The AR.IO Network is the First Permanent Cloud Network, driven by its native token, $ARIO. With a fixed supply of 1 billion tokens, $ARIO enables gateway staking, delegation, and Arweave Name System (ArNS) domain purchases—all within a censorship-resistant ecosystem.

This guide shows you how to acquire and use $ARIO starting with USDC on Ethereum, leveraging decentralized tools like AOX and Permaswap.

Step 1: Know the Players

These are the four key components in acquiring $ARIO for USDC:

• USDC on Ethereum: A stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar, USDC is widely available on Ethereum. It’s your starting asset, offering stability as you enter the AR.IO ecosystem. You’ll need some in an Ethereum-compatible wallet (like MetaMask) to begin.
  
  

• Wander (formerly ArConnect): The go-to wallet for Arweave and AR.IO interactions. This browser extension securely holds your USDC, bridges assets, and manages $ARIO. Install it from its official site (https://wander.app).
  
  

• AOX: aox.xyz is a decentralized cross-chain bridge connecting Ethereum to the AO Network. It wraps your USDC into wUSDC, making it usable on AO.
  
  

• Permaswap: A DEX on the AO Network, Permaswap (permaswap.network) lets you swap wUSDC for $ARIO with low fees and full custody. It’s the final step to getting your hands on $ARIO.
  
  

These four players—USDC, Wander, AOX, and Permaswap—form your gateway to acquiring $ARIO.

Step 2: Set Up Your Wander Wallet

1. Install Wander from its official site and create a new wallet.

2. Securely back up your seed phrase—it’s your recovery key.
   
   

Step 3: Bridge USDC to wUSDC with AOX

1. Visit aox.xyz and connect your Ethereum wallet.

2. Select USDC on Ethereum as your source asset and your Wander wallet as the destination.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

3. Enter the amount of USDC to bridge, review the transaction, and sign it with ETH gas.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

4. Wait ~30 minutes for the process to complete—wUSDC (wrapped USDC) will appear in your Wander wallet.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

Double-check your wallet address when transferring—blockchain transactions are irreversable!

Step 4: Swap wUSDC for $ARIO on Permaswap

With wUSDC in your wallet, head to Permaswap to get $ARIO:

1. Go to permaswap.network and connect your Wander wallet.

2. Select the $ARIO/wUSDC trading pair.

3. Input the amount of wUSDC to swap and confirm the transaction.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

4. $ARIO lands in your wallet, fully under your control.
   
   

Step 5: Put $ARIO to Use

Now that you’ve got $ARIO, put it to work:

• Stake as a Gateway Operator: Run a gateway, stake 10,000 $ARIO (see our docs for getting started), and earn rewards everyday as a reliable node. Get started in the Network Portal.
  
  

• Delegate to a Gateway: Delegating $ARIO to operators is a great way to share in the rewards of gateways without running one yourself. Learn more about delegated staking.
  
  

• Secure an ArNS Name: Use $ARIO to buy or lease a permanent domain at arns.ar.io, tying it to permaweb content. Learn more about the Arweave Name System.
  
  

Did you find this guide useful? Let us know on X and welcome to the First Permanent Cloud Network!