A step-by-step guide for linking your MetaMask wallet to blockchains like Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, Polygon, Harmony, Fantom and more.
What is MetaMask?
MetaMask was developed by ConsenSys Software Inc. to provide an easily accessible bridge between our current internet — web 2.0, and the decentralized internet — web 3.0.
In other words, it’s a software toolbox for interacting with decentralized applications (DApps), smart contracts and DeFi using a web browser like Chrome or Firefox. You can use MetaMask as both a browser extension and a mobile app.
MetaMask works as an Ethereum wallet for buying, storing and swapping your ETH and ERC-20 tokens. You can also store and display your non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in your wallet.
Other cryptocurrency wallets require you to manually manage your various private keys. But with MetaMask, you need only remember your password and seed phrase to use your cryptocurrency.
Even if you store your tokens on a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor, you can still use MetaMask to interact with DApps and smart contracts.
Due to its ease of use and accessibility, MetaMask is incredibly popular. The platform currently boasts more than 3 million active users per month.
The MetaMask wallet connects to the Ethereum network by default, but you can easily link it to other blockchains to access other DApps — a process we walk you through later in this guide.
Join us in showcasing the cryptocurrency revolution, one newsletter at a time. Subscribe now to get daily news and market updates right to your inbox, along with our millions of other subscribers (that’s right, millions love us!) — what are you waiting for?
How to Download MetaMask
MetaMask is available as both a browser extension and as a mobile app. There is currently no desktop app available.
The browser extension is available on Chrome, Firefox, Brave or Edge. The mobile app is available through both the Apple App Store and the Google Store. The mobile apps have all the functionality and features of the browser extension, including account creation.
To download the browser extension, head to the MetaMask website and click on the button saying “Install MetaMask for (your browser).”
Once the download finishes, MetaMask will prompt you to either create or import a wallet. If you choose to create a wallet, you will need to choose a unique password, after which you will receive a seed phrase of twelve words.
Don’t forget to write down your seed phrase and store it securely — without it, you can’t recover your funds if you lose access to your account.
How to Interact with Dapps and Smart Contracts Using MetaMask
Once you have set up your MetaMask wallet you can start exploring and interacting with DApps. Most DApps will connect to your wallet as soon as you arrive on the page, but others require a manual connection.
If MetaMask doesn’t connect automatically, log into the DApp, navigate to the settings, and look for a button saying, “Link your wallet”, or something similar. All that’s required is to click the button, follow the instructions, and away you go.
In case you’re unfamiliar with DApps and crypto, we’ve listed some popular DApps and sites for you to explore using your new MetaMask wallet.
NFT Art Marketplaces, such as:
- Nifty Gateway — a fine art and rare NFT marketplace displaying works by Beeple and Grimes.
- OpenSea — a popular peer-to-peer crypto-collectable and NFT marketplace.
- Rarible — the first NFT marketplace owned by the crypto community.
Investments and Staking Pools, including:
- InstaDApp — A decentralized bank built using the MakerDAO protocol.
- Etherisc — A decentralized insurance protocol to protect your wealth against real-world events like hurricanes.
- Pool Together – a platform to stake your cryptocurrency in a lottery pool with a chance to win a sizeable weekly prize.
Play-to-earn Crypto-Games, such as:
- Axie Infinity – an NFT-based game, where your three creatures, called Axies, battle either a computer-controlled opponent or another human player. Axie is incredibly popular worldwide, with a base of more than a million daily users.
- CryptoBlades – a blockchain-based RPG game in which your characters and weapons are NFTs, and you earn SKILL tokens for completing challenges in the game.
- Forest Knight – a fantasy game that combines mobile and blockchain gaming to deliver a fun and engaging experience. There are PVP and PVE battles, and items and heroes are NFTs.
Why Should you Link MetaMask to Other Blockchains?
Linking your MetaMask wallet to another blockchain allows you to use services and tokens unique to that chain.
For example, by linking your MetaMask wallet to the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), you can use all the services on BSC like Bakery Swap, Pancake Swap and Venus. You can also send and receive BNB tokens — or any other token on the BSC chain.
Carrying out transactions on a new blockchain requires a balance of the new blockchain’s native token to pay any fees. For example, you need Matic tokens to pay for your transactions on the Polygon network. Similarly, if you connect to the BSC you’ll need BNB tokens.
How to Link MetaMask to Different Blockchains
There are two ways to link your MetaMask wallet to another blockchain:
- Using a third party like Chainlist to link the new chain to your wallet automatically.
- Manually inputting the data to link the desired chain to your wallet.
Using Chainlist is undeniably easier than manually connecting your wallet to a new blockchain. However, you are trusting a third party to provide the correct data, which is a risk. For this reason, many people prefer to input the data and link new blockchains manually.
Besides, Chainlist doesn’t list every available blockchain, so it’s worth knowing how to link a chain to your MetaMask wallet manually.
How to use Chainlist to Link Your MetaMask Wallet to a Different Blockchain
Chainlist is a third-party website listing countless Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) networks to which you can connect your MetaMask wallet.
Once you’re on the Chainlist homepage, search for the chain you want to link to using the search bar at the top of the page.
