{"id":37516,"date":"2022-05-05T19:19:27","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T16:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=37516"},"modified":"2025-08-29T17:59:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T14:59:24","slug":"what-is-metamask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/what-is-metamask\/","title":{"rendered":"What is MetaMask?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Key points<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MetaMask is a cryptocurrency wallet built by ConsenSys. <\/li>\n<li>It supports storing and transferring cryptocurrencies and NFTs issued on Ethereum or other EVM-compatible blockchains. It also includes a token-swap service.<\/li>\n<li>The most popular version is a browser extension: it lets the wallet interact with decentralised applications\u2019 smart contracts at the web-app level.<\/li>\n<li>MetaMask is widely used for decentralised finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">On which platforms is MetaMask available?<\/h2>\n<p>MetaMask was developed by ConsenSys, founded by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin. The wallet debuted in 2016, before the rise of the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-decentralised-finance-defi\">DeFi sector<\/a>. Until 2020 it existed only as a browser extension for Google Chrome and Firefox.<\/p>\n<p>Today MetaMask is available as a mobile app for iOS and Android, and as a web extension for Google Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Microsoft Edge. The latter connects \u201cseamlessly\u201d to a decentralised application\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-a-smart-contract\">smart contracts<\/a> when you open its page. This lets you use the protocol and transfer cryptocurrencies without creating a separate wallet inside it.<\/p>\n<p>MetaMask is among the most popular wallets in the Ethereum ecosystem. According to ConsenSys, in early 2022 the app had more than 30m monthly active users\u201442% more than in April 2021.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u0413\u0434\u0435 \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043a\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u044e\u0442\u0443, \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431\u044b \u0435\u0435 \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438? | Fork The System \u0441 \u041f\u043e\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430\u044e\u0449\u0438\u043c\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HHcgpslTuXw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\"><strong>Which blockchains does MetaMask support?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Originally MetaMask supported only Ethereum, but today it accommodates all major networks compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). New mainnets can be added in the app\u2019s settings.<\/p>\n<p>As of early May 2022 MetaMask supports all cryptocurrencies on the following networks: Ethereum, Polygon, Fantom, <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-avalanche-avax\">Avalanche<\/a>, Optimistic Ethereum, Arbitrum One, Aurora Network, Cronos, Harmony, Celo and EOS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\"><strong>How do I add Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to MetaMask?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To hold BSC\u2019s BEP\u201120 assets in MetaMask (the network has since been rebranded <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-binance\">BNB Chain<\/a>) and pay transaction fees in BNB, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<p>1. Open Settings and select Networks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>2. Click Add network in the top-right corner and enter the parameters manually:<\/p>\n<p><em>Network name: <\/em>Smart Chain<\/p>\n<p><em>New RPC URL (blockchain address):<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/bsc-dataseed.binance.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/bsc-dataseed.binance.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Chain ID: <\/em>56<\/p>\n<p><em>Symbol: <\/em>BNB<\/p>\n<p><em>Block explorer URL: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bscscan.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/bscscan.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After that, BNB Chain (Binance Smart Chain) will appear in MetaMask. You can switch between different blockchains in one wallet with a single click.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">\u200b\u200b<strong>What are MetaMask\u2019s fees?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>By default MetaMask runs on Ethereum and charges fees in ETH (\u201cgas\u201d). The exact amount depends on network congestion at the moment of the transaction.<\/p>\n<p>Lately Ethereum fees have been high. To pay less, you can use another network\u2014such as Polygon, <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-fantom-ftm\">Fantom<\/a> or BNB Chain.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ethereum-5-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"What is MetaMask?\" class=\"wp-image-106735\" width=\"768\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ethereum-5-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ethereum-5-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ethereum-5-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ethereum-5.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>In the advanced version of the app you can adjust the fee. The higher the price, the faster the transaction confirms. Do not set it too low, or the transaction may take a very long time or even get stuck.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\"><strong>What is MetaMask Swaps?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>MetaMask includes a built-in DeFi service for swapping digital assets, developed together with Codefi.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It works as an aggregator: it collects token quotes in real time from leading decentralised exchanges and picks the best prices. Sources include <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-uniswap-uni\">Uniswap<\/a>, Totle, AirSwap, 0x and 1inch.exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>MetaMask Swaps also offers features such as reduced swap fees and slippage protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\"><strong>What are the advantages of the MetaMask wallet?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>MetaMask\u2019s strengths include a reputable developer, broad asset support, customer service, extra features and a clean design.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, MetaMask is a non-custodial wallet: its developers do not collect users\u2019 private keys or seed phrases. Address owners have full control over their funds.<\/p>\n<p>The MetaMask plugin is partially open-source\u2014this lets independent developers contribute and helps audit and detect potential vulnerabilities in the software.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\"><strong>What are MetaMask\u2019s drawbacks?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>MetaMask has not suffered major incidents caused by an exploit in its code. One key drawback, however, is its connection to the internet. This can leave some users vulnerable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To address this, in 2018 MetaMask added support for connecting a Ledger hardware wallet, combining the reliability of \u201ccold\u201d storage with the convenience of a \u201chot\u201d wallet.<\/p>\n<p>In late 2021 some MetaMask users fell victim to a large phishing attack using a fake version of the wallet\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2022 the wallet\u2019s team warned of disruptions due to issues at Infura, an Ethereum infrastructure provider. It also advised turning off iCloud backups for MetaMask.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">Does MetaMask have its own token?<\/h2>\n<p>At the moment MetaMask has no native token. In November 2021, however, ConsenSys chief Joseph Lubin hinted that this could change.<\/p>\n<p>The company revisited the topic just a couple of months later. Chief operating officer Jacob Cantele called introducing a governance token in MetaMask \u201can important aspect\u201d of decentralisation that would help hand control of the project to the community.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Cantele urged people not to count on a generous token airdrop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">How is MetaMask evolving?<\/h2>\n<p>Initially there were no restrictions on using MetaMask\u2019s source code. But in August 2020 the app\u2019s developers <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/metamask-adopts-a-new-license-for-distributing-its-source-code\">required<\/a> commercial projects with large audiences to sign a paid licensing agreement.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2020 ConsenSys <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/metamask-wallet-goes-mobile\">released<\/a> a mobile app for MetaMask.<\/p>\n<p>The latest mobile versions also added Apple Pay support and \u201cgasless transactions\u201d\u2014making fiat purchases of cryptocurrency significantly easier for users.<\/p>\n<p>Developers also plan to add bitcoin support in the near future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-cards single_card\">\n<h2 class=\"card_label\">What else to read?<\/h2>\n<p>What is Ethereum (ETH)?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-decentralised-finance-defi\">What is decentralised finance (DeFi)?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What is Lido?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-uniswap-uni\">What is Uniswap?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What are ERC-20 tokens?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-are-cross-chain-bridges\">What are cross-chain bridges?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What are layer-two scaling solutions?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-fantom-ftm\">What is Fantom?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-terra-luna\">What is Terra (LUNA)?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-cosmos-atom\">What is Cosmos?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When was the MetaMask crypto wallet created and why did it become popular? Which blockchains does it support and on which devices is it available? What other features does this wallet offer beyond storing and transferring cryptocurrencies? The answers to these and other questions are in Forklog\u2019s cards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"2","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2113],"tags":[2119,2126,1287,57],"class_list":["post-37516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptorium","tag-101-defi","tag-kriptorium-ethereum","tag-metamask","tag-wallets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"55","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37518,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37516\/revisions\/37518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}