BridgeRadar
Ethereum to Hyperliquid Bridge
To trade on Hyperliquid you need USDC, and you no longer have to go through Arbitrum to get it there. Bridges such as Across and Relay deliver USDC from Ethereum straight into your Hyperliquid account, and Circle CCTP now mints native USDC on Hyperliquid. If you want to hold ETH itself, Unit takes ETH on Ethereum and credits UETH.
Reviewed October 24, 2026 ยท 7 solutions checked
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Short answer
Most people who move money from Ethereum to Hyperliquid want to trade perps. Perps on Hyperliquid use USDC as margin. So the main question is how to get USDC from Ethereum into your Hyperliquid account with the fewest steps and fees.
For a long time the answer was a detour. You moved USDC to Arbitrum, then deposited it through Hyperliquid's bridge contract there. That bridge still works, but Hyperliquid's docs now call it legacy and deprecated. Circle issues native USDC on Hyperliquid, and Hyperliquid names CCTP as the preferred way to bring it in. Bridges such as Across and Relay use these paths to send USDC from Ethereum directly to your trading account.
ETH is a different story. Hyperliquid has no native ETH. Its deposit screen sends ETH on Ethereum to Unit, which holds it and credits you UETH, a spot token you can trade or sell for USDC. And if you plan to use apps on HyperEVM, the smart contract side of Hyperliquid, you will also need a little HYPE for gas there.
| Collateral for perps | USDC |
|---|---|
| Direct from Ethereum | Across, Relay, Circle CCTP |
| Legacy route | USDC via Arbitrum, 5 USDC minimum |
| ETH deposits | Unit (UETH), 0.007 ETH minimum |
| Trading on HyperCore | No gas fees |
| Gas on HyperEVM | HYPE |
Why this route is difficult
Hyperliquid is not a layer 2 on Ethereum. It is its own blockchain, so Ethereum cannot see it and nothing moves across by default. It also has two parts. HyperCore holds the order books, perps and spot balances. HyperEVM runs smart contracts. A bridge can deliver to either one, and they are separate balances.
USDC used to come in only through Hyperliquid's bridge contract on Arbitrum, released by Hyperliquid validators. Now Circle mints native USDC on HyperEVM. A Circle contract there holds that USDC, and HyperCore balances are credits backed by it. Hyperliquid's docs say the legacy Arbitrum bridge now holds less than 10% of the USDC on HyperCore. This is why direct routes from Ethereum became possible.
Other coins need someone to hold them. ETH sent through the deposit screen goes to Unit. Unit keeps the real ETH on Ethereum and credits UETH on Hyperliquid. Unit uses 3 guardians, and 2 of the 3 must sign every withdrawal. That is fast and simple, but you trust those guardians to stay honest and secure.
Possible approaches
1Intent bridge to HyperCore
A relayer or solver pays you USDC on Hyperliquid right away and settles on its side later.
Trade-offFast and one step, but you rely on the bridge's contracts and pay its fee.
2Issuer burn-and-mint
Circle CCTP burns USDC on Ethereum and mints native USDC on HyperEVM, which is passed into HyperCore.
Trade-offNative USDC with no pools, but it only works for USDC and the app may add fees.
3Legacy Arbitrum bridge
Move USDC to Arbitrum first, then deposit through Hyperliquid's bridge contract there.
Trade-offLong-tested, but two steps, two sets of fees, and Hyperliquid calls it deprecated.
4Guardian lock-and-mint
Send ETH to a Unit address. Its guardians hold the ETH and credit UETH on Hyperliquid.
Trade-offYou keep ETH exposure, but you depend on 2 of 3 guardians.
Options compared
| Option | You get | Typical time | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intent bridge (Across, Relay) | USDC in your Hyperliquid account | Seconds (Across says 8-20 s) | Ethereum fee + bridge fee in the quote | Most USDC deposits from Ethereum |
| Circle CCTP to HyperCore | Native USDC on HyperCore | Depends on fast or standard mode | Ethereum fee + 0.01% fast fee + forwarding fee | Apps and wallets built on CCTP |
| Via Arbitrum, then legacy bridge | USDC on HyperCore | Bridge time + under 1 min | Ethereum fee + bridge fee + Arbitrum fee | People who already hold USDC on Arbitrum |
| Unit ETH deposit | UETH in your spot balance | About 3-5 min | Ethereum network fee | Holding or trading ETH spot |
Working solutions
| Solution | You receive | Custody / verification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | USDC on HyperCore or HyperEVM | Relayer pays, CCTP settles | Direct route to HyperCore launched in December 2025. Across says up to $10 million per transfer. |
| Relay | Perps or spot USDC, HyperEVM tokens | Solver pays you | Relay's docs list deposits to Hyperliquid perps USDC from any chain it supports. |
| Circle CCTP | Native USDC on HyperCore | Circle attestation | Hyperliquid's preferred way to mint USDC. Usually used through an app or bridge. |
| Unit | UETH (spot balance) | 2 of 3 guardians | Built into the Hyperliquid deposit screen. Takes only ETH and ENA on Ethereum. |
| Hyperliquid legacy bridge (Arbitrum) | USDC on HyperCore | Hyperliquid validators | Needs USDC and ETH on Arbitrum first. Deposits under 5 USDC are lost. |
| deBridge | Tokens on HyperEVM | Solver pays you | Delivers to HyperEVM, not to your trading balance. |
| LI.FI | Depends on the route | Same as the bridge used | Compares routes to both Hyperliquid and HyperEVM. |
How to move Ethereum to Hyperliquid
These steps show a USDC deposit from Ethereum straight into your Hyperliquid account with Across. Relay works in a similar way. Both skip the Arbitrum step.
