One issuer, a separate contract on each network
Circle describes USDC as a dollar-backed stablecoin that runs on multiple blockchains, controlled on each one by a smart
contract, and it publishes the address of that contract for every blockchain it supports
(Circle). On Ethereum the address is
0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48; on Polygon PoS it is 0x3c499c542cEF5E3811e1192ce70d8cC03d5c3359.
Those are two separate balances. Sending USDC on Ethereum does not change anything on Polygon, and a wallet showing USDC on one network shows nothing about the other. Moving between them is a transfer between two networks, which is what a bridge or an exchange does (what a crypto bridge is).
Circle’s list is also the reference for whether a token is USDC at all. A contract can call itself USD Coin whatever it is; the address is what can be compared with the issuer’s list — the same check as for fake USDT.
Native USDC and bridged USDC
On some networks a bridged form of USDC arrived before Circle issued USDC there. On Polygon PoS, Circle distinguishes native USDC, which it issues and which is redeemable one to one for US dollars, from USDC.e, which is USDC bridged from Ethereum and not issued by Circle. Circle also announced the end of USDC.e deposits and withdrawals on Polygon PoS for its Circle Mint accounts and APIs, warning that USDC.e sent there afterwards may not be recoverable (Circle).
On Base the bridged token is called USDbC and has its own address, separate from native USDC (Circle). The pattern is the same: two tokens with similar names on one network, and a platform that lists one of them does not treat the other as the same token. The quotes on this site’s Polygon and Base routes are for native USDC.
What CCTP does
Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol moves native USDC between supported blockchains by burning it on the network it leaves and minting it on the network it arrives on, without traditional bridge liquidity pools. Circle offers a Fast Transfer option for speed and a Standard Transfer option for cost, and documents CCTP as a permissionless onchain utility that applications build on (Circle).
Because CCTP transfers USDC natively, by burning and minting, what arrives is native USDC rather than a bridged token. A bridge that works differently may deliver either, which is why the question “which USDC arrives” belongs before the question of price. The comparison on this site asks each provider for the same token contract on both networks, so every amount it shows is for the USDC you selected.
Questions
How do I bridge USDC?
Bridging USDC moves it from one network to another through a bridge, and the first thing to check is which USDC arrives: native USDC issued by Circle, or a bridged version such as USDC.e that Circle does not issue. The route pages on this site show what each provider would deliver on the destination network.
Does Circle have a bridge for USDC?
Circle runs the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP), which moves native USDC between the blockchains it supports by burning it on one and minting it on the other, without bridge liquidity pools. Circle documents it as an onchain utility for applications to build on.
What is the cheapest way to send USDC?
No single way is cheapest for every transfer: the cost depends on the network you send on, whether the transfer crosses to another network, and the amount. On one network you pay that network's fee; between networks, compare what each route delivers for your amount.
Which USDC on Polygon should I add to MetaMask?
Add the contract of the token you actually hold. On Polygon PoS, Circle's native USDC is 0x3c499c542cef5e3811e1192ce70d8cc03d5c3359, and the bridged USDC.e from Ethereum is 0x2791bca1f2de4661ed88a30c99a7a9449aa84174, which Circle states it does not issue.
Sources
- Circle Docs — USDC contract addresses · checked 2026-09-14
- Circle Docs — Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol · checked 2026-09-14
- Circle — native USDC now available on Polygon PoS · checked 2026-09-14
- Circle — what you need to know: native USDC on Base · checked 2026-09-14