Why Choose Polygon and BSC for Swaps?
If you’ve ever done a DEX swap on Ethereum mainnet, you know the pain of paying $20-80 in gas fees for a single token exchange. For smaller trades, the fees can easily exceed the value of the transaction itself. This is exactly why Polygon and BSC (BNB Smart Chain) have become go-to networks — they offer essentially the same DeFi ecosystem at a fraction of the cost, sometimes as low as 1/100th or even 1/1000th of Ethereum’s fees.
Polygon is an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution that inherits Ethereum’s security while dramatically reducing transaction costs. BSC, launched by Binance, is an EVM-compatible chain with a massive user base and rich DeFi protocol ecosystem. Both are ideal for everyday token swaps, especially for small-to-medium transactions and frequent traders.
ArcSign's Swap AdvantageArcSign features built-in OpenOcean + KyberSwap aggregators that automatically search multiple DEX liquidity pools to find the best price route. You don’t need to leave your wallet to visit various swap websites, and throughout the entire process, your private keys remain safely stored on your USB device, protected by XOR three-shard encryption.
Before You Start: What You Need
Before performing your first swap, make sure you’ve completed these preparation steps. If you haven’t installed ArcSign yet, check out our beginner setup guide.
1
Install ArcSign and Create a WalletDownload ArcSign for free from arcsign.io and store your wallet data on a USB device. Make sure you’ve backed up your 12-word mnemonic phrase or exported a .arcsign encrypted backup file.
2
Set Up Provider (Alchemy API Key)ArcSign needs a Provider to read on-chain data. Go to Settings and enter your Alchemy API Key (free tier is sufficient). BSC uses NodeReal as the default Provider. See the setup tutorial for detailed steps.
3
Ensure Sufficient Gas TokensBSC requires BNB for gas fees, and Polygon requires POL (formerly MATIC). Keep at least 0.01 BNB or 0.1 POL as a Gas reserve. Without Gas tokens, you won’t be able to execute any transactions even if you hold large amounts of other tokens.
4
Decide on Your Token PairKnow what you want to swap before you start. Common swaps include BNB → USDT, POL → USDC, and WETH → USDT. Start with major pairs — they have better liquidity and lower slippage.
Swap Steps on BSC
BSC (BNB Smart Chain) is one of the highest-volume EVM-compatible chains, home to PancakeSwap, BiSwap, and many other DEXes. ArcSign’s swap aggregator automatically searches across these DEXes for the best price.
Step 1: Switch to BSC Network
In ArcSign’s main interface, use the network selector to choose BNB Smart Chain. You’ll see your token balance list for that chain. ArcSign uses NodeReal’s enhanced API to automatically fetch your BSC token holdings, including BEP-20 tokens and NFTs.
Step 2: Open the Swap Feature
Tap the “Swap” tab in the bottom navigation bar. You’ll see a standard token exchange interface with a “From” token (sell) at the top and a “To” token (buy) at the bottom.
Step 3: Select Token Pair and Enter Amount
Tap the token selector and search for your desired tokens. For example, BNB → USDT: select BNB in the From field, USDT in the To field, then enter the amount of BNB you want to sell. ArcSign will instantly display the estimated USDT received, exchange rate, and estimated Gas Fee.
Step 4: Confirm Details and Sign
Carefully review the exchange rate, slippage tolerance, and estimated Gas Fee. Once confirmed, tap the “Swap” button. ArcSign reads your private key from the USB device, reassembles it via XOR three-shard encryption, and completes the signing in mlock-protected memory — the entire key exposure window is just 1-5 milliseconds.
Step 5: Wait for Confirmation
BSC’s block time is approximately 3 seconds, and transactions typically confirm within 15-30 seconds. ArcSign displays the transaction status, and once complete, you’ll see the newly received USDT in your token balance.
BSC Gas Fee FactsA standard swap on BSC costs approximately 0.001-0.005 BNB (about $0.30-$1.50), which is 1/50th to 1/100th of Ethereum mainnet. If you’re a frequent trader, BSC can save you significant amounts in fees.
Swap Steps on Polygon
The swap process on Polygon is nearly identical to BSC, with the main differences being the Gas token and network characteristics. Polygon’s Gas Fees are even lower than BSC, making it the best choice for small token exchanges.
Step 1: Switch to Polygon Network
Select Polygon from ArcSign’s network selector. All 6 major EVM chains supported by ArcSign can be switched with a single tap.
