shows the provider's minimum before you confirm.
3. Paste your receiving address for that network. Most providers also ask for a refund address: use a Bitcoin address you control. After you confirm, you get a Swap ID.
4. Send the exact BTC amount shown to the deposit address. There is no account and no wallet connection.
5. Track the swap. SwapBee's BTC to ETH page says Bitcoin confirmations take "about 10–30 minutes".

SwapBee doesn't charge a separate fee, but it does earn from your swap. On swaps through exchange services, the provider shares part of its fee with SwapBee. On on-chain DEX swaps, SwapBee adds a small markup to the quote. Both are already in the quote you see; nothing is added on top (see our terms). Your wallet also charges its usual network fee to send the deposit. There are no accounts, balances or pooled wallets: most swaps send your deposit straight to the provider, and on-chain DEX swaps use a one-time swap address SwapBee operates, which executes the swap and sends the output to your wallet automatically. Before you confirm, each quote's provider policy shows who holds your deposit. The provider may ask for identity or other checks under its own rules. See our AML policy. More on how this works: cross-chain swaps and bridge vs swap.

What can go wrong?

• Wrong network. Your receiving address must match the network of the coin you receive. Send only BTC on the Bitcoin network to the deposit address; SwapBee's page warns that another asset or network "can result in lost funds".
• Bad refund address. The refund address is where the provider can return your coins if the swap fails. Refunds follow the provider's policies and decisions. It must be on the same network as the coin you send, so a Bitcoin address you control, not an exchange deposit address.
• Below the minimum. Each provider sets one. ChangeNOW's FAQ, for example, says it can't exchange a deposit under its minimum and can't promise a refund.
• Waiting too long. Don't send to an expired swap's address.
• Less than quoted. Prices move between quote and payout. Slippage tolerance runs from 0.25% to 5%, with a default of 1%, and applies only to providers that support it; none of the 16 providers that quoted in our sample does.

Ready to compare? See live BTC quotes on SwapBee.

FAQ

Can I swap Bitcoin to Ethereum directly?

Yes. A cross-chain swap takes BTC on Bitcoin and sends ETH to your Ethereum address, with no exchange account.

Is WBTC the same as BTC?

No. WBTC is a token on other chains, issued 1:1 against BTC that a custodian holds.

Does THORChain support Arbitrum?

Its overview page lists Bitcoin, Ethereum, Base and others, but not Arbitrum.

Can Mayan swap native Bitcoin?

Mayan's chain page lists Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base and Solana but not Bitcoin.