What Blockchains Does Borrow Support?

What Blockchains Does Borrow Support?

Borrow by Sats Terminal operates across six blockchains:

1. Ethereum (mainnet)
2. BASE
3. Arbitrum
4. Polygon
5. Optimism
6. BSC (BNB Chain)

This multi-chain architecture is central to how Borrow finds you the best lending rates. Because the same lending protocol can have different rates on different chains -- and because some protocols are only available on certain chains -- supporting multiple blockchains dramatically expands the number of offers you can compare.

This guide explains each supported chain, why multi-chain support matters for lending, how Borrow handles cross-chain complexity, and what you should consider when choosing a chain for your loan.

Why Multi-Chain Support Matters

To understand why Borrow supports six blockchains, you need to understand how blockchain networks affect lending:

Rates Vary by Chain

Even the same protocol -- like Aave v3 -- can offer different interest rates on different blockchains. This happens because each chain has its own separate liquidity pool with independent supply and demand dynamics.

For example, if there is high demand for stablecoin borrowing on Ethereum mainnet but lower demand on Arbitrum, the Aave v3 rate on Arbitrum will be lower. Without multi-chain support, you would never know about that cheaper option.

Gas Costs Differ Dramatically

Every lending transaction -- depositing collateral, borrowing, repaying, withdrawing -- requires a gas fee paid to the blockchain network. These fees vary enormously:

For a lending workflow that involves multiple transactions (approve, deposit, borrow), the gas savings on a Layer 2 chain can be substantial. A set of transactions that costs $30 on Ethereum might cost $0.10 on Arbitrum.

Liquidity Depth Varies

Some chains have deeper liquidity pools than others. Deep liquidity means:

• Large loans can be filled without significant price impact.
• Rates are more stable because large borrows do not dramatically shift utilization.

Ethereum mainnet generally has the deepest liquidity, but L2 chains are catching up rapidly. For most loan sizes, the liquidity on chains like Arbitrum and BASE is more than sufficient.

Supported Chains in Detail

Ethereum (Mainnet)

Ethereum is the original smart contract blockchain and the foundation of DeFi. It offers:

• Deepest liquidity -- more assets are deposited in lending protocols on Ethereum than any other chain.
• Longest track record -- protocols on Ethereum have been battle-tested for years.
• Highest gas costs -- the main drawback is that transactions are expensive, especially during periods of network congestion.

Best for: Large loans where the gas cost is a small percentage of the total loan value, or when you specifically need Ethereum-native liquidity.

Protocols available on Ethereum via Borrow: Aave v3, Morpho Blue, CeFi partners.

BASE

BASE is a Layer 2 blockchain built by Coinbase using Optimism's OP Stack technology. Launched in 2023, it has quickly grown into one of the most active L2 networks.

• Very low gas fees -- transactions cost fractions of a cent.
• Growing liquidity -- BASE has attracted significant DeFi activity thanks to Coinbase's ecosystem support.
• Ethereum security -- as an L2, BASE inherits Ethereum's security guarantees for transaction finality.

Best for: Users who want low transaction costs and are comfortable with a newer but rapidly growing ecosystem.

Protocols available on BASE via Borrow: Aave v3, Morpho Blue.

Arbitrum

Arbitrum is one of the most established Layer 2 networks, using optimistic rollup technology to process transactions off Ethereum's mainnet while settling them on Ethereum for security.

• Low gas fees -- significantly cheaper than Ethereum mainnet.
• Deep DeFi ecosystem -- Arbitrum has one of the richest collections of DeFi protocols among L2s.
• High throughput -- handles many transactions per second without congestion.

Best for: Users looking for a balance of low costs, deep liquidity, and a mature ecosystem.

Protocols available on Arbitrum via Borrow: Aave v3.

Polygon

Polygon (formerly Matic) is a sidechain and Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum. It has been operational since 2020 and hosts a wide range of DeFi applications.

• Extremely low gas fees -- among the cheapest of all supported chains.
• Large user base -- Polygon has millions of active addresses.
• Established ecosystem -- years of operation with many integrated dApps.

Best for: Users who prioritize the absolute lowest transaction costs and are comfortable with Polygon's security model.

Protocols available on Polygon via Borrow: Aave v3.

Optimism

Optimism is one of the pioneering Layer 2 networks, using optimistic rollup technology similar to Arbitrum. It is the foundation of the OP Stack used by BASE and other chains.

• Low gas fees -- competitive with other L2s.
• Strong governance -- Optimism has an active governance community (the Optimism Collective).
• Ethereum-equivalent -- highly compatible with Ethereum tooling and contracts.

