| name | trade |
| description | Swap or trade tokens on Base network. Use when you or the user want to trade, swap, exchange, buy, sell, or convert between tokens like USDC, ETH, and WETH. Covers phrases like "buy ETH", "sell ETH for USDC", "convert USDC to ETH", "get some ETH". |
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
npx awal@latest trade '$1' usdc eth
npx awal@latest trade 0.50 usdc eth
npx awal@latest trade 500000 usdc eth
npx awal@latest trade 0.01 eth usdc
npx awal@latest trade '$5' usdc eth --slippage 200
npx awal@latest trade 100 0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913 0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000006
npx awal@latest trade '$1' usdc eth --json
Prerequisites
- Must be authenticated (
awal status to 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
