How to Add Arbitrum to MetaMask: The Essential Guide for Leveraging Layer 2 Ethereum Scaling
Introduction
As Ethereum has become more popular over recent years, rising network congestion has led to periods of high gas fees and slow transaction speeds on layer 1.
MetaMask continues to be the market leader for Ethereum wallets with over 30 million monthly active users as of 2022 according to DappRadar and 21 million downloads on Chrome Web Store.
Arbitrum has emerged as one of the leading layer 2 scaling solutions to enhance the Ethereum experience. It has witnessed surging growth with 800+ dApps deployed and over $1.5 billion in total value locked as per L2Beat.
By adding integration with Arbitrum, MetaMask users can unlock faster and cheaper Ethereum transactions alongside an expanding ecosystem of applications.
This guide will walk through:
- What is Arbitrum – Overview of technology and benefits
- Setting up MetaMask – Installation and configuration
- Adding Arbitrum network – Connecting via custom RPC
- Bridging assets to Arbitrum – Transfer tokens from Ethereum
- Transacting and dApps – Leveraging Arbitrum for defi, NFTs and more
Follow along to supercharge your web3 experience by adding the power of layer 2 to your trusted MetaMask wallet.
What is Arbitrum?
Arbitrum is a layer 2 optimistic rollup solution built to enhance scalability, speed and cost-efficiency for the Ethereum blockchain and its users.
Instead of processing transactions directly on layer 1 Ethereum as is traditionally done, Arbitrum handles execution off-chain while inheriting security from Ethereum mainnet.
This method of offloading computation and transaction batching unlocks significant improvements:
- Over 4,300 TPS: Compared to 15 TPS on Ethereum, Arbitrum can scale to handle more volume
- $0.10 average transaction fee: Save 90%+ compared to current Ethereum layer 1 costs
- 2 second block times: Faster transaction finality compared to minutes on Ethereum
Arbitrum launched its public mainnet in September 2021 and has gained strong adoption since:
- 800+ dApps and counting: Top applications like Uniswap, Opensea, Chainlink and more support Arbitrum
- Over $1.5 billion value locked: Making Arbitrum a top 5 layer 2 network by total value secured
Developers and users alike continue flocking to Arbitrum to benefit from a better overall Ethereum experience. Integrating with MetaMask wallet enables more participants to easily access Arbitrum‘s innovations.
Setting Up MetaMask Wallet
MetaMask serves as the primary gateway for users across desktop and mobile browsers to access the emerging web3 ecosystem.
Before onboarding to any blockchain network, installing and configuring MetaMask wallet is a prerequisite. Follow these steps to get set up:
Visit MetaMask.io and click "Download" to install the browser extension
Upon first opening MetaMask, you‘ll be guided to create a new wallet
You‘ll get a 12 or 24-word "Secret Recovery Phrase" – save these words in a private, secure location as it gives full access to your funds if restored
Next, set a password to encrypt your MetaMask wallet for added security
Customize your MetaMask account name, profile image colors and initial network as desired
Once completed, your core MetaMask wallet is ready to connect with Ethereum and layer 2 networks like Arbitrum.
Be sure to take precautions like backing up your Secret Recovery Phrase, keeping software updated and using hardware wallets for maximum security.
With MetaMask installation complete, adding Arbitrum integration is simple.
Adding Arbitrum Network to MetaMask
To connect your MetaMask wallet with Arbitrum for direct access, you just need your Secret Recovery Phrase and basic network info about Arbitrum mainnet.
Here are the 6 easy steps:
Access your MetaMask browser extension icon and sign in to your wallet
Click the network selection dropdown currently set to "Ethereum Mainnet" by default
Scroll down and select "Custom RPC" from the menu
Configure using these Arbitrum network details:
- Network Name: Arbitrum One
- RPC URL:
https://arb1.arbitrum.io/rpc - Chain ID: 42161
- Currency Symbol (optional): ETH
Click "Save" to add Arbitrum One to your network list
Click on "Arbitrum One" to switch and start using it!
And you‘re all set with Arbitrum enabled on MetaMask in just a few clicks!
Now your wallet can send, receive and interact directly with Arbitrum ecosystem. Next let‘s bridge over assets from Ethereum mainnet to put your Arbitrum access to use.
Bridging Assets from Ethereum to Arbitrum
In order to start sending transactions and interacting with applications on the Arbitrum network, you first need to migrate assets to layer 2.
Thankfully the official Arbitrum bridge makes this process easy by letting you securely transfer tokens from Ethereum over to Arbitrum mainnet in minutes.
