Add ETH, BSC to MetaMask: A Comprehensive Guide
MetaMask is a popular cryptocurrency wallet that allows users to store, manage, and interact with Ethereum-based tokens. If you’re looking to add Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Smart Chain (BSC) tokens to your MetaMask wallet, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring a smooth and secure experience.
Understanding Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain
Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, fraud, or third-party interference. Binance Smart Chain is a blockchain platform that aims to offer high throughput and low transaction fees, making it an attractive option for developers and users alike.
Before we dive into adding these chains to your MetaMask, it’s important to understand their unique properties and how they differ from each other. Ethereum is the first blockchain to support smart contracts, while BSC is designed to be compatible with Ethereum’s EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) for seamless interoperability.
Setting Up MetaMask
Before you can add ETH and BSC to your MetaMask wallet, you need to have the wallet installed. If you haven’t already, download and install the MetaMask extension from the official website. Once installed, follow these steps:
- Open the MetaMask extension and click on the “Create a wallet” button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new wallet. Make sure to save your seed phrase in a safe and secure location.
- Once your wallet is set up, you’ll be prompted to choose a network. For Ethereum, select “Mainnet”; for BSC, select “Binance Smart Chain” from the list of networks.
Adding Ethereum to MetaMask
Now that you have MetaMask set up and have selected the appropriate network, it’s time to add Ethereum. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the MetaMask extension and click on the network dropdown menu.
- Select “Custom RPC” from the options.
- In the “New RPC URL” field, enter the following details:
Field | Value |
---|---|
RPC URL | https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID |
Chain ID | 1 |
Symbol | ETH |
Explorer | https://etherscan.io |
Replace “YOUR_INFURA_PROJECT_ID” with your Infura project ID. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for a free account at Infura.
After entering the details, click “Save” and you should see Ethereum added to your MetaMask wallet.
Adding Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask
Adding BSC to your MetaMask wallet is a similar process. Follow these steps:
- Open the MetaMask extension and click on the network dropdown menu.
- Select “Custom RPC” from the options.
- In the “New RPC URL” field, enter the following details:
Field | Value |
---|---|
RPC URL | https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/ |
Chain ID | 56 |
Symbol | BNB |
Explorer | https://bscscan.com |
Once you’ve entered the details, click “Save” and BSC should be added to