Deposits & Withdrawals Guide
Moving Money In and Out of the Hyperliquid L1
Unlike centralized exchanges (like Binance) where you send crypto to a specific deposit address, Hyperliquid uses a Bridge system. Your funds live on the Arbitrum One blockchain, and you "lock" them there to mint a mirrored balance on the Hyperliquid L1.
Part 1: How to Deposit
Hyperliquid currently supports USDC.e (Bridged USDC from Ethereum) on the Arbitrum One network as its primary collateral.
Step-by-Step Deposit Process
Prepare your Wallet
Ensure your wallet (Rabby/MetaMask) is on the Arbitrum One network.
Get Funds
You need USDC.e (the asset you will trade with) and ETH ($1-2) to pay for the Arbitrum gas fee.
Open the Bridge
Go to app.hyperliquid.xyz and click the blue Deposit button in the top right corner.
Approve & Sign
First, approve the Hyperliquid Bridge contract to spend your USDC. Then click Deposit and confirm the transaction.
Arrival
Funds typically arrive in 30-40 seconds.
Supported Assets
While the primary collateral is USDC, you can deposit other assets directly if you want to trade Spot pairs, but for Perpetual trading, you must have USDC.
Note: Do not try to send native USDC (circle) if the bridge specifically asks for USDC.e, although most modern bridges handle the swap automatically now. Always check the ticker symbol carefully.
Part 2: How to Withdraw
Hyperliquid is self-custodial. You can withdraw your funds at any time. However, because you are moving funds from a high-speed L1 back to Arbitrum, there are two ways to do it.
Method A: Official Bridge (Trustless)
⚡ Speed
24 hours
💰 Cost
Very cheap (destination gas only)
📋 Use Case
Large amounts or when you are in no rush
🔧 How
Go to Withdraw -> Select 'Official Bridge'
Method B: Instant Withdraw (Third-Party)
⚡ Speed
< 1 minute
💰 Cost
Small fee (0.1% - 1%)
📋 Use Case
Daily active traders, arbitrageurs, or if you need cash now
🔧 How
Use Hypurr.fi or Instant toggle in UI
💡 Quick Comparison
Official Bridge: Best for large withdrawals where you want maximum security (trustless) and don't mind waiting.
Instant Withdraw: Best for traders who need immediate access to funds and are comfortable with a small fee.
Understanding the "Withdrawal Period"
Why does the official bridge take 24 hours?
Hyperliquid is an Optimistic Rollup-style L1. To ensure that the state of the chain is correct (and no one printed fake money), there is a "Challenge Period" where validators can dispute a withdrawal.
✅ Deposits are Fast
Arbitrum → Hyperliquid is trusted, so no dispute period is needed.
⏳ Withdrawals are Slow
To protect the main chain from exploits, validators need time to verify the withdrawal.
This is why Instant Bridges are so popular—they take on the 24-hour risk for you in exchange for a small fee.
Troubleshooting Deposits & Withdrawals
❓ I deposited but funds haven't arrived.
Check Arbiscan: Look up your transaction hash. Did it succeed?
Wait 5 Minutes: Sometimes Arbitrum is congested.
Refresh: Hard refresh the Hyperliquid page (Ctrl+F5).
❓ I can't see my USDC in the deposit window.
You likely have Native USDC instead of Bridged USDC.e
Fix: Go to Uniswap on Arbitrum and swap your Native USDC for USDC.e
Check the contract address: USDC.e ends in ...eb48, Native USDC ends in ...355
❓ Withdrawal is stuck.
If you used the Official Bridge, you must wait the full duration
Check the 'Transfers' tab - a countdown should be displayed
You cannot speed this up for trustless withdrawals
Safety Tips
Never send funds directly to the bridge contract address manually. Always use the UI.
Verify you are on the correct URL (hyperliquid.xyz) to avoid phishing.
Test with a small amount ($10) first if moving large capital.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Deposits are fast (30-40 seconds) and only require USDC.e on Arbitrum One
- ✓Official withdrawals take 24 hours but are trustless and secure
- ✓Instant withdrawals are fast but charge a small fee (use for active trading)
- ✓Always verify you have the correct token (USDC.e vs Native USDC)
Ready to fund your Hyperliquid account?
Start Trading on Hyperliquid