USDT to Solana: how to move Tether from Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum or Tron to USDT on Solana
by PrivaccUpdated October 3, 20266 min read
Tether issues USDT on more than a dozen networks, and each one is a separate token that only lives on its own chain. The USDT in an exchange withdrawal labelled ERC-20 or TRC-20 cannot be sent to a Solana wallet, and a Solana wallet cannot see USDT sitting on Ethereum or BNB Chain. People search for this in a hundred ways: usdt20 to usdc sol, usdt bsc to usdt sol, swap usdt to solana. The answer is the same for all of them. This guide covers which USDT you have, how to move it to Solana without an exchange account, what it costs, and the one network that has to go through an exchange.
On this page
Which USDT do you have?
Look at where it is. If it is in MetaMask or another EVM wallet, it is on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon or another EVM network, and the wallet shows which. If it is in a Tron wallet or was withdrawn from an exchange as TRC-20, it is on Tron. If it is in Phantom or Solflare, it is already on Solana and this guide is not needed.
The names people use are shorthand for the network: USDT20 or ERC-20 means Ethereum, BEP-20 means BNB Chain, TRC-20 means Tron, and USDT SPL or USDT SOL means Solana. The Solana one has the mint address Es9vMFrzaCERmJfrF4H2FYD4KCoNkY11McCe8BenwNYB; anything else called USDT on Solana is not Tether's.
| Label you will see | Network | Can this site bring it to Solana? |
|---|---|---|
| ERC-20, USDT20 | Ethereum | Yes, in one route |
| BEP-20, USDT BSC | BNB Chain | Yes, in one route |
| Arbitrum, Base, Polygon | Those networks | Yes, in one route |
| TRC-20 | Tron | No. Through an exchange |
| SPL, USDT SOL | Solana | Already there |
Moving it in one route
Above the swap panel on this site, choose the network your USDT is on. Connect the wallet that holds it; for an EVM network that is MetaMask, Rabby, Coinbase Wallet or any wallet that supports WalletConnect. Set the destination network to Solana and the destination token to USDT, or straight to SOL if that is what you want to end up with. Enter the amount, review the quote, and sign.
LI.FI, the router this site uses for every network except Solana itself, finds a bridge that carries the value across and, if you asked for a different token, swaps it on arrival. It shows up in the Solana wallet address you give it, which can be any Solana wallet, including one that has never held anything. One transaction to sign on the source network; nothing to do on the Solana side.
How long it takes
A bridge is not a swap. Expect two to ten minutes for most routes, occasionally longer when a bridge is congested, and the panel shows the route's own estimate before you sign. The transaction is not stuck if it has not arrived in thirty seconds.
The Solana wallet needs no SOL to receive
Receiving USDT on Solana creates a token account, and the route pays for that. The wallet does need a little SOL to do anything with the USDT afterwards, including swapping it, so if the plan is to trade on Solana, bridge to SOL or send a small amount of SOL separately. The fees guide explains why.
What it costs
Three things: the gas on the source network, which you pay in that network's coin and which is the largest part on Ethereum and small everywhere else; the bridge's own fee, typically a fraction of a percent; and this site's fee on the other networks, a flat one percent that is already inside the quote. The amount the panel shows as what you receive is after all three. A hundred dollars of USDT from BNB Chain arrives as roughly ninety-eight to ninety-nine dollars of USDT on Solana; from Ethereum, gas can take a few dollars more.
An exchange would charge a withdrawal fee instead, often one USDT on Tron and several on Ethereum, plus a trading fee if it converts. For small amounts the exchange can be cheaper; for anything over a few hundred dollars the route here usually is, and it needs no account.
USDT on Tron has to go through an exchange
Tron is where a lot of USDT lives, because exchange withdrawals in TRC-20 are cheap, and it is the one network this site does not route. There is no bridge in LI.FI's set from Tron to Solana. The path is to deposit the TRC-20 USDT to an exchange that supports both networks, then withdraw it as USDT on Solana, choosing the Solana network and pasting a Solana wallet address. Most large exchanges offer Solana withdrawals of USDT.
Double-check the network on the withdrawal form. Withdrawing to a Solana address on the wrong network, or to an Ethereum address on the Solana network, loses the funds in most cases.
USDT or USDC on arrival?
Both are dollar tokens on Solana and swap into each other at almost exactly one to one. USDC is the more widely used of the two on Solana, with deeper pools against most tokens and acceptance in more apps; USDT is fine for holding and for the main pairs. The route can deliver either, so pick the one you will use and skip the extra swap.
Mistakes that lose money
Sending ERC-20 USDT to a Solana address from a wallet or exchange. The networks are different; the transaction either fails or the funds are gone. Use a bridge or an exchange withdrawal on the Solana network.
Buying a token on Solana called USDT that is not Tether's. Check the mint address on the token page before swapping into it.
Bridging to a wallet you do not control, such as an exchange deposit address that does not accept the token or the network. Bridge to your own Solana wallet first.
Setting a tight slippage limit on a bridge route and watching it fail repeatedly. The default on the panel is set for the route; leave it unless you know why you are changing it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send USDT from Binance straight to Phantom?
Yes, if you choose the Solana network on the withdrawal form. Binance and most large exchanges support USDT withdrawals on Solana. Choosing ERC-20 or TRC-20 and pasting a Solana address does not work.
Is USDT on Solana the same as USDT on Ethereum?
Same issuer, same dollar backing, different token on a different network. One cannot be sent to the other's wallet; it has to be bridged or moved through an exchange.
How do I swap USDT BSC to USDT SOL?
Choose BNB Chain above the swap panel, connect the EVM wallet holding the USDT, set the destination to USDT on Solana with your Solana address, and sign. LI.FI bridges it in a few minutes.
Can I bridge TRC-20 USDT to Solana?
Not here, and not through LI.FI. Deposit it to an exchange that supports both networks and withdraw on Solana.
Why did I receive less than I sent?
Source-network gas, the bridge's fee and the platform fee come out of the amount, and the quote shows the result before you sign. A few percent on a small amount from Ethereum is normal; a few tenths of a percent from BNB Chain or Arbitrum is typical.