MetaMask Wallet- A Crypto Wallet & Gateway to Blockchain Apps

Do you understand the importance of storing your crypto assets in a place that is accessible only to you? If you are serious about the safe storage of your crypto assets, then you must be looking for a wallet that could help you in this task. In that case, I would recommend you go ahead with the MetaMask wallet especially if you are trading tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. 

Now, you must be having a question in your mind- What is MetaMask Wallet? We shall explain to you that in the section to follow. So, stay tuned and keep reading this post till the last until you find out the answer to all your queries regarding MetaMask.

In simple terms, we can say that it is a free cryptocurrency wallet that is available in a software form allowing users to interact and stay involved in the crypto world. Alongside letting you store crypto assets over it, the wallet also has options to buy, sell, as well as trade various crypto assets that are based on the Ethereum blockchain. ConsenSys, which is one of the renowned Ethereum development companies in the crypto market space launched MetaMask as a tool to allow users to have easy access to the decentralized applications (DApps).

As discussed in the previous section of the read, MetaMask is a diverse crypto wallet meaning that you can use it to fulfill several crypto-related purposes. Here are some of them:

• Use it to buy, send, receive, and swap Ether (ETH) 

• Trade Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the crypto world 

• Connect to the Ethereum decentralized applications 

• Sync your wallet with other crypto wallets 

• Interested users can also use it to play blockchain-based games s

• Create your access to different networks including BNB Smart Chain and some other testnets 

If you wish to bag all these benefits, you must install the wallet extension on your web browser or install its mobile application on your device. Currently, more than 100 million users have already been using this wallet service. So, let us now proceed with learning the steps to use MetaMask as a non-custodial wallet.

There are a few basic steps that you need to complete if you wish to start using MetaMask right away. In the first place, you need to download the official MetaMask extension on a supported browser such as: 

• Chrome

• Brave 

• Mozilla Firefox 

• Edge 

• And Opera 

Or, you may also install its mobile application on your iOS or Android device. Once done with that, you can begin to set up your new wallet. Creating a wallet is a simple process and does not require you to share any personal information. On the other hand, you can also import your existing wallet using the wallet's Secret Recovery Phrase. So, let's begin with understanding how we download/install the MetaMask wallet on our devices.

Whether you wish to install the MetaMask extension for Chrome, Brave, or any other supported browser, the standard process that you need to follow for the same is given hereby: 

1. Begin the process by opening the https://metamask.io/ on your browser 

2. Do you see that "Download" button at the top of the page? If yes, click it 

3. Now, MetaMask will automatically detect your browser and provide you with a relevant installation option 

4. If you are on Chrome, select "Install MetaMask for Chrome" 

5. Similarly, you need to select the installation option for other browsers 

6. After following a few more prompts, the process would complete

In one of the previous sections of this read, we have given you a slight hint that you can use the MetaMask wallet on your mobile device as well. So, here we are with the steps that you need to follow if you wish to install its mobile application on your Android or iOS device:

1. Access the MetaMask download page via https://metamask.io/download/ 

2. Choose the iOS or Android option based on your requirement 

3. Further, select the "Get" or "Install" buttons to initiate the installation 

4. You can also head to the Google Play Store or App Store to install the app 

IMPORTANT: Please make sure that you are downloading the correct MetaMask wallet extension or the application and check the authenticity of the app/extension to avoid loss of crypto funds.

After applying the steps we have discussed above, we should now move further and see what we should do if we want to set up a new MetaMask wallet: 

1. Select the fox-face icon to open the wallet extension/app 

2. Being a new user, now you should select the "GET STARTED" option 

3. After that, choose the "CREATE NEW WALLET" option 

4. After responding to a few more prompts, create a new MetaMask login password 

5. Next up, you will be provided with a 12-word Secret Recovery Phrase 

6. Finally, you can note it down and confirm the phrase to complete the wallet setup 

Please Note: Being a crypto trader, you are also responsible for the safekeeping of your wallet and the stored funds. Hence, you should make sure that you never share your wallet password, private keys, and Secret Recovery Phrase with anyone. Also, store your SRP at multiple places because losing it will cost you all your funds.

Being a beginner with this wallet, you might require some guidelines to access your wallet once you are logged out of it. Logging into your MetaMask is truly a hassle-free process. All you need to do is, follow the given steps to access your wallet as and when required: 

1. Access the wallet file by clicking on the fox-face icon 

2. To log in, enter the MetaMask login password in the apt space 

3. Soon after this, select the "Unlock" button 

4. Else, choose the "Forgot your password?" option to set up a new password

After learning all the basics to start using MetaMask, it is important that you take additional security measures into consideration if you wish to avoid losing your funds. Once your wallet is all set to use, you can fetch your wallet address and start funding your wallet with ETH and other supported tokens. Not only that, you can also swap crypto assets from within your wallet without following any hard and fast steps.