How to Transfer BTC to HNT: Timing, Tracking and Wallets

• The simplest way to move BTC into HNT without an exchange account is an instant swap, and ChangeNOW is the one we'd use: it tracks the order live and reports about a minute of processing on its side.
• HNT now lives on Solana, so the payout needs a Solana address, ideally from the official Helium Wallet or another Solana wallet you control.
• Bitcoin takes up most of the waiting time. The HNT side settles in seconds.
• Planning to move the HNT afterwards? Keep a little SOL in the same wallet for network fees.

If you're working out how to transfer BTC to HNT, the first thing to know is that there's no direct bridge between the two chains. Bitcoin runs on its own network, while HNT, the token that rewards people for running Helium wireless hotspots and gets burned as the network carries data, has lived on Solana since April 2023. In practice, "transferring" BTC to HNT means selling one and buying the other, either through an exchange service or across a couple of hops on Solana itself. For background, see our recent coverage.

Key facts