Funding a wallet

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.raydium.io/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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The three funding paths

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Path 1: Centralized exchange withdrawal (cheapest)

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Steps

1. Buy SOL on the exchange. If you already hold some crypto there (USDC, BTC, ETH), swap it to SOL internally — usually 0.1% fee or less.
2. Copy your wallet address from your Solana wallet. It is a base58 string around 32–44 characters. This is your deposit address.
3. On the exchange, go to Withdraw. Select SOL. Paste your address. Select network Solana (not BEP20, not ERC20 — if the exchange offers SOL on multiple networks, pick native Solana).
4. Double-check the first 4 and last 4 characters of the pasted address match what’s in your wallet. Clipboard-hijacking malware is real.
5. Send a small test amount first if you are withdrawing a large sum for the first time.
6. Confirm withdrawal. It usually arrives in under 2 minutes.

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Fees

• Exchange withdrawal fee: typically 0.01–0.02 SOL (~$1–$2). A one-time cost.
• No further fees for the transfer itself on Solana’s side.

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Gotchas

• Wrong network. Some exchanges list SOL as an ERC20 wrapper. Always pick native Solana when withdrawing to a Solana wallet, or the funds will be stuck on the wrong chain.
• Memo/tag field. Solana does not use memos — ignore this field if the exchange shows it.
• Minimum withdrawal. Exchanges have minimums (often 0.1 SOL). If your order is smaller, the withdrawal will fail.

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Path 2: In-wallet fiat on-ramp (fastest for first-timers)

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Steps

1. Open your Solana wallet.
2. Tap “Buy” or “Deposit → Buy crypto”.
3. Select SOL and the amount in your local currency.
4. Provide card details (or bank transfer details in some regions).
5. Complete KYC if required — typically a photo of ID + selfie. First-time KYC takes 5–30 minutes.
6. SOL is credited to your wallet once payment clears.

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Fees

• Service fee: Moonpay is ~3.5–4.5%. Transak is ~2.5–4%. Stripe is ~1.5–2% but only in select countries.
• Spread: Additional 0.5–1.5% hidden in the quoted price.
• Total cost: Plan for ~3–5% above spot for this path.

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When it makes sense

• You have no crypto anywhere yet.
• You value speed and simplicity over cost.
• You’re buying a small amount ($50–$500) where the fee dollar value is acceptable.

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Path 3: Cross-chain bridges

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Main bridges

• Wormhole Portal — portalbridge.com. Oldest, widest chain support. Bridges tokens as wrapped versions (e.g. USDC becomes USDC.wh) unless the bridge has a CCTP integration for that asset. Check for native asset deliveries.
• deBridge — debridge.finance. Bridge + DEX in one: you can send ETH from Ethereum and receive USDC on Solana. Handles the conversion automatically.
• Allbridge Core — allbridge.io. Focuses on stablecoins, native delivery.
• Jupiter’s bridge aggregator — built into jup.ag/bridge. Routes across multiple bridges.
• Circle’s CCTP (for USDC) — native USDC transfers between supported chains (Ethereum, Base, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Solana). No wrapping, no liquidity risk. Accessible through most bridge UIs.

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Steps (generic)

1. Visit the bridge UI. Connect both your origin-chain wallet (e.g. MetaMask) and your Solana wallet.
2. Select origin chain, destination chain (Solana), input asset, output asset.
3. Review the quote — fees, slippage, estimated time.
4. Approve the bridge contract on the origin chain (one-time per asset, costs origin-chain gas).
5. Execute the bridge. Wait for confirmation on both chains.
6. Funds appear in your Solana wallet.

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Fees and timing

• Bridge fee: 0.1–0.5% typical.
• Origin-chain gas: varies wildly. Ethereum mainnet gas can be $5–$50; Base / Arbitrum are cents.
• Time: 5–30 minutes on most routes. Some Wormhole routes can take longer if finality is slow on the origin chain.

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Gotchas

• Wrapped vs native USDC on Solana. “USDC” on Solana can be either native USDC (preferred — EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v) or a Wormhole wrapper (A9mUU4qviSctJVPJdBJWkb28deg915LYJKrzQ19ji3FM). They are not interchangeable on Raydium — pools exist for both, but liquidity concentrates on the native mint. Always prefer native.
• Fake bridge sites. Phishing is common; bookmark bridges you use.
• Minimum amounts. Bridges often have $5–$20 minimums to cover their own fixed costs.

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After funding: verify in the wallet

1. SOL balance is what you expect.
2. Network is “Solana Mainnet Beta” (the default; occasionally testnet is accidentally enabled).
3. Transaction history shows the incoming transfer.

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Reverse flow: off-ramping

• Exchange deposit: send SOL (or any Solana SPL token the exchange lists) to your exchange deposit address. Sell it for fiat.
• In-wallet off-ramp: some wallets offer Moonpay off-ramps (wallet → bank transfer). Availability varies by country.
• Bridge: send SOL or bridged USDC back to the origin chain.

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SOL-specific gotchas

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Minimum balance reserved for rent

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Wrapped SOL (wSOL)

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The “close ATA” reclaim

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Where to go next

• Do your first swap: getting-started/first-swap.
• Safety: getting-started/trust-and-safety.
• FAQ: getting-started/faq.