Trading Tokens
Use the npx awal@latest trade command to swap tokens on Base network via the CDP Swap API. You must be authenticated to trade.
Confirm wallet is initialized and authed
npx awal@latest status
If the wallet is not authenticated, refer to the authenticate-wallet skill.
Command Syntax
npx awal@latest trade <amount> <from> <to> [options]
Arguments
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
amount | Amount to swap (see Amount Formats below) |
from | Source token: alias (usdc, eth, weth) or contract address (0x...) |
to | Destination token: alias (usdc, eth, weth) or contract address (0x...) |
Amount Formats
The amount can be specified in multiple formats:
| Format | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar prefix | '$1.00', '$0.50' | USD notation (decimals based on token) |
| Decimal | 1.0, 0.50, 0.001 | Human-readable with decimal point |
| Whole number | 5, 100 | Interpreted as whole tokens |
| Atomic units | 500000 | Large integers treated as atomic units |
Auto-detection: Large integers without a decimal point are treated as atomic units. For example, 500000 for USDC (6 decimals) = $0.50.
Decimals: For known tokens (usdc=6, eth=18, weth=18), decimals are automatic. For arbitrary contract addresses, decimals are read from the token contract.
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-c, --chain <name> | Blockchain network (default: base) |
-s, --slippage <n> | Slippage tolerance in basis points (100 = 1%) |
--json | Output result as JSON |
Token Aliases
| Alias | Token | Decimals | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| usdc | USDC | 6 | 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 |
| eth | ETH | 18 | 0xEeeeeEeeeEeEeeEeEeEeeEEEeeeeEeeeeeeeEEeE |
| weth | WETH | 18 | 0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000006 |
IMPORTANT: Always single-quote amounts that use $ to prevent bash variable expansion (e.g. '$1.00' not $1.00).
Examples
# Swap $1 USDC for ETH (dollar prefix — note the single quotes)
npx awal@latest trade '$1' usdc eth
# Swap 0.50 USDC for ETH (decimal format)
npx awal@latest trade 0.50 usdc eth
# Swap 500000 atomic units of USDC for ETH
npx awal@latest trade 500000 usdc eth
# Swap 0.01 ETH for USDC
npx awal@latest trade 0.01 eth usdc
# Swap with custom slippage (2%)
npx awal@latest trade '$5' usdc eth --slippage 200
# Swap using contract addresses (decimals read from chain)
npx awal@latest trade 100 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000006
# Get JSON output
npx awal@latest trade '$1' usdc eth --json
Prerequisites
- Must be authenticated (
awal statusto check) - Wallet must have sufficient balance of the source token
Error Handling
Common errors:
- "Not authenticated" - Run
awal auth login <email>first - "Invalid token" - Use a valid alias (usdc, eth, weth) or 0x address
- "Cannot swap a token to itself" - From and to must be different
- "Swap failed: TRANSFER_FROM_FAILED" - Insufficient balance or approval issue
- "No liquidity" - Try a smaller amount or different token pair
- "Amount has X decimals but token only supports Y" - Too many decimal places