HOW TO SET UP Metamask

Note: This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only. Please note that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset class; only invest what you can afford to lose.

Setting up a Metamask wallet is a rite of passage for all crypto investors. This popular Web 3.0 wallet lets you hold a wide variety of digital assets, buy and sell NFTs on OpenSea, purchase meme tokens on PancakeSwap and Uniswap, and send and receive crypto.

So what, exactly, is a Metamask wallet? It's an online wallet that mainly holds Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens (cryptocurrencies that run on the Ethereum blockchain like Shiba Inu), but it also supports tokens on other blockchains, including Avalanche, Polygon, Harmony ONE, Binance Smart Chain and more.

How to setup a Metamask wallet

  1. Go to Metamask's official website here and click on "Install Metamask for Chrome."
  2. You should now be on Metamask's Chrome Web Store page. Click on "Add to Chrome."
  3. A pop-up entitled "Add 'Metamask?'" should appear. Click on "Add Extension."
  4. A new tab will appear. Click on "Get Started." 
  5. Click on "Create a New Wallet" under "Yes, let's get set up!"
  6. Metamask will then ask whether it can gather your usage data. If you accept, click, "I Agree." If not, click, "No Thanks." Selecting the latter will not affect your ability to move forward in the set up process.
  7. Create a password for Metamask. I'd suggest using a password you haven't used for other accounts. I'd also recommend using a long, complicated password. Next, tick the "I have read and agree to the Terms of Use" box.
  8. You'll be guided to watch a short video on how to secure your Metamask wallet, which involves a writing down and storing a secret recovery phrase (a string of 12 words that gives you, or anyone else who has it, access to your Metamask wallet and its contents). Hit "Next."
  9. You'll land on a page that has your 12-word recovery phrase. Click on the greyed out area to reveal it. Once you've written it down, hit "Next."
  10. Confirm your secret recovery phrase by putting the 12 words in the right order. Click "Confirm."
  11. Once you've completed step 10, you'll land on a page that says, "Congratulations!" You officially have a Metamask wallet that's ready to go. Click on "All done."