Here is how to leverage the Arbitrum bridge with MetaMask:
Visit the Arbitrum Bridge Portal
Ensure MetaMask is connected, if not connect wallet
Select the asset and amount you wish to transfer
Click "Transfer" and confirm approval in MetaMask popup
Wait 5-10 minutes for transaction to finalize on Ethereum
Your transferred assets will now show in your Arbitrum MetaMask balance!
Once you‘ve bridged over tokens like ETH or stablecoins to Arbitrum, you can start interacting with dApps, swapping tokens, yield farming and more.
The same bridge can be used to send assets in either direction between Ethereum and Arbitrum. Try it out by bridging a small amount at first.
Transacting on Arbitrum Using MetaMask
One of the most immediately noticeable differences when transacting directly on Arbitrum versus Ethereum mainnet is significantly faster speeds and lower fees.
Here is an overview of sending ETH using MetaMask on Arbitrum:
Confirm network is set to "Arbitrum One" in MetaMask
Click "Send" and enter recipient‘s Arbitrum address
Enter ETH amount to send
Edit transaction fee (gas price) if needed – fees are 90% cheaper on Arbitrum
Confirm details and send! Transaction will finalize in seconds
Beyond basic transactions, Arbitrum unlocks more advanced web3 functionality like:
- Trading tokens securely with 0.075% total fees on UniSwap versus 0.30%+ on Ethereum
- Lending & borrowing stablecoins interest-free on Aave
- Minting NFTs for $1 on Arbitrum versus $20+ gas fees on Ethereum mainnet
What makes these use cases viable on Arbitrum versus prohibitive on Ethereum is order of magnitude gas fee savings.
Using Popular Arbitrum dApps
Hundreds of decentralized applications across categories like decentralized finance, NFTs and gaming have already deployed natively to leverage Arbitrum benefits.
Here are some of the most popular dApps accessible using your Arbitrum-integrated MetaMask wallet:
1. Uniswap (DEX)
- Leading decentralized exchange to swap Arbitrum tokens
- $620+ million total value locked on Arbitrum pools
- Better pricing via deeper liquidity versus competing DEXs
2. Opensea (NFTs)
- World’s largest NFT marketplace launched Arbitrum support
- 1.2+ million NFTs listed on Arbitrum with $300+ million traded
- 80-90% savings on gas fees for creators and traders versus Ethereum mainnet
3. GMX (Trading)
- Decentralized trading platform offering up to 500x leverage
- $8+ million daily trading volume on Arbitrum mainnet
- 0 gas fees, tight spreads and risk mitigation tools for traders
These dApps represent just a sampling of live Arbitrum integrations accessible today in DeFi, crypto gaming, NFTs and more verticals.
Many applications support direct onboarding via MetaMask wallet, allowing instant usability. A few may have additional setup like approving token lists – but leveraging Arbitrum broadens options tremendously.
As Arbitrum continues maturing on its developer growth trajectory, expect more category-leading dApps to deploy natively on layer 2 – supercharging what’s possible while retaining Ethereum’s security guarantees.
Future Interoperability Between MetaMask, Arbitrum and Ethereum
MetaMask simplifies access to the web3 ecosystems spanning multiple blockchains and solutions like layer 2.
Arbitrum serves as the leading layer 2 scaling solution making Ethereum faster, cheaper and easier to onboard to for end users and developers.
These two technologies saw record growth independently in 2022. Combined, they have potential to accelerate mainstream traction and maturity of the overall blockchain industry.
Future possibilities this integration unlocks includes:
- MetaMask adding additional Arbitrum testnets to its default network list as it continues gaining legitimacy
- More seamless bridges across chains natively built into wallet interfaces
- Emergence of new standards that retain Ethereum‘s security while capturing Arbitrum’s speed
- Interconnected ecosystems across layers 1 and 2 instead of fragmented silos & protocols
Ultimately the success of any blockchain lies in delivering practical value to its users.
Together MetaMask and Arbitrum each make blockchain technology more accessible. Their growing interoperability stands to benefit individual users and decentralized networks collectively.
Conclusion
This guide walked through how to get Arbitrum, one of the top layer 2 Ethereum scaling solutions, connected with MetaMask, the industry-leading web3 wallet for enhanced crypto functionality.
We covered how Arbitrum works to enable orders of magnitude improvements in transaction throughput, finality and fees versus transacting directly on layer 1.
Installing MetaMask wallet, adding custom network details for Arbitrum and bridging over assets gives you instant access to the rapidly expanding Arbitrum ecosystem from your browser.
Once set up, you can start leveraging Arbitrum‘s innovations in speed, cost and scalability to exchange tokens, engage with dApps in defi, NFTs, gaming and more.
Interoperability between MetaMask and Arbitrum unlocks powerful functionality today while pioneerng further innovation across chains and protocols cohesively.
With this guide, you are now equipped to enhance your web3 experience by connecting MetaMask wallet with the rotational force of layer 2.
