L2

A DEX swap on an L2 looks like a button click, but it is a bundled set of smart contract calls, approvals, and fee accounting that behaves differently from mainnet. This post covers my first small swap on Base, what I checked before submitting, and the exact parameters I used to keep risk low.

Funding is where clean wallet setup meets real money and real mistakes. The goal is to move a small, controlled amount from a regulated on-ramp into your DeFi wallet, prove the plumbing works on testnet, and then bridge a tiny mainnet amount to an L2 without leaking your full balance. This walkthrough covers the drill I use: testnet first, then a sub-$500 mainnet deposit, then the first L2 bridge with a clear rollback plan.