MetaMask® Chrome
Download MetaMask: The Preferred Crypto Wallet Across Various Browsers and Operating Systems.
Last updated
Download MetaMask: The Preferred Crypto Wallet Across Various Browsers and Operating Systems.
Last updated
Welcome to this guide on securely setting up a MetaMask wallet. This guide focuses on the security choices you can make when setting up your MetaMask wallet; if you are looking for the official setup guide, please click here.
MetaMask is your entry point to the world of Ethereum - a blockchain platform designed for running apps and smart contracts.
This guide is focused on the MetaMask browser extension. Read our iOS and Android guides.
MetaMask consists of two main parts: a wallet and a web browser. The wallet supports any token compatible with Ethereum, and the web browser is preconfigured for interacting with dapps and smart-contracts.
MetaMask was first released in 2016, as a browser-extension, by ConsenSys - the first company focused on building decentralized tools and infrastructure. Both MetaMask and ConsenSys have played monumental roles in bringing Ethereum to the mainstream.
It is hard to overstate the effect MetaMask has had on the Ethereum ecosystem. By making dapps and smart-contracts simple and intuitive to use, activity on the Ethereum blockchain has enjoyed consistent growth.
Metamask is an open-source wallet, active development happens on github. The wallet has tons of features, and is constantly being updated and improved.
MetaMask is available as a browser-extension for Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. In September of 2020, MetaMask released a mobile app for iOS and Android.
MetaMask is installed as a browser-extension. The process of installing MetaMask involves going to the extension/add-on store for your browser and downloading MetaMask.
The first step is crucial. Navigate to the official MetaMask website. The only valid URL for metamask is https://metamask.io
Verify the closed lock to the left of the URL. This signifies you are connected through SSL - an encrypted connection. SSL encrypts data in transit and prevents attacks like phishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
If you do not see the closed lock, exit the page immediately.
MetaMask is a target for phishing attacks. Phishing is a way of stealing your credentials, by tricking you into downloading a malicious version of the app you want to download. A common tactic for phishers is to purchase domain names of common misspellings - hoping you make a mistake typing the URL.
Advanced phishers will install an SSL certificate on their phishing site. For extra verification, click on the closed lock, then click on `Certificate` to bring up the certificate details. Verify that the certificate was issued to https://metamask.io - the only valid URL for MetaMask.
