How to Swap on Orkid
A complete walkthrough of your first swap on Orkid — connecting your wallet, choosing tokens, and executing a gasless, MEV-protected trade on Base with a 9 bps fee.
What you need
- A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Brave)
- A wallet extension or mobile app (Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, or WalletConnect)
- Tokens to swap on Base or Ethereum
Tools
Step-by-step
- 01
Go to Orkid Swap
Open https://orkidlabs.xyz in your browser. The swap interface loads automatically — no account creation needed. Orkid works on Base (Coinbase's L2) and Ethereum mainnet.
- 02
Connect your wallet
Click "Connect Wallet" and choose your wallet provider. Orkid supports Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, WalletConnect, and any EIP-1193 compatible wallet. On first connection, your wallet will ask you to approve the connection.
- 03
Select the network
Orkid defaults to Base for lower fees and faster confirmation. If you want to swap on Ethereum mainnet, switch your wallet network. Base transactions confirm in ~2 seconds; Ethereum takes ~12 seconds.
- 04
Choose your tokens
Select the token you want to sell (input) and the token you want to buy (output). Orkid supports all major Base tokens: WETH, USDC, USDT, DAI, cbBTC, EURC, AERO, VIRTUAL, wstETH, and more. Use the search to find any token by name or paste a contract address.
- 05
Enter the amount
Type the amount you want to swap. Orkid instantly quotes the expected output amount based on real-time prices from Tycho, Uniswap, Bebop, Wintermute, and Liquorice. The quote includes the 9 bps fee — what you see is what you get.
- 06
Review the route
Orkid shows you the route your swap will take. This might be a direct pool (e.g., WETH → USDC) or a multi-hop route through connector tokens (e.g., WETH → USDC → DAI → USDT) if that gives a better price. The route display shows each hop and the expected output at each step.
- 07
Approve the token (first time only)
If this is your first time swapping a token on Orkid, you need to approve it. Orkid uses Permit2 — this means you sign a gasless message, not an on-chain transaction. No ETH needed for gas. After the first approval, subsequent swaps of the same token skip this step.
- 08
Sign the swap
Click "Swap" and your wallet will ask you to sign the swap intent. This is a gasless signature — you don't pay gas. The Orkid solver receives your signed intent, finds the best execution route, pays the gas, and submits the transaction.
- 09
Receive your tokens
Your swap is confirmed in the next block (~2 seconds on Base). The output tokens arrive in your wallet. The 9 bps fee is already deducted from the output — no surprise charges.
- 10
Verify on Basescan
Every Orkid swap is verifiable on-chain. Copy your transaction hash from the confirmation screen and paste it into basescan.org to see the full execution trace, including the route taken and the actual amount received.
FAQ
Do I need ETH for gas on Base?
No. Orkid uses gasless execution — the solver pays gas and takes a small fee from the output. You only need the token you want to swap.
What is the fee?
Orkid charges 9 bps (0.09%) on every swap. For comparison, MetaMask charges 87.5 bps (0.875%). On a $1,000 swap, Orkid costs $0.90 vs MetaMask's $8.75.
Is my transaction safe from MEV?
Yes. Orkid uses private execution — your swap is sent directly to the solver, not broadcast to the public mempool. MEV bots cannot front-run or sandwich your trade.
What happens if the price changes before my swap confirms?
Orkid uses adaptive slippage (0.01–1.25 bps) calculated based on the route complexity. If the price moves beyond the slippage tolerance, the swap reverts and you keep your tokens.
Which chains does Orkid support?
Orkid currently supports Base and Ethereum mainnet. Base is recommended for lower fees and faster confirmation.