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MetaMask is a popular crypto wallet that can connect you to different platforms for cryptocurrencies, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and other digital assets. MetaMask distinguishes itself from other wallets with its user friendliness and simplicity. Setting up MetaMask to various blockchains is easy because the steps are short and practically the same each time.
You can connect to many blockchains other than Ethereum (ETH) simply by setting up your MetaMask wallet.
Read more: How to Set Up a MetaMask Wallet
Steps to connect to a blockchain network
1. Log in to your MetaMask wallet.
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2. Go to “Settings” from the account options, which is a circle icon.
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3. In settings, select “Networks.”
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4. Press the “Add Network” button.
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5. After pressing the button, you will access a new screen. This is the most important step because this is where you will add the information to connect to a blockchain.
Input the following information and press save:
- Network Name: You can type the name of the blockchain network, i.e. Binance Smart Chain, Polygon Network, etc.
- New RPC URL: This is the URL that MetaMask will use to access the blockchain network.
- ChainID: This the chain ID that MetaMask will use to sign transactions for the network.
- Symbol: This refers to the native token of the blockchain. For example, Binance Smart Chain’s native token is BNB or Polygon’s native token is MATIC.
- Explorer: This URL directs you to a website allowing you to evaluate your accounts and transactions. For instance, Ethereum uses etherscan.io and Avalanche uses snowtrace.io.
The table below provides network information for some of the most popular blockchains.
Blockchain Network | Network Information |
|---|---|
Network Name: Binance Smart Chain New RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org ChainID: 56 Currency Symbol: BNB Block Explorer URL: https://bscscan.com | |
Network Name: Polygon Network New RPC URL: https://rpc-mainnet.maticvigil.com ChainID: 137 Currency Symbol: MATIC Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.matic.network | |
Network Name: Avalanche Network New RPC URL: https://api.avax.network/ext/bc/C/rpc ChainID: 43114 Currency Symbol: AVAX Block Explorer URL: https://snowtrace.io | |
Network Name: Cronos Network New RPC URL: https://evm-cronos.crypto.org ChainID: 25 Currency Symbol: CRO Block Explorer URL: https://cronos.crypto.org/explorer | |
Harmony | Network Name: Fantom Opera Network New RPC URL: https://rpcapi.fantom.network ChainID: 250 Currency Symbol: FTM Block Explorer URL: https://ftmscan.com |
Network Name: Fantom Opera Network New RPC URL: https://rpcapi.fantom.network ChainID: 250 Currency Symbol: FTM Block Explorer URL: https://ftmscan.com | |
Network Name: EOS Network New RPC URL: https://api.eosargentina.io ChainID: 59 Currency Symbol: EOS Block Explorer URL: https://bloks.eosargentina.io | |
Network Name: CELO Network New RPC URL: https://forno.celo.org ChainID: 42220 Currency Symbol: CELO Block Explorer URL: https://explorer.celo.org |
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6. Upon adding the information, you will be brought back to the wallet screen. There are two signs that the blockchain network was added to your MetaMask wallet.
We will use the Avalanche network as an example. The two red boxes shown in the screenshot below confirm it. The first box above shows the AVAX token standard, and the bottom right shows “Avalanche Network was successfully added."
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7. To deposit the native token of the blockchain network into your wallet, you need to obtain your wallet address by clicking on it.
To continue with the Avalanche example, you can then send AVAX to your wallet.
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