How to Swap BTC to ETH Without Wrapping
Bitcoin to ether, not Bitcoin to wrapped Bitcoin. How to swap real BTC for real ETH, and why the ETH you receive matters more than the headline rate.
Quick answer
To swap BTC to ETH without wrapping, sell real Bitcoin and get real ETH on Ethereum. Not wBTC sitting in MetaMask. On RAVN, five venues race for your swap. We pick the one that leaves you with the most ETH after costs, not the one with the prettiest headline rate.
Bridge vs swap
"Bridge BTC to ETH" and "swap BTC to ETH" sound alike. They get you different things.
- Bridge or wrap. You end with a Bitcoin-backed token like wBTC or cbBTC. Useful in DeFi.
- Swap. You end with ether, to spend, stake, or trade.
If you want ETH, a wrap is a detour. Pick ETH and you get ETH.
How to swap BTC to ETH
- Open app.ravn.exchange.
- From: BTC on Bitcoin. To: ETH on Ethereum. Pick ETH on another EVM chain only if you mean that chain.
- Enter the amount and check the ETH you get.
- Send your BTC to the DEPOSIT address the quote gives you. That one Bitcoin send is the whole job on your side.
- Wait a few minutes for Bitcoin to confirm, then check your EVM wallet on the right chain.
Building on the API? Send destinationAddress and refundAddress with the quote. Without them, several venues return a preview you cannot execute.
Who races for BTC to ETH
- BTCRelay, NEAR Intents, THORChain, Chainflip and Rift. Any venue that does not support the pair sits it out.
- OutReal ETH. Not a wrapped claim from RAVN.
The winning venue settles the swap. We never hold your funds.
How to judge a quote
- Compare the ETH you receive, not a chart price.
- Count the Bitcoin network fee you pay to send.
- Expect minutes, not seconds. Bitcoin needs block confirmations.
- If the market moves or the quote expires, quote again.
Try it in the app
Parallel venues, best execution, canonical assets. RAVN never holds your funds.
FAQ
Can I swap BTC to ETH without a centralized exchange?
Yes. You swap from your own wallet, with no exchange account in the middle. You still rely on the venue that settles the swap and on the networks themselves.
Is wBTC the same as swapping to ETH?
No. wBTC is wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum. ETH is ether. Pick the one you actually want to hold.
Does RAVN charge gas on BTC to ETH?
We add no gas markup. You pay the normal Bitcoin network fee to send your BTC.
Is RAVN live?
Yes. Swap at app.ravn.exchange, and find the API docs at docs.ravn.exchange.