Step 2: Check Your POL Balance
Polygon uses POL (formerly MATIC) as its Gas token. Make sure your account has enough POL to cover transaction fees. If you’re short on POL, you’ll need to transfer some from an exchange or bridge from another chain.
Step 3: Execute the Swap
Navigate to the Swap page, select your token pair (e.g., POL → USDC), enter the amount, and confirm the exchange rate and estimated Gas Fee before tapping Swap. The OpenOcean aggregator automatically finds the best price route across Polygon DEXes including QuickSwap, SushiSwap, and Uniswap V3.
Step 4: Lightning-Fast Confirmation
Polygon’s block time is approximately 2 seconds — even faster than BSC. Most swap transactions complete within 10-20 seconds. Once confirmed, you’ll see your token balance update in real time.
Polygon's Ultra-Low Gas FeesGas Fees on Polygon typically cost just 0.001-0.01 POL (less than $0.01). This means you could make dozens of swaps per day and the total Gas cost might still be under $1. For DeFi yield farmers, this is a massive advantage.
Slippage Protection: Avoiding Sandwich Attacks
Slippage refers to the difference between the expected execution price and the actual execution price. When trading on a DEX, your transaction is publicly broadcast on the blockchain, giving malicious bots the opportunity to execute a “sandwich attack” — they place transactions before and after yours to profit from the price difference.
What Is a Sandwich Attack?
Suppose you want to buy Token A with 1,000 USDT. An attacker spots your transaction in the blockchain’s mempool, front-runs you by buying a large amount of Token A (pushing the price up), waits for your transaction to execute at the higher price, then sells for a profit. You end up receiving fewer tokens than expected. While this attack is most common on Ethereum mainnet, it can still occur on BSC and Polygon.
ArcSign’s Slippage Settings
ArcSign’s Swap feature provides configurable slippage tolerance. You can adjust this in the settings gear icon on the Swap interface:
| Slippage Setting | Use Case | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1%-0.5% | Stablecoin swaps (USDT ↔ USDC) | Lowest risk |
| 0.5%-1% | Major pairs (BNB/USDT, POL/USDC) | Low risk |
| 1%-3% | Medium liquidity tokens | Medium risk |
| 3%-5% | Low liquidity or newly listed tokens | Higher risk |
| > 5% | Very low liquidity — evaluate carefully | High risk, vulnerable to sandwich attacks |
Security TipLower slippage = safer, but may cause transaction failures during high volatility. Start with 0.5%-1% for major pairs and gradually increase if transactions fail. Never set slippage above 10% unless you fully understand the risks involved.
Polygon vs BSC: Swap Experience Compared
Both Polygon and BSC have their strengths. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you choose the right chain for your needs.
| Feature | BSC (BNB Smart Chain) | Polygon |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Token | BNB | POL (formerly MATIC) |
| Avg. Gas Fee | $0.30-$1.50 |
Security Reminder: Manage Your Token ApprovalsEach time you use a DEX swap, you need to “approve” the smart contract to access your tokens. Some DEXes default to requesting unlimited approval, which can become a security risk. ArcSign Provides token approval management so you can review and revoke unnecessary approvals at any time. Pro users get batch revoke capability.
FAQ
Q: Which chains does ArcSign’s DEX Swap support?
ArcSign’s built-in DEX Swap supports all 6 major EVM chains, including Ethereum, Polygon, BSC (BNB Chain), Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and more. Swaps are powered by OpenOcean and KyberSwap aggregators, automatically searching multiple liquidity pools for the best price.
Q: How much are Gas Fees for swaps on BSC and Polygon?
A typical swap on BSC costs 0.001-0.005 BNB (about $0.30-$1.50), while Polygon is even cheaper at 0.001-0.01 POL (less than $0.01). Compared to Ethereum mainnet fees of $20-80 per swap, these chains are ideal for token exchanges.
Q: What slippage tolerance should I set for safe swaps?
For major pairs (like USDT/USDC, WETH/USDC), set slippage to 0.5%-1%. For lower liquidity tokens, you may need 3%-5%. If transactions keep failing, gradually increase slippage, but never exceed 10% to avoid losses from sandwich attacks.
Q: How is swapping with ArcSign different from MetaMask?
The biggest difference is private key security. MetaMask stores encrypted keys in the browser, vulnerable to malicious extensions and phishing attacks. ArcSign stores private keys on a USB device with XOR three-shard encryption. During signing, the key exists in mlock-protected memory for only 1-5 milliseconds. You get the same convenient swap functionality with cold wallet-level security.