- 1
Get your wallet ready
Use the same EVM wallet you use on Hyperliquid, such as Rabby or MetaMask. Your 0x address is also your Hyperliquid account. Hold USDC on Ethereum plus some ETH to pay the Ethereum network fee.
- 2
Pick the right destination
On app.across.to, choose Ethereum and USDC as the origin. As the destination, choose HyperCore and USDC. HyperCore is where trading happens. Do not pick HyperEVM unless you want to use apps there.
- 3
Check the amount and recipient
Enter the amount and read the quote: how much USDC arrives and what fee is taken. Check that the recipient is the address of your Hyperliquid account.
- 4
Approve and confirm
The first time, your wallet asks for a token approval so the bridge can move your USDC. Then sign the bridge transaction and pay the Ethereum fee in ETH.
- 5
Find the USDC on Hyperliquid
Open app.hyperliquid.xyz with the same wallet. Across said in its launch post that this route credits spot USDC. If the money shows in your spot balance, move it to perps with a transfer inside the app before you trade.
- 6
If you want ETH instead
Choose Deposit, then ETH on Ethereum in the Hyperliquid app. Send at least 0.007 ETH on the Ethereum network to the address shown. Unit credits UETH to your spot balance in about 5 minutes.
Fees and timing
The Ethereum network fee is usually the biggest cost. You pay it in ETH when you send the deposit, and token transfers need an approval the first time. On Hyperliquid itself, trading on HyperCore costs no gas. Hyperliquid does charge new HyperCore accounts a one-time activation fee of 1 quote token, such as 1 USDC, on the first transfer to them.
Bridges add their own fee, built into the quote. Across says its direct route costs 1 basis point from Arbitrum and a few basis points from other chains. Circle's docs give the CCTP fees from Ethereum to HyperCore: a fast transfer fee of 0.01% plus a forwarding fee of 0.20 USDC and some gas. For 10 USDC that came to about 0.22 USDC in Circle's example. The old route through Arbitrum adds a bridge fee to reach Arbitrum, plus an Arbitrum fee for the deposit.
Unit takes no fee of its own for ETH deposits. You pay only the Ethereum network fee. It waits for 14 Ethereum confirmations, about 3 minutes by Unit's estimate, and Hyperliquid's help pages say about 5 minutes in total. Selling UETH for USDC later costs the normal spot trading fee and spread.
Common mistakes
- Sending USDC on Ethereum to the Unit ETH deposit address. That address only takes ETH and ENA on Ethereum. Unit has a revert tool for some wrong tokens, but not every mistake can be fixed.
- Sending less than the minimum. Hyperliquid says ETH deposits under 0.007 ETH through Unit, and USDC deposits under 5 USDC through the legacy bridge, are lost.
- Sending ETH on Arbitrum or Base to the Unit Ethereum address. Only ETH on the Ethereum network is credited there.
- Choosing HyperEVM as the destination when you want to trade. Funds on HyperEVM do not show up in your trading balance until you move them.
- Arriving on HyperEVM with no HYPE. Gas there is paid in HYPE, not ETH, so you cannot move your tokens without it.
- Expecting UETH to work as margin for perps. Perps use USDC, so sell UETH first or deposit USDC.
Before you transfer
- Decide first where the money should land: HyperCore for trading, HyperEVM for apps.
- For perps you need USDC. ETH becomes UETH, a spot token.
- Stay above the minimum for the route you use, after any exchange withdrawal fee.
- Keep some HYPE if you will use HyperEVM. Trading on HyperCore needs no gas.
- Send a small test first if the route is new to you.
Frequently asked questions
Use a bridge that delivers to HyperCore, such as Across or Relay. Pick USDC on Ethereum as the source and USDC on HyperCore as the destination. The USDC lands in your Hyperliquid account without a stop on Arbitrum.
No. The Arbitrum bridge still works, but Hyperliquid's docs call it deprecated. Circle CCTP and bridges like Across and Relay now send USDC from Ethereum straight into Hyperliquid.
Yes. In the deposit screen choose ETH on Ethereum. Unit gives you an address. Send at least 0.007 ETH and UETH appears in your spot balance in about 5 minutes. To trade perps, sell UETH for USDC.
It depends on the route. The legacy Arbitrum bridge needs at least 5 USDC, and smaller deposits are lost. Unit needs at least 0.007 ETH. Bridges show their own limits in the quote.
If you log in with email, the deposit address accepts USDC on Arbitrum, Base, Ethereum and Polygon, handled by Across. With a wallet login, the deposit button uses Arbitrum, so use a bridge that goes to HyperCore instead.
HyperCore holds the order books, perps and spot balances. HyperEVM runs smart contracts and apps, with chain ID 999. They are separate balances. You move funds between them with a transfer in the Hyperliquid app.
Not for trading. Trading on HyperCore has no gas fees. You need HYPE only on HyperEVM, where it pays for gas, and for moving tokens between HyperCore and HyperEVM.
