All Time High (ATH) has been making all time high after all time high ↑. So as you might imagine, lately, our DMs have been flooded with questions like:

"How can I get $ATH?"
"What in the Inception is Layer 3?"
and of course "wen ATH?"

In case you missed our last post, ATH is on a mission to bring the next Trillion users to Degen Chain. As the community-appointed official degencoin of Degen Chain, ATH wants to make sure you're equipped to hop on to Layer 3 and grab some $ATH with confidence.

But first, what is Degen Chain? Essentially it is a Layer 3 (L3) blockchain built on top of the Base Layer 2 (L2). It uses $degen as its native token, meaning gas is paid in $degen.

As a Layer 3, Degen Chain is super fast and has much lower fees compared to the Ethereum mainnet. All of this makes it the ideal chain for degens .

Now that you're up to speed, let's begin your step-by-step Degen Chain initiation:

Step 0: Initial Setup

OK, first things first, you'll need some ETH or $degen in your crypto wallet on the Base network. While you can bridge using other tokens and other networks, let's keep it simple and focus on getting $degen onto Degen Chain. As $degen is native to Base, it’s natural we start there.

Metamask and Coinbase Wallet work best at the moment, as some others might not be supported just yet. (*Update 05/04/2024, Rainbow now supports Degen Chain! With native support coming soon 🌈 ) 

You’ll also want to add “Degen Chain” to your network list.

Our friends at Revoke.cash have created this nice guide (with a 1-click button) that you can use to add Degen Chain to your wallet. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can add it manually:

Step 1: Acquire $degen on Base Network

If you're a Farcaster OG, you probably bagged some $degen just by being online and posting stuff. If not, no worries—you can purchase $degen on Base, an L2 network on top of Ethereum's L1.

To get some $degen we suggest using Uniswap or Aerodrome. These decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are your go-to for swapping tokens:

1. Select the token you want to swap for $degen e.g. ETH.

2. Enter the amount you want to swap. Remember, on L2 you'll need ETH for gas, but thanks to the low-fees, swapping won't break the bank (shoutout to Jesse and co. at Base).

3. Hit swap → you may need to approve the amount if this is your first time, before confirming the swap

Step 2: Bridging Degen to Layer 3

Next, you'll "bridge" (send) your $degen from L2 to the shiny new realm of L3. You've got options, either the official Degen Chain Bridge: or the shiny new Relay bridge.

1. Connect your wallet, then select Base network (default option) 

2. Choose DEGEN as your token (or search for DEGEN in the search bar).

3. Input how much $degen you're sending over, and approve the transaction.

4. Your wallet should pop-up and allow you to ‘approve’  the amount you're sending over. 

5. Once approved, you’ll be able to ‘confirm’ the transfer in a second step.

Then watch as your $degen magically moves over to L3.

You can track your progress on the Degen Chain explorer, by entering your wallet address in the search bar, but patience, young Degen, these things can take a bit of time.

Step 3: Swap Your $degen for $ATH

The magic moment has arrived. With your $degen now on L3, it's time to get some $ATH. For this you'll need to head over to DegenSwap (it's like Uniswap but more Degen):

1. Connect your wallet and select the 'Degen Chain' network 

2. Degen will already be selected as the default 'Swap From' token 

3. Select $ATH as the token you want to swap for

4. Enter the amount of $degen you want to swap, and hit 'swap'

5. Confirm the amount and the transfer  

And bam! You just completed your first swap on Layer 3, which leads to the last and maybe most important step…

Step 4: Watch your $ATH go to a new ATH!

Congratulations, you've officially joined Degen Chain's Layer 3 via $ATH. Now, kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride as $ATH hits new all time highs and your airdrops start rolling in. Our flywheel is designed to foster growth for both $ATH and of course $DEGEN, where this crazy journey all began. 

The crypto landscape has rapidly transformed, birthing a vast ecosystem that's both thrilling and a tad overwhelming. So if you found this guide helpful, please share this post with anyone who might want to start navigating the Degen Chain ecosystem. 

Good luck exploring Degen ↑