Read time: ≈ 13 min • Last updated: November 25 2025
I transferred $100 to the same wallet on 6 L2s. Here’s the cheapest route, the hidden bridge traps, and the rollup I now use daily—plus the $27 gas mistake that started this whole test.
Raw receipts, CSV downloads, and the exact bridge settings I copy-paste every Monday.
Why I re-tested L2 fees in 2025
EIP-4844 blobs went live in March 2024, but by late 2025 Base TVL is up 42 % and gas on Arbitrum is... creeping again. I paid $27 to move $100 during the last meme-mint spike and realised I needed a live cheat-sheet.
- Same $100 amount, same destination wallet
- Round-trip: L1 → L2 → L1 (what most users actually do)
- Include bridge fees + L2 gas + withdrawal (where applicable)
- Raw CSV download at bottom
If you only bridge one-way you’ll halve the cost—but you’ll still need to exit one day. I test the round-trip so you know the worst-case cost.
My $100 method & disclaimers
Amount: $100 USDC each leg
Wallets: Ledger Nano X (same receive address)
Bridges: Official or highest-TVL only (Orbiter, Hop, Base native, Arbitrum native, etc.)
Gas tracker: TradingView ETH/USD close
I always wait for < 30 gwei on L1; otherwise I postpone the test. Week-end = cheapest.
60-day fee results table
| Rollup | Bridge Used | L1 → L2 ($) | L2 Gas ($) | L2 → L1 ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Base Native | 0.42 | 0.08 | 0.32 | 0.82 |
| Optimism | Hop | 0.55 | 0.12 | 0.48 | 1.15 |
| Arbitrum | Arbitrum Native | 0.61 | 0.15 | 0.52 | 1.28 |
| zkSync Era | Orbiter | 0.68 | 0.11 | 0.64 | 1.43 |
| Linea | Orbiter | 0.71 | 0.09 | 0.69 | 1.49 |
| Polygon zkEVM | Orbiter | 0.74 | 0.13 | 0.71 | 1.58 |
Winner – Base at $0.82 per round-trip
Blob space is still cheap (≈ 0.08 $ per tx) and Coinbase subsidises the native bridge (no third-party fee). Withdrawal to L1 takes 7 min – fastest of the pack.
I now use Base for monthly DCA. Total 2025 savings: $42 in fees vs my old Arbitrum route.
4 hidden bridge traps I hit
Orbiter uses its own oracle; USDC/USD spread was 0.3 % → $1.4 hidden cost. Always check “rate” vs Binance spot.
zkSync withdrawal window is 24 h vs 7 min for Base. If you need liquidity same-day, you pay extra LP fee (~$3).
I once bridged during a meme-mint – L1 gas 120 gwei → $9 extra. Now I wait for < 30 gwei (week-end).
Google ad led to “hop-protocol.finance” (extra dash). Bookmark only – never search.
Cheapest route cheat-sheet
- Week-end, L1 gas < 30 gwei (TradingView ETH chart)
- Use native bridge (Base, Arbitrum, OP) – no third-party fee
- Bridge before 08:00 UTC – mempool is emptier
- Withdraw on Monday morning – blob space cheapest
Following these 4 rules saves me ~$18 per round-trip vs “random” timing.
Security checklist before you bridge
- Bookmark official bridge – never Google it.
- Check URL certificate (padlock) + Twitter bio link.
- Test with $10 first, then send the rest.
- Use a Ledger – MetaMask hot wallets are phish-magnets.
I store 90 % of funds on Ledger and only keep $200 hot for gas. Never had a phish.
Download my bridge tracker sheet
Auto-pulls gas price, bridge fee, total cost:
Open Sheet Download XLSXFrequently Asked Questions
Base at $0.82 round-trip under 30 gwei. Always check weekend rates.
Use official or highest-TVL bridges, bookmark URL, test $10 first. Never Google the link.
Only if you plan to stay on L2 forever. Most CEXs now support direct L2 deposits, so you can off-ramp without L1.
EIP-4844 introduced “blobs” – temporary data chunks that rollups use instead of calldata, cutting fees 90 %.
I am not a financial advisor. Bridge fees are volatile and smart-contract risk exists. Always test small amounts first.