To send ETH, you copy the recipient’s wallet address, paste it into the send or withdrawal screen, select the Ethereum network, enter the amount, and confirm. The transfer lands in seconds to a couple of minutes. Simple on paper. In practice, one dropdown menu causes more beginner losses than every hacker combined, and this guide exists mostly because of it.
I’ve moved ETH nearly every day for a decade, and I still follow the same routine I’ll teach you here. If you don’t own any Ether yet, start with my guide on buying Ethereum for the first time and come back.
The Two Directions Your First Transfer Takes
Most first transactions go one of two ways.
Exchange to wallet. You bought ETH on an exchange and want it in self-custody. Open the withdrawal screen, paste your wallet address, and pick the network. This is the classic first move, usually into MetaMask.
Wallet to wallet. You’re paying someone or moving between your own addresses. Open your wallet, hit send, paste the address, sign.
Either way, the mechanics are identical: address, network, amount, confirm. The danger sits in step two.
The Network Dropdown: Read This Twice
Ethereum addresses start with 0x. So do addresses on Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, and a dozen other networks. Same format, completely different chains.
When an exchange asks which network to withdraw on, the cheap options in that menu are not shortcuts. They’re different roads. Send ETH over Base to someone expecting it on Ethereum mainnet and the coins arrive somewhere your recipient may not be watching, or can’t access at all.
The rule for your first transfer: match the network on both ends, and when in doubt, pick Ethereum mainnet on both sides. Layer 2 networks are wonderful once you understand them. Day one is not that day.
Gas: The Toll You Pay in ETH
Every Ethereum transaction burns a small fee called gas, paid in ETH. A simple transfer on mainnet usually costs well under a dollar in 2026, though busy days spike it.
Two habits follow from this. Never empty your balance to zero, because tokens without gas behind them are stuck. And don’t panic when the wallet shows a fee estimate before you sign; that’s the network quote, not a scam.
The Test Transaction Ritual
Before any meaningful transfer, send a tiny amount first. Ten dollars, five, whatever stings the least.
Wait for it to arrive. Confirm with the recipient or check the address yourself on a block explorer. Then send the rest to the exact same address.
Yes, you pay gas twice. Consider it the cheapest insurance in crypto. Blockchain transactions are irreversible, and no support desk exists to claw one back. A decade in, I still test-send before any transfer that matters.
Check the Address Like Money Depends on It
It does. Clipboard malware exists that swaps a copied address for an attacker’s the moment you paste. Verify the first six and last six characters of the pasted address against the original, every time. Thirty seconds of squinting beats a permanent loss.
Keep This Content Free
Your first transaction will cost you a few cents in gas. This guide cost you nothing. If it saved you a headache, sign up on OKX or Bybit through our referral links; you collect the welcome bonus and we keep publishing.
Final Words
Address, network, test amount, full amount. Four beats, in that order, and your first ETH transaction becomes as boring as a bank transfer, which is exactly what you want.
Sending Bitcoin works differently enough to deserve its own walkthrough, so I wrote one: your first Bitcoin transaction covers it.
FAQ
How long does an ETH transaction take?
Usually under a minute on mainnet once submitted. Exchanges may add processing time on withdrawals, so allow a few extra minutes end to end.
How much does it cost to send ETH?
Typically under a dollar on Ethereum mainnet in 2026, and cents on Layer 2 networks. Fees rise during network congestion.
I sent ETH on the wrong network. Is it gone?
Not always. If you control the receiving address, you can often add the other network in your wallet and find the funds there. If an exchange controls it, contact their support; recovery depends on their policy.
Can I cancel a transaction after sending?
Once confirmed on-chain, no. A pending transaction can sometimes be replaced by resubmitting with a higher fee, but treat every send as final.
