How to Add Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask

MetaMask is a free web and mobile crypto wallet with over ten million active monthly users. MetaMask was launched in 2016 to provide support for the Ethereum network, allowing users to store and swap cryptocurrencies, host a rich suite of decentralized applications like yield farming protocols and NFT marketplaces, token swap applications, and play blockchain-based games. 

Aiming to establish an interoperable and interconnected Web3 ecosystem, MetaMask has expanded to support the entire EVM (Ethereum virtual machine) ecosystem with networks, such as Fantom, Cronos, Avalanche, Polygon, and most importantly, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), the second largest smart contract blockchain after Ethereum.

Binance Smart Chain (BSC), rebranded as BNB Chain in 2022, has gained traction as an Ethereum alternative due to the low transaction costs and high speeds. BSC is equipped with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and smart contracts to support non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Ethereum applications.

With the MetaMask wallet, you can now switch freely between your Ethereum and Binance crypto wallets, access DApps operating on both ecosystems, and trade on DEXs from either network.

This article will show you how to add Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask for a seamless DApp experience.

Let's get right to it!

How to Integrate Binance Smart Chain With MetaMask

Follow our step-by-step guide for connecting MetaMask to Binance Smart Chain:

Step #1: Install MetaMask Wallet

If you don't have a wallet, the first step is downloading and installing MetaMask, which is available as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Edge and as a mobile app for Android and iOS. For this article, we’ll focus on MetaMask's browser version for Chrome.

• Launch Chrome, then navigate to the official Metamask website and click on the "Download" button in the top right corner.
• Navigate to the "Install MetaMask for Chrome" button at the bottom of the download page.

• After installation, you'll be asked whether you're "New to MetaMask."
• If this is your first time using MetaMask, select "Create a Wallet" or select "Import Wallet" for your secret recovery phrase.
• To create a wallet, you must create a password and write down your backup seed phrase somewhere secure (preferably not on an Internet-connected device). This phrase will help recover your funds if your device is damaged or lost.

Step #2: Sign In to MetaMask

You can access your freshly installed MetaMask wallet (MM) by clicking the three dots in the screen's upper-right corner.

To open MetaMask on an extended screen, click on the "Expand View."

You'll then be redirected to your wallet in a new tab.

Step #3: Configure the Wallet

You might notice straight away that we're still working with an Ethereum wallet. At best, this won't function with Binance Smart Chain DApps, and at worst, you can lose funds by sending them to invalid addresses.

Let's fix it. We must go to the Settings page to route the wallet toward Binance Smart Chain nodes.

Select settings from the dropdown menu, then go to the "Networks" menu.

Click on the "Add Network" in the top-right corner to manually add the Binance Smart Chain.

You'll be redirected to a new screen to add the technical information needed to connect MetaMask to the Binance Chain network. You can choose between the two networks - the testnet or the mainnet; the parameters of each can be found below:

Click "Add Network," enter the required information, and click "save":

Binance Smart Chain Mainnet

​​Network Name: Smart Chain

New RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/

ChainID: 56

Currency Symbol: BNB

Block Explorer URL: https://bscscan.com

Testnet

Network Name: Smart Chain - Testnet

New RPC URL: https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.binance.org:8545/

ChainID: 97

Symbol: BNB

Block Explorer URL: https://testnet.bscscan.com

After entering the network information, you'll be redirected to the wallet screen. The two red boxes in the screenshot below prove that the Binance Smart Chain has been successfully added to your MetaMask wallet. The first box indicates the BNB token standard, while the bottom right says "Smart Chain was successfully added."

Step #4: Transfer BNB to Your MetaMask Wallet

After successfully configuring the BSC network on your MetaMask wallet, you can easily transfer BNB between other Binance wallets (including your Binance exchange account or the Binance Chain wallet) and the MetaMask wallet. Simply go to your exchange, pick "Withdraw crypto" from your wallet, and select BNB as your coin.

To transfer BNB coins, you must first copy your MetaMask wallet address. Simply click on your account address (in MetaMask), and it will be copied to your clipboard.

Head back to the Binance page and paste your wallet address. Binance will most likely automatically select the network over which the BNB can be sent. And as you can see, in this example, it has already selected the BEP-20 network.

Remember that you must only select the BSC network; otherwise, your assets will be lost!

Now, input the amount to be transferred and click "Withdraw." You must accept the agreement, warning you that your digital assets will be lost if you choose the wrong network. Ensure that you've selected the BSC network.

Your transaction will be finalized, and you must wait for the network to process it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Binance Smart Chain Compatible With MetaMask

MetaMask is mainly used to interact with the Ethereum blockchain, but you can also link it to the Binance Smart Chain to make BNB transactions using MetaMask.  Additionally, BNB can be exchanged for other tokens on decentralized exchanges.

Is the Binance Smart Chain BEP20

Binance Smart Chain has a BEP20 token standard that functions similarly to Ethereum's ERC20 standard in many aspects. All tokens produced on BSC must adhere to the BEP20 standard.

Which Is Better, ERC20 or BEP20

BEP20 coins are subject to higher standards than ERC20 tokens and have lower transaction fees. BEP20 coins allow for speedier transactions, while ERC20 tokens are more secure.

Closing Thoughts

MetaMask is an indispensable tool for interacting with decentralized applications and has long been the go-to passport for accessing the sprawling Ethereum landscape. However, we've also learnt how to link MetaMask to the Binance Smart Chain network to send and receive BNB (Binance Coin) and much more.

We hope our guide on how to add Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask helped you gain a fundamental understanding of the steps involved in linking BSC to MetaMask with minimal effort.

You’re welcome to visit our CoinStats blog to discover more about DeFi’s tectonic shift in the finance sector and how decentralized finance empowers people. 

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