After finding the correct chain in the search results, click “add to MetaMask.”
Your browser window will switch to MetaMask and ask you if you want to “allow this site to add a network.” Click yes at the bottom of the page and the new chain should appear in your wallet.
To check the network has linked successfully, simply click the network tab in your MetaMask wallet and look for the new network in the drop-down menu. If the network fails to appear, you will have to link to it manually.
How to Manually Link Your MetaMask Wallet to Different Blockchains
The process for manually linking different blockchains to your MetaMask wallet is the same no matter which blockchain you want to link to.
When on the MetaMask homepage, you’ll see a tab in the top right with a small green circle reading “Ethereum Mainnet.” Click that tab, and a drop-down menu will appear.
The last option reads “Custom RPC.” Click it, and you’ll be asked to fill in five fields: a network name, a new RPC URL, a chain ID, a currency Symbol and a block Explorer URL.
You can choose any network name, but picking a name related to the new network will make navigating easier.
Below you will find instructions on how to manually link your MetaMask wallet to some of the more popular blockchains, as well as a short description of what each chain offers.
How to Manually Link MetaMask with BSC Testnet
What is the BSC Testnet?
The BSC Testnet is used by developers for testing DApps by simulating the live conditions of the BSC Mainnet.
The BSC Testnet is an excellent first chain to link your wallet to for experimenting with MetaMask without using any real tokens.
After inputting the data below into MetaMask and linking the BSC Testnet to your wallet, head over to the BSC Testnet Faucet to send some free test tokens to your MetaMask wallet. Just copy your wallet ID and paste it into the box, then click “give me BNB.”
You’ll have a few BNB tokens in your wallet within a matter of seconds.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with the BSC Testnet, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Smart Chain – Testnet
New RPC URL — https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.binance.org:8545/
Chain ID — 97
Currency Symbol — BNB
Block Explorer URL https://testnet.bscscan.com
How to Manually Link MetaMask with BSC
What is the BSC Mainnet?
The BSC Mainnet went live in September 2020. BSC is a blockchain developed for and used by Binance. It’s a popular alternative to the Ethereum blockchain but with lower transaction fees.
BSC is designed for trading crypto, building dApps, using smart contracts and DeFi products as well as linking to other blockchains.
BSC is not to be confused with the Binance Chain, which launched in April 2019. The BSC runs alongside the Binance Chain, but with added functionality for smart contracts and compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with BSC Mainnet, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — BSC Smart Chain
New RPC URL — https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/
Chain ID — 56
Currency Symbol — BNB
Block Explorer URL — https://bscscan.com
How to Manually Link MetaMask with AVAX
What is AVAX?
Avalanche, or AVAX, is a platform for developing DApps. AVAX claims to be the fastest smart contracts platform globally with more validators securing its network activity than any other PoS protocol.
You can use AVAX to build low-cost DApps, create customized blockchains, and stake your AVAX to process other user’s transactions and keep the platform secure.
Several big crypto names like Chainlink and Securitize are building projects using Avalanche. Avalanche hopes to one day usurp Ethereum as the smart contract platform of choice.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with Avalanche, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Avalanche Network
New RPC URL — https://api.avax.network/ext/bc/C/rpc
Chain ID — 0xa86a
Currency Symbol — AVAX
Block Explorer URL — https://cchain.explorer.avax.network/
How to Manually Link MetaMask with Polygon
What is Polygon?
Polygon, previously called MATIC, is a blockchain scaling solution aiming to bring global adoption to the Ethereum network. The Polygon network has low gas fees, low latency, and incredibly fast transaction times.
Polygon supplies layer-2 sidechains that run in parallel to the main Ethereum blockchain, helping to grow Ethereum’s size and efficiency.
Linking your MetaMask wallet to Polygon lets you connect to and interact with DApps on the Polygon network, like Aave and SushiSwap.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with Polygon, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Polygon
New RPC URL — https://rpc-mainnet.matic.network
Chain ID — 137
Currency Symbol — MATIC
Block Explorer URL — https://polygonscan.com
How to Manually Link MetaMask with Harmony
What is Harmony?
Harmony aims to do away with the structural limitations preventing the public from adopting cryptocurrencies as digital money.
Where other chains sacrifice speed, security, or decentralization to achieve their target performance benchmarks, Harmony relies on shards to process more transactions simultaneously.
Harmony runs Ethereum applications but with up to 100 times lower gas fees. Ethereum wallets work on Harmony without needing to install anything or change any code.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with Harmony, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Harmony Mainnet
New RPC URL — https://api.harmony.one
Chain ID — 1666600000
Currency Symbol — ONE
Block Explorer URL — https://explorer.harmony.one/
*Note — there are four RPC URLs available. Harmony advises “Use the RPC URL of Shard 0 if you want to send/receive transactions from exchanges or do any staking transaction type.” The RPC URL above is the Shard 0 URL.
How to Manually Link MetaMask with Fantom
What is Fantom Opera?
Fantom is a decentralized, open-source, scalable platform for deploying DApps. The platform offers rapid transaction speeds combined with low costs.
