How to Buy ETH on Optimism

Mar 14, 2026

ETH on Optimism is the gas token for OP Mainnet and the base asset for its DeFi ecosystem. Relay lets you acquire ETH on Optimism from any starting asset — no account, no KYC, settling in seconds.

What Is ETH on Optimism?

Optimism (OP Mainnet) is an Ethereum rollup with low gas fees and strong Ethereum compatibility. ETH on Optimism is used to:

• Pay gas on OP Mainnet transactions
• Trade on Velodrome — Optimism's largest native DEX
• Provide liquidity in Optimism DeFi protocols
• Use in Synthetix and other Optimism-native applications

Optimism is the original OP Stack chain and shares architecture with Base.

How to Buy ETH on Optimism with Relay

Step 1: Go to Relay

Open relay.link in your browser. No account required.

Step 2: Connect your wallet

Connect any EVM wallet. Relay is non-custodial throughout.

Step 3: Select ETH on Optimism as your output

Choose your starting asset and set ETH with Optimism as the destination.

Step 4: Confirm and receive

Review the exact ETH amount and confirm. Transactions settle in under 3 seconds.

Why Use Relay?

Non-custodial. Relay never holds your funds.

No KYC. Wallet connection only.

Fast. 2.7 second median crosschain execution.

No destination gas required. No need to hold ETH on Optimism to receive it.

Reliable. $20B+ in volume, 99.9%+ fill rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is ETH on Optimism different from ETH on Base?

Both are OP Stack L2s with similar fee profiles and security. Optimism has Velodrome and Synthetix as flagship protocols; Base has the Coinbase user base and growing DeFi. Relay moves ETH between them in seconds.

Is there a 7-day waiting period like official bridges?

No. Relay settles in seconds in both directions using its intent-based model.