Best for: Users who value a well-governed, Ethereum-aligned L2 with competitive fees.

Protocols available on Optimism via Borrow: Aave v3.

BSC (BNB Chain)

BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain) is a blockchain operated by the Binance ecosystem. It uses a Proof of Staked Authority consensus mechanism.

• Low gas fees -- transactions are inexpensive.
• Large user base -- BSC has a significant global user base, especially in Asia.
• BTC collateral via BTCB -- BSC supports BTCB (Binance-Pegged BTC), which Borrow can use as collateral.

Best for: Users who already hold assets on BSC or prefer the Binance ecosystem.

Protocols available on BSC via Borrow: Aave v3.

How Borrow Handles Cross-Chain Complexity

One of Borrow's most powerful features is that you do not need to understand or manage cross-chain interactions yourself. Here is what happens behind the scenes:

Automatic Bridging

If the best lending rate is on a different chain than where your assets currently sit, Borrow handles the bridging. For example, if your Bitcoin is on Ethereum but the best rate is on Arbitrum, Borrow will:

1. Wrap your BTC into the required token format.
2. Bridge the wrapped BTC from Ethereum to Arbitrum.
3. Deposit it into the lending protocol on Arbitrum.
4. Return the borrowed stablecoins to your wallet.

You approve the transactions, but Borrow manages the routing and execution.

Gas Token Management

Each blockchain requires its own native token for gas fees (ETH for Ethereum and its L2s, MATIC for Polygon, BNB for BSC). Borrow handles gas management so you do not need to pre-fund multiple wallets with different gas tokens.

Unified Dashboard

Regardless of which chain your loan ends up on, you manage everything from a single Borrow dashboard. You can see all your positions across all chains in one place -- no switching between block explorers or protocol interfaces.

Choosing the Right Chain for Your Loan

While Borrow shows you all available offers ranked by rate, you might have preferences about which chain to use. Here are the factors to consider:

For the Lowest Total Cost

Look at the effective cost -- the interest rate plus gas fees. For smaller loans, gas fees on Ethereum mainnet can represent a significant percentage of the total cost, making L2 chains more economical. For very large loans, gas fees become negligible and the raw interest rate matters more.

For Maximum Security

Ethereum mainnet has the longest track record and deepest liquidity. L2 chains like Arbitrum and BASE inherit Ethereum's security but add additional components (sequencers, bridges) that introduce their own considerations.

For Speed

L2 chains generally process transactions faster than Ethereum mainnet. If you need to execute a loan quickly -- for instance, to avoid missing a market opportunity -- an L2 chain may be preferable.

For Simplicity

Let Borrow choose for you. The platform's default ranking considers all relevant factors and shows you the best overall option. Unless you have a specific reason to prefer one chain, the top-ranked offer is usually the right choice.

The Role of Layer 2 Scaling

Five of Borrow's six supported chains (all except Ethereum mainnet) are Layer 2 or Layer 2-adjacent networks. This reflects the broader trend in DeFi toward L2 adoption.

Layer 2 networks process transactions off of Ethereum's mainnet but periodically "settle" or "post" their transaction data back to Ethereum. This gives them:

• Ethereum's security -- the finality of L2 transactions is ultimately guaranteed by Ethereum's validator set.
• Much higher throughput -- L2s can process thousands of transactions per second vs. Ethereum's ~15.
• Much lower costs -- gas fees are orders of magnitude cheaper.

For lending specifically, L2 adoption means that more borrowers and suppliers can participate without being priced out by gas fees. This increases competition and generally leads to better rates for borrowers.

Future Chain Support

Sats Terminal evaluates new blockchains based on several criteria:

• Quality lending protocols deployed -- a chain needs reliable lending protocols before Borrow can aggregate their offers.
• Sufficient liquidity -- there must be enough deposited assets to support meaningful loan sizes.
• Security track record -- the chain should have a history of safe, uninterrupted operation.
• User demand -- Borrow prioritizes chains that its users are interested in.

When new chains meet these criteria, they are added to Borrow's supported list. This means the set of available offers grows over time, increasing the likelihood that you find the best possible rate for your loan.

Learn More

Curious about the protocols available on these chains? Read about which protocols Borrow supports.

Want to understand how Borrow moves your assets between chains? Learn about how cross-chain borrowing works and what cross-chain bridging is.

Ready to compare rates across all six blockchains? Create your account and start browsing offers in seconds.