FTM is also compatible with the EVM. This means developers can create and run smart contracts just like they would on Ethereum but with a much faster consensus mechanism.
FTM relies on a PoS consensus mechanism. Staking FTM generates between 4.20% and 12.85% APR depending on how many tokens you stake and for how long. You can use the Fantom staking calculator for a more accurate staking rewards estimate.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with Fantom, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Fantom Opera Network
New RPC URL — https://rpcapi.fantom.network
Chain ID — 250
Currency Symbol — FTM
Block Explorer URL — https://ftmscan.com
How to Manually Link MetaMask with Expanse
What is the Expanse Network?
The Expanse network is an open-source network with smart contract functionality designed for using DApps. Expanse uses a modified version of the EVM to execute smart contracts.
The Expanse network is the longest-lasting Ethereum fork. The platform acts as a standalone blockchain relying on PoW to process transactions.
VoteLock, which is a secure and private blockchain-based e-voting system is the most well-known DApp on the Expanse network.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with the Expanse Network, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — Expanse Network
New RPC URL — https://node.expanse.tech
Chain ID — 2
Currency Symbol — EXP
Block Explorer URL — https://expanse.tech
How to Manually Link MetaMask with EOS
What is EOS?
EOS is a blockchain built to run DApps as smoothly as possible. The platform aims to solve the bottleneck problems Ethereum has historically faced, which have resulted in performance issues for many users.
Although EOS was initially built on Ethereum, it has since split off to form a distinct Mainnet. The EOS ICO raised an astonishing $4 billion through the sale of 1 billion EOS tokens.
Unlike other Ethereum competitors, EOS doesn’t charge users a fee for sending or receiving currency. EOS is a platform favoured by developers as they can develop DApps using languages like C++ and Python.
To manually link your MetaMask wallet with EOS, input the following data into the required fields:
Network Name — EOS
New RPC URL — https://api.eosargentina.io
Chain ID — 59
Currency Symbol — EOS
Block Explorer URL — https://bloks.eosargentina.io
Add Tokens to Your MetaMask Wallet Directly From CoinMarketCap
To add tokens to your MetaMask wallet from a CoinMarketCap token page, look for the “Contracts” box and the little fox icon next to it.
Click on the fox, and MetaMask will open and ask you to confirm you want to add the token to your wallet. Click yes, and you’re ready to go.
If the token is available on more than one network, or you don’t want to switch from your current network, you can click “more” and choose to link the token through a network other than the default.
Before adding a token to your wallet from CoinMarketCap, you must first connect to a blockchain that supports the token.
For example, to add the ChainLink token to your MetaMask account, you need to connect to the Ethereum Mainnet. If your wallet is connected to a different chain, you’ll see a popup prompting you to switch networks.
After switching networks, you will be able to link the token to your MetaMask wallet.
Is MetaMask Safe?
MetaMask is one of the safest hot wallets available today. Your wallet information – like your private keys, seed phrase and password – isn’t stored on any third-party servers. Instead, it’s stored in your browser’s local data cache, and can only be decrypted with your password. Which is why MetaMask can’t access it on your behalf in the event you lose your password.
By storing your data locally, your MetaMask wallet keeps your funds safe and accessible, while also enabling you to use Web3 services, such as DeFi platforms and NFT marketplaces.
However, MetaMask’s wallets aren’t foolproof, and their speedy service and constant internet connectivity comes with a security cost. Specifically, they are more vulnerable to phishing and malware attacks than hardware wallets, which store your private keys offline.
By far the most common way for MetaMask users to lose their funds is by inputting their seed phrase or password into a fake site purporting to be MetaMask or another DeFi platform. Fake crypto sites can be scarily convincing, and Reddit’s crypto forums are awash with complaints from furious MetaMask users who didn’t pay attention and lost all their funds.
Other users have mistakenly downloaded software that turned out to be malware, which gave hackers remote access to their entire computer, including their MetaMask wallet. One highly creative hacker built a virus that changed any text a victim copied and pasted to the hacker’s wallet address, which led unsuspecting MetaMask users to deposit crypto in accounts they didn’t control.
While we could advise you to just be careful, often being careful simply isn’t enough to keep your crypto safe. So instead, we recommend combining your MetaMask wallet with a cold wallet, like Ledger or Trezor, which MetaMask itself also recommends.
Even though your hardware wallet will store your private keys offline, you can still interact with Web3 sites using MetaMask as you did previously. However, you’ll have to physically connect your hardware wallet to your computer to authenticate each MetaMask transaction.
While creating additional security steps for yourself might feel burdensome, always keep in mind that with crypto, there’s no such thing as too much safety!
This article contains links to third-party websites or other content for information purposes only (“Third-Party Sites”). The Third-Party Sites are not under the control of CoinMarketCap, and CoinMarketCap is not responsible for the content of any Third-Party Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Third-Party Site, or any changes or updates to a Third-Party Site. CoinMarketCap is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by CoinMarketCap of the site or any association with its operators.
This article is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. It is important to do your own research and analysis before making any material decisions related to any of the products or services described. This article is not intended as, and shall not be construed as, financial advice.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s [company’s] own and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinMarketCap.
