In this article:
Learn the simple steps on how to swap your crypto across different crypto networks (also known as across different blockchains or simply as cross-chain), all within Best Wallet.
Every cryptocurrency exists on a blockchain, whether it's ETH on the Ethereum blockchain or BNB on the BNB Smart Chain. Whilst swapping on the same blockchain is often cheaper and quicker, being able to swap cross-chain is an important feature when managing your crypto.
This guide will go through the process of swapping crypto cross-chain.
Step 1: Getting started
There are several different ways to get started with swapping tokens in Best Wallet. The quickest way is to tap the Swap button on the wallet card on the home screen. This will take you straight to the Swap page.
Alternatively, you can choose the cryptocurrency you want to swap from the Token List on the Home Screen, or head to the Trade tab and swap from there. These will all bring you to the same flow.
Note: When swapping crypto, the token you receive will be in the same wallet as the token you swap out.
Step 2: Setting up your swap
Once on the Swap page, you can set up your cross-chain token swap.
First, make sure you are swapping the tokens in the correct wallet. At the top of the page, you will see the selected wallet. If incorrect, you can tap on it, and change it to another wallet in Best Wallet.
Once you've selected the right wallet, tap on the first “Select Token” box.
This will bring you to the token page, where you can select the specific chain and search for the cryptocurrency you are looking for. Best Wallet currently supports the Ethereum chain, Polygon chain, and BNB Smart Chain.
You will see "Your Tokens", which is all the tokens you own in that wallet — pay close attention to the chain logo next to your tokens, as they represent what network your token is on.
For example, say you want to swap out some of your POL tokens on Polygon.
Once you have chosen what token you want to swap out, you will be taken back to the Swap page where you can choose the new token you want to receive.
Tap on the second “Select Token” box, which will bring you to the same token page. But this time, select the token you want to receive in your wallet.
You can either choose the crypto in the token list or search for it in the bar at the top. If you want to swap cross-chain, you can also select the specific chain you want to swap to.
For example, if you want to swap POL for ETH cross-chain — all you need to do is select ETH on Ethereum.
Step 3: Entering your swap amounts
Once you are happy with your chosen tokens, set the amount you wish to swap. This is restricted by how much you have in your current Best Wallet.
If you want to swap all your tokens for a new token, tap on the “Max” button.
The “Max” button is useful because it leaves you a buffer for the gas fees and liquidity pool fees, meaning your swap will go through even with price fluctuations. This saves you time calculating whether you have enough in your wallet.
Once you enter how much you want to swap, Best Wallet will calcaute the best trade route for your swap, ensuring you get the best exchange rate and lowest fees.
Once calculated, you will be able to see the details of your swap, including how much you should receive and the gas fee for your transaction.
If you are happy with your swap details, click on the “Preview Swap” button. This will give you a final chance to check all the details before submitting your swap on the blockchain.
Best Wallet will confirm that you are swapping across blockchains — this is just a warning in case you've accidentally selected a token on another blockchain. If you want to swap cross-chain, tap “Got It”.
Step 4: Approving the swap
You will now be taken to the final review stage. You must double-check all the details, as transactions on the blockchain are irreversible. Once you confirm the swap, you won’t be able to undo it.
This final page displays the same important information, including what chain you are swapping from and to. You will also see the Protocol Fee, Gas Fee, and various swap details like the slippage and price impact.
Breakdown of Gas and Protocol Fees
Gas fees are just a catch-all term for processing/transaction fees paid to crypto networks, like Ethereum or BNB Smart Chain. These are paid to process and validate your swap and are never set or received by Best Wallet.
Read our guide on gas fees.
Because you are swapping cross-chain, there will be an additional protocol fee. This is the fee paid to the blockchain bridge for facilitating the cross-chain swap, which involves accessing several different pools of liquidity on several different blockchains, which invariably costs more than a same-chain swap.
Once you tap "Confirm", you will be asked to approve the transaction. This approval step is a one-time approval when swapping certain crypto. This is because the DEX or bridge that is facilitating your swap needs access to your crypto to process the swap. This is entirely secure and all done with Best Wallet, but you have to manually approve access.
Tap “Approve” to submit your swap onto the blockchain!
Step 5: Waiting for your new token amounts
Once you tap the "Approve" button, your swap will be submitted onto the blockchain(s). You will then be taken to the processing page, where you will updated on the status of your swap and where you can see the transaction details.
Finally, you can either click on the “Swap Again” button to exchange more tokens, or you can tap “Done” which will take you back to the Best Wallet home page.
Note: Cross-chain swaps take longer to process due to their complexity, so it may take a few minutes before your swap is confirmed.
Once the transaction has gone through, this page will also show that the swap has been successful.
Why your swap might not go through straight away
It might take a few minutes for your swap to complete and your crypto amounts to update.
Crypto transaction processing times can vary depending on what network you've swapped on (Ethereum, for example, is known to be one of the slowest), the amount you've swapped, and how busy the network is.
Cross-chain swaps will also take longer to process, as they involve more steps: your wallet → blockchain A → cross-chain bridge → blockchain B → your wallet.
But don’t worry; your swap will soon be reflected in your Best Wallet, it may just take some time. Remember, you can check the status of your swap in Best Wallet via the "Transactions" tab on the Activity page in your Trade tab.