Are you looking to take your first steps into the world of blockchain, NFTs, and even the metaverse? You’re going to need a crypto wallet. Check out our guide below to learn how to make this happen by setting up a MetaMask account.
With the world becoming more familiar with web3 technology and the new ventures it’s opening up, many people are taking their first steps into this exciting space. To do so, you’re going to need a crypto wallet.
One of the most popular online crypto wallets and applications to enable this is MetaMask. Fully usable on thousands of web3 websites and applications, it provides one of the easiest ways to begin your journey into web3 and beyond.
But before we dive into setting up your MetaMask wallet, we think it’s handy to briefly explain what a crypto wallet is and why you need one.
A crypto wallet allows someone to sell, receive, and store digital assets such as cryptocurrency and NFTs. These can be online wallets, physical wallets, or paper wallets.
Crypto wallets are designed to be extremely secure and feature a ‘private key’ system that only you control. If you lose this private key, your assets are potentially lost forever, so be careful! Crypto wallets interact with the blockchain in order to show proof of transactions taking place and to interact with web3 websites and apps, so you’re going to need an online crypto wallet such as Metamask.
MetaMask is a popular Ethereum-based online crypto wallet that allows users to access their cryptocurrency and assets, such as NFTs, through a browser extension or mobile application.
This connects to compatible web3 websites and decentralized applications such as metaverses and more.
Unsure of how to set this up? Follow our user-friendly guide below.
Go to the official MetaMask website and install your appropriate browser extension. MetaMask supports Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. If you intend to run it on your mobile phone, you can choose between iOS and Android.
To install it on Chrome, press the tab and click the button Install MetaMask for Chrome.
You will be sent to this page here. Click Get Started.
Click Create a Wallet to set up your new ETH-based wallet. If you want to reactivate an existing one, then click Import Wallet. Remember, if you’re looking to reactivate an existing ETH wallet, you need to know your 12-word secret phrase.
Next, create a password.
Next, because you are creating a new wallet, MetaMask will provide you with a 12-word secret phrase, which also functions as your master key.
MetaMask has a helpful 90-second video that emphasizes the importance of the secret phrase. No one from MetaMask can help you recover it if you forget it, so make sure you store it in a safe place.
Once you’ve watched the video, you will be redirected to this page, where you will click on the grey box to reveal your secret backup phrase. Once again, make sure you store it somewhere safe.
At this point, you will be asked to reconfirm the secret phrase by clicking on the words in the order that it was given. Once you’re done, click Confirm.
You’re all done! Congratulations, you’ve set up your Metamask account! You can now use this to connect to web3 enabled platforms and sites as well as buy, sell and transfer cryptocurrency.