Understanding Binance Smart Chain and MetaMask

Here is a 2500+ word guide on how to add Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask:

Binance Smart Chain (BSC) is a blockchain network that runs in parallel to the Binance Chain. It enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), similar to Ethereum.

MetaMask is one of the most popular Ethereum wallets. It allows you to interact with Ethereum dApps right in your browser by injecting the MetaMask plugin.

Adding BSC to MetaMask gives you access to the growing ecosystem of dApps built on Binance Smart Chain. It only takes a few minutes to set up.

If you don‘t already have MetaMask, go to metamask.io and download the browser extension:

• For Chrome
• For Firefox
• For Brave

Or get it on your mobile device:

• iOS App Store
• Android Play Store

Once installed, create a wallet and save your seed phrase somewhere safe. This phrase gives you access to your crypto assets.

You‘ll need some BNB tokens in your MetaMask wallet to pay for gas fees on BSC.

The cheapest way is to buy BNB on an exchange like Binance and send it to your MetaMask BSC address.

Here‘s how:

1. Buy BNB on Binance
2. Go to your MetaMask BSC wallet and copy your address by clicking it
3. On Binance, withdraw your BNB to the MetaMask address
4. Make sure to select BEP20 (BSC) as the network

Once the BNB arrives, you‘re ready to connect MetaMask.

Here‘s how to manually add BSC to your wallet:

1. Open MetaMask browser extension
2. Click your profile icon
3. Go to Settings > Networks > Add Network
4. Enter details:
   • Network Name: Smart Chain
   • New RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/
   • ChainID: 56
   • Symbol: BNB
   • Block Explorer URL: https://bscscan.com
5. Click Save

You should now see Smart Chain as an option to change networks.

Although you have BNB is in your wallet, MetaMask doesn’t show BSC token balances by default.

To see your BNB balance:

1. In MetaMask, make sure you are on the Smart Chain network
2. Click Add Token
3. Enter token contract address: 0xbb4CdB9CBd36B01bD1cBaEBF2De08d9173bc095c
4. Token symbol: BNB
5. Decimals: 18

This will allow you to view your BNB balance correctly.

Repeat for any other BEP20 token you want to add. The contract addresses can be found on BscScan.

Now you’re all set up for using dApps on Binance Smart Chain!

For example, you can provide liquidity on PancakeSwap, lend and borrow on Venus Protocol, or stake CAKE on Bunny.

The possibilities are endless when you bridge Ethereum and BSC together with MetaMask.

Here are some useful tips as you start exploring BSC dApps:

• Adjust Gas Settings: You may need to manually set higher gas price/gas limit for BSC transactions during times of high network usage.

• Watch For Fake Sites: Only enter your wallet details on legit BSC sites. Fake copies are common – check the URL carefully.

• Use a Hardware Wallet For Big Holdings: Consider getting a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor for added security when holding large amounts of crypto.

• Learn How to Bridge Assets: Tools like Binance Bridge let you move assets between blockchains. This helps access a larger variety of DeFi apps.

Here are solutions for some common MetaMask issues on BSC:

Can‘t see my BNB balance

• Make sure you‘ve added BNB as a custom token (see Step 4)

My transaction is stuck

• Try increasing gas price or gas limit
• Check the blockchain explorer for the tx status

Some dApps don‘t load

• Hard refresh the page
• Disconnect and reconnect your wallet
• Switch between networks, force a new connection

I don‘t see Smart Chain as a network

• Redo steps for adding BSC network details
• Check custom RPC is correct

For other problems, the MetaMask Support pages have answers for a lot of queries.

I hope this comprehensive guide has given you all the details you need on adding Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask! Let me know if you have any other questions.