A cross-chain swap lets you buy a token on one chain with money that sits on another. In Thor, you keep one dollar balance, USDC on Solana in USD Cash, and buy tokens on Base, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Robinhood and Arc straight from it. Thor bridges the USDC and buys the token in one trade, and selling sends USDC back home.
This guide covers how cross-chain swaps work in Thor, how to make your first one, what happens behind the tap, and when to use the classic Bridge instead.
The Problem Cross-Chain Swaps Solve
A hot coin launches on Base while your money is in SOL. Before cross-chain swaps, you had to:
- bridge SOL to ETH on Base and wait for it to arrive;
- keep some ETH for gas;
- buy the coin;
- later, sell it and bridge the profit back.
That is two or three transactions, two gas coins and several minutes of watching the chart move without you. With a cross-chain swap it is one tap: buy the Base coin with USDC, and Thor does the rest.
How Cross-Chain Swaps Work in Thor
Cross-chain swaps run from USD Cash, your single USDC wallet on Solana. See the USD Cash guide for how to set it up and fund it.
When USD Cash is your active wallet:
- Buying on Solana: the USDC buys the token directly.
- Buying on an EVM chain: Thor bridges the USDC to that chain first, then buys the token.
- Selling, anywhere: the token is sold and the value comes back as USDC in USD Cash on Solana.
- Gas: you don't need ETH, BNB or SOL. The network fee is paid for you and charged back in USDC in the same trade.
Your receipts, alerts and limit-order fills show the stablecoin you paid or received, not SOL.
How to Make Your First Cross-Chain Swap
1. Fund USD Cash
Open Deposit, choose USD Cash and send USDC, SOL, USDT or USDG on Solana, or stablecoins and the chain's coin on any EVM chain. Everything arrives as USDC. Already have funds in other Thor wallets? Use Move to USD Cash.
2. Make USD Cash active
Pick USD Cash in any wallet picker, or tap Make active on its card in Wallets. It becomes your active wallet on Solana and every EVM chain at once.
3. Buy on any chain
- Open a token on Base, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Robinhood or Arc. Paste its address in the chat or find it in the Mini App.
- Enter the amount in USDC. If you type it in SOL or ETH, Thor converts it at the market price.
- Check the order. It says it pays from USD Cash in USDC and shows every fee.
- Confirm and follow the trade status.
4. Sell back into dollars
Open the position and sell as usual. The proceeds land in USD Cash as USDC, ready for the next trade on any chain.
All Your Chains in One Place
Positions from every chain, one list
The USD Cash tab on Home and Portfolio lists every position you bought from USD Cash, whatever chain it is on, with a chain badge on each token. One balance in, one list of positions out.
Thor Trading Bot
See your funds by chain
The Wallets tab shows the rest of your money on one arc, one segment per chain plus Perps and Polymarket. Tap a chain to see its wallets and positions, and to Transfer, Withdraw or Bridge from all its wallets at once.
Thor Trading Bot
Speed
Thor runs its own private Solana node: Solana trades land in under 0.8 seconds from tap to on-chain in normal conditions, and EVM trades in under 4 seconds. A cross-chain swap also includes the time the bridge takes. Speed is never guaranteed when a network is congested. See Why Thor is fast.
Cross-Chain Swap or Bridge?
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Buy a token on another chain with your dollars | Cross-chain swap from USD Cash |
| Sell a token anywhere and get dollars back | Cross-chain swap from USD Cash |
| Move funds to another chain without buying | Bridge |
| Send funds to a wallet outside Thor on another chain | Bridge |
| Trade in a chain's own coin, such as ETH on Base | Your EVM wallet, as before |
For the classic bridge, read How to bridge SOL to Base and any supported chain.
Fees
Spot trades cost Thor's flat 0.5% per trade, or 0% with the subscription. Every fee on a cross-chain swap, including bridging and network costs, is shown on the order before you confirm. See Fees.
Good to Know
- Cross-chain swaps run from USD Cash. Your other wallets keep trading in their own coin.
- Perps and Predictions use your own EVM wallet, not USD Cash.
- Tokens are never moved by Move to USD Cash: only coins and stablecoins are converted.
- Check the token before you buy. On EVM chains Thor's security panel flags honeypots and high-risk tokens. See Trade safely.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cross-chain swap?
A cross-chain swap trades a coin on one chain for a token on another in a single step. In Thor you pay with USDC on Solana from USD Cash and receive a token on Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Robinhood or Arc. Thor handles the bridge and the buy for you.
Which chains can I buy on with Solana USDC?
Every chain Thor trades on: Solana, Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Robinhood and Arc. On Solana the USDC buys the token directly; on the EVM chains Thor bridges the USDC first, then buys.
Do I need ETH or BNB for gas?
No. When you trade from USD Cash, the network fee is paid for you and charged back in USDC in the same trade.
Where does the money go when I sell?
Selling a token you bought from USD Cash turns it back into USDC in USD Cash on Solana, whichever chain the token is on.
How fast is a cross-chain swap?
Solana trades land in under 0.8 seconds and EVM trades in under 4 seconds in normal conditions. A cross-chain swap also includes the time the bridge takes.
What is the difference between a cross-chain swap and Bridge?
Bridge only moves your funds from one chain to another. A cross-chain swap moves USDC and buys a token in the same trade, and selling brings the money back as USDC.
What does a cross-chain swap cost?
Spot trades cost Thor's flat 0.5% per trade, or 0% with the subscription. Every fee on the order, including bridging and network costs, is shown before you confirm.
Step-by-step in the Docs
- Cross-chain swaps: Buy and sell tokens on any chain with USDC from USD Cash.
- USD Cash: One USDC wallet on Solana that trades every chain.
- Bridge: Move funds between Solana and EVM chains.
- Supported chains and markets: Where you can trade with Thor.