Avalanche network has been gaining attention in the recent past as meme season began to blow up. With much volume streaming into the ecosystem, knowing how to work the Avalanche blockchain can be beneficial to you. It can be the difference between making a profit and a loss on the network.
Read on to find out how to add Avalanche to your Metamask wallet.
Avalanche Network
Avalanche is a layer 1 network created to help overcome the limitations of the Ethereum network. Avax C- Chain focuses mainly on high speed and scalability, sacrificing fees. However, its fees are still lower compared to mainnet Ethereum.
“High-speed financial applications are the norm for Web2, and for Web3 to compete and have parity with Web2, you do need a high-speed chain. Avalanche gets us closer and closer and possibly arriving at parity with the speed of Web2 systems.”
Sergey Nazarov – Co-Founder of Chainlink Labs
AVAX is the native coin of the Avalanche network, meaning you would need it to pay for transaction costs.
Why Metamask Wallet?
While there are many crypto wallets out there to use, Metamask is one of the most popular and oldest wallets in the crypto space. Their long time in development and support by the largest entities in the blockchain industry makes them the best go-to wallet for both beginners and professionals.
Also, metamask’s integration with a host of decentralized crypto platforms makes it the best option to scale across different blockchains, including Avalanche.
Another unique feature of the Metamask wallet that is lacking in most other wallets is the ability to speed up your transaction at the click of a button. This comes in handy when you find yourself with a stuck transaction.
How to Add Avalanche Network to MetaMask
Step 1: Install Metamask and Open it
First of all, you have to install Metamask on your browser if you don’t already have it. Metamask comes as a browser extension.
Head over to the Metamask website and follow the download instructions to install the wallet on your browser.
Step 2: Configure Avalanche Network on Metamask Wallet
Click on the Metamask logo on the top right corner of your browser. Then, go to settings >> Networks >> Add Network.
Fill in the details as shown below and save the settings to add the Avalanche network.
- Network Name: Avalanche Network
- New RPC URL: https://api.avax.network/ext/bc/C/rpc
- ChainID: 43114
- Symbol: AVAX
- Updated Explorer: https://snowtrace.io/
Step 3: Transferring Avalanche Coins
To participate in the meme season on Avalanche, you need some AVAX coins in your wallet. You can AVAX from a wide range of centralized cryptocurrency exchanges including Binance, Kucoin, Coinbase, and OKX.
After purchasing the AVAX coins, transfer them to your Metamask wallet by copying your Avalanche C-chain wallet address from Metamask.
Step 4: Adding Custom Avalanche Tokens to Metamask
Now that you are present on the Avalanche network and are ready to interact with DApps on Avalanche, you need to know how to add the custom tokens you invest in, otherwise, you will not know where your funds went.
Adding the custom tokens on Avalanche is beneficial especially when you want to make a transfer of the tokens to a second wallet or you want to sell the tokens.
To add a specific token to your Metamask wallet,
- Find the token on Coingecko or Coinmarketcap. You can also find the token information on tools such as DexScreener and Dextools.
- Copy the contract address of the token.
- Open Metamask and head over to Add Token.
- Paste the contract address and follow subsequent instructions to add the token.
When you head back to your Metamask account, you will be able to see the list of added tokens.
Explore Meme Season on Avalanche with Your Metamask Wallet
Now that you’re all set up, you may be wondering how to get started buying tokens. The #1 decentralized exchange on Avalanche is TraderJoe. Simply head over to their official website, connect your Metamask wallet to the website, and click on Trade.
Some of the leading memecoins on Avalanche are Coq Inu (COQ) and Gecko Inu (GEC). You can find them easily on TraderJoe.
Final Thoughts
With the market turning green and Bitcoin halving just a few months away, memes are on the rise and 2024 looks to be a great year for the crypto market. Knowing your way around different blockchains like Avalanche can help you position yourself early for big gains in impressionable meme coins such as Coq and Gecko.