How to Get USDC

Get Native USDC (not zUSDC or whUSDC)

To trade on Merkle, you'll need the Native USDC token issued by Circle.

Note that Merkle Trade only supports native USDC, so make sure you have the right token. If you are new to Aptos ecosystem, you'll find there are several variants like zUSDC (LayerZero bridged USDC) and whUSDC (Wormhole bridged USDC). Before native USDC was launched, these bridged tokens were widely used across the ecosystem. Today, most dapps and users are switching over to native USDC.

Getting USDC

There are two simple ways to get native USDC:

1. Use Deposit feature

If you want to transfer USDC directly from a centralized exchange (e.g. Binance) or your EVM wallet (e.g. Metamask), you can use the Deposit feature on Merkle Trade. This feature lets you receive USDC by sending USDC to a deposit address on a EVM network such as Ethereum, Avalanche, or Arbitrum. Read the guide for detailed instructions.

Under the hood, it uses permissionless smart contract for generating deposit address and CCTP bridge (Circle's native USDC bridge) to perform the bridging. Refer to FAQ for more information.

2. Swap Other Tokens to USDC

If you already have APT or other tokens in your Aptos account, you can swap them for native USDC. We recommend using Panora Exchange, known for offering the best rates on Aptos. Alternatively, you can also use the Swap feature on Merkle Trade, which uses Panora Exchange behind the scenes—without any extra fees.