How to create Optimism wallet with Metamask
The very first step required before you can play around the Optimism chain is — to create a wallet. This blog will guide you through all the steps how to do one.
Baseline
We assume that you are already familiar with the Seed Phrase (a.k.a. Recovery Phrase) concept being used widely in cryptocurrency landscape.
One baseline we want to share before continuing is;
Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and many more EVM-based blockchains are sharing the same seed-phrase-to-private-key hashing algorithm.
In English, the same Seed Phrase can be used in all of those blockchains. If you already have a wallet created on any of them, you would get an instant access to other blockchains with the Seed Phrase you already have. The only step that might be required is; to add some configuration to your preferred wallet application, eg. Metamask, to give you an access to the blockchain.
But if you don’t have a Seed Phrase for any of those blockchains yet, you need to generate a new one and start fresh with a new wallet.
How to create Optimism wallet using Metamask on your computer
This will show you how to create a wallet with Metamask on Google Chrome, Firefox, Brave Browser or Microsoft Edge on your computer.
Step 1: Download Metamask extension for your web browser.
Step 2: Click the Metamask icon (the fox one) on the browser’s extension bar.
Step 3: Click Get Started
Step 4: Click Create a Wallet and then either I Agree or No Thanks in the next page
Step 5: Type in a password you preferred in both boxes. This will be used to unlock your Metamask when you want to use it.
Step 6: Click Next in the Secure your wallet page
Step 7: In the Secret Recovery Phrase, click at CLICK HERE TO REVEAL SECRET WORDS
Step 8: IMPORTANT! Note down all the words given at the safe place. Don’t show it to anyone since these words are like a key to access everything inside your wallet. More importantly, don’t lose it. Otherwise, you wallet will be gone forever.
Step 9: Click Next and then verify all the words in the correct order in the next page.
Congratulations! You just successfully created a wallet! Your wallet address can be found under the Account 1 bar.
Anyway the only network available is Ethereum main chain which is not what we want. We need to add the Optimism configuration to Metamask to get an access to Optimism.
How to add Optimism configuration to Metamask on your computer
You can actually do it in a couple clicks.
Step 1: Go to https://chainlist.org/
Step 2: Click Connect Wallet. Metamask window will pop up. Just simply click Next and then Connect to connect your wallet to chainlist website.
Step 3: Type Optimism in Search Networks search bar
Step 4: Click Add to Metamask under Optimism box
Step 5: Metamask window will pop up. Click Approve.
Step 6: You are all set! You can verify if the configuration has been added correctly by clicking on the Metamask button on extension bar and check if Optimism is now showing in the network drop down listbox.
How to create Optimism wallet using Metamask Mobile
You also can create a wallet with Metamask Mobile application.
Step 1: Download Metamask Mobile application and launch the app.
Step 2: On the welcome page, click Get Started.
Step 3: On the Wallet setup page, click Create a new wallet.
Step 4: Click either I Agree or No Thanks in Help us improve Metamask page
Step 5: Type in the password in both boxes in Create Password page and then continue.
Step 6: On the Secure your wallet page, click Start.
Step 7: Reveal the Seed Phrase by clicking View.
Step 8: Note all the words down to the safe place and keep it secret. More importantly, don’t lose it! Click Continue once done.
Step 9: Verify all the words in the correct order.
Congratulations! You are all set!
But same as above, you also need to apply Optimism configuration to Metamask Mobile app to give you an access to Optimism blockchain.
How to add Optimism configuration to Metamask Mobile using chainlist
The steps are pretty similar to Metamask on computer.
Step 1: On Metamask Mobile app, click at the Hamburger icon on the top left to reveal the side menu.
Step 2: Click Browser.
Step 3: Browse to https://chainlist.org
Step 4: Click Connect Wallet and then Connect. This would connect your Metamask Mobile to chainlist website.
Step 5: Search for Optimism in the search bar.
Step 6: Click Add to Metamask under Optimism box shown in the search result and Approve the request.
Everything should be good to go now. To verify if the configuration has been added correctly, you can click Hamburger menu again and then click Settings -> Network. Optimistic Ethereum should be showing in the list there.
Anyway, in some case, chainlist might not be able to automatically add the configuration for you. If it happens to you, you need to manually add the network to the application.
How to add manually add Optimism configuration to Metamask Mobile
Step 1: On Metamask Mobile app, click at the Hamburger icon on the top left to reveal the side menu.
Step 2: Click Settings -> Network -> Add Network
Step 3: Type the following in each input box.
Network Name: Optimistic Ethereum
RPC Url: https://mainnet.optimism.io/
Chain ID: 10
Symbol: OETH
Block Explorer URL: https://optimistic.etherscan.io/
and then Click Add.
Once done, Optimistic Ethereum should be found in the Networks page right away.
