MetaMask Testnet Wallet Setup for Blockchain Development - Devtonight (2024)

MetaMask Testnet Wallet Setup for Blockchain Development - Devtonight (1)

MetaMask is one of the leadingopen-source browser-based cryptocurrency wallet extensions which let you easily store, transfer and handle numerous amount of other blockchain-based operations on Ethereum, Polygon Matic, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Avalanche and many other networks. In addition to that, MetaMask let you securely interact with web applications. In this beginner-friendly guide, you will be able to learn how to install and set up the MetaMask wallet. Additionally, you will be able to learn how to add testnets to the wallet and transfer some free testnet tokens for blockchain development tasks.

MetaMask wallet browser extension supports Chrome, Chromium and Firefox browsers. First, go to Google and search for “metamask” or “metamask download.

MetaMask Testnet Wallet Setup for Blockchain Development - Devtonight (2)

Click the “Download” link.

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At this step, if you use Google Chrome or Chromium-based browser, you will see the “Install MetaMask For Chrome” blue button. Instead, if you use Firefox, you will see it as “Install MetaMask For Firefox”. Click it to open the related extension installation page.

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Click the “Add to Chrome” button.

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Click “Add extension” and confirm the extension installation. It will take a few seconds to download and install the extension.

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MetaMask Wallet Setup

Once the installation is succeeded, it will greet you with a welcome screen. Click the “Get Started” button.

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At this step, you have two options. If you have already been using MetaMask and had a wallet secret recovery phrase, you can click “Import wallet” and restore it. Or otherwise, you can create a new wallet by clicking the “Create a Wallet” button. However, in this post, we are going to focus on the second option or creating a new wallet.

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You can contribute to the future development of MetaMask by letting them collect some anonymous information about your usage. As they mention, they only collect anonymous information and they never collect any information about your secret recovery phrase, addresses, transactions, IP addresses. You can either provide information or otherwise, you can simply reject that. If you need, you can change it later as well.

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Enter a strong password, you will need this password whenever you unlock the wallet.

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Watch this short video and click the “Next” button.

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This is the most important step. At this step, it is highly recommended to backup your secret recovery phrase somewhere secure. In case you need to restore the wallet on another device, you need to have this secret recovery phrase. If you forget it, you will never be able to access the wallet. So click the dark box, it will reveal your secret recovery phrase.

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If you would like to confirm and verify the backed-up secret recovery phrase, you can click the “Next” button. In the next step, you will have to confirm it. If you decided to backup the secret recovery phrase later, you can skip it for now by clicking the “Remind me later” button.

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If you clicked the “Next” button in the previous step, now you will have to confirm it. Click on the words in the correct order. The “Confirm” button will be disabled until you set the correct secret recovery phrase.

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Once you select all the words, it will automatically enable the “Confirm” button. Click it.

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Congratulations! You have successfully setup your MetaMask wallet. Click the “All Done” button to proceed to your wallet page.

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This is your newly created wallet’s home page. You can use it to send, receive coins and interact with the blockchain.

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Mainnet Vs Testnet Blockchain Networks

Mainnet and testnet are independently operated networks. Usually, mainnets are considered more mature and stable versions available for public use. We can buy, sell and trade coins in the mainnet with other people and cryptocurrency exchanges. Testnet networks are intended to be used only for testing and development purposes. Coins/tokens in testnet have no value. That means you cannot buy, sell or trade testnet coins for fiat currencies or mainnet coins in a cryptocurrency exchange. Also, you cannot transfer coins between testnet and mainnet. Usually, you can claim these testnet coins from testnet faucets (which will be covered later) or you can simply ask someone who has testnet coins.

MetaMask comes with a few built-in testnets, but these testnets are hidden and we need to manually enable them. In addition to that, we can add custom networks to MetaMask as well.

Enable Built-in Testnets In MetaMask

Open the MetaMask by clicking the MetaMask icon in the browser toolbar. If you need, you can also click the vertical three dots (Vertical Ellipsis⋮) and then click “Expand View” to display MetaMask as a webpage instead of a popup. Then click the circle at the right top corner. After that, click “Settings”.

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You will see a page similar to below, click the “Advanced”.

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Scroll down until you see the “Show test networks”. Turn it on to enable testnets. Now you will be able to see the enabled testnets by clicking the “Ethereum Mainnet” oval button at the right top.

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Add Custom Testnet Networks To MetaMask

Go to the MetaMask Settings page and select “Networks”. Click the “Add a network” button.

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For this example, we are going to add the Polygon Matic testnet network. Usually, you will need the name of the network, RPC URL, chain ID. Also optional symbol and block explorer URL. Click “Save” to add the network.

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Now you will be able to see the newly added Polygon Matic Testnet.

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Add Binance, Huobi, Avalanche, Arbitrum and Harmony Testnet Networks

The following list contains Binance Smart Chain, Huobi ECO Chain, Avalanche, Arbitrum and Harmony testnets. Add the necessary testnets to MetaMask as described earlier.

Network NameRPC URLChain IDSymbolBlock Explorer
Ethereum Ropsten Testnethttps://ropsten.infura.io/v3/9aa3d95b3bc440fa88ea12eaa44561613ETHhttps://ropsten.etherscan.io
Ethereum Rinkeby Testnethttps://rinkey.infura.io/v3/9aa3d95b3bc440fa88ea12eaa44561614ETHhttps://rinkeby.etherscan.io
Ethereum Goerli Testnethttps://goerli.infura.io/v3/9aa3d95b3bc440fa88ea12eaa44561615ETHhttps://goerli.etherscan.io
Ethereum Kovan Testnethttps://kovan.infura.io/v3/9aa3d95b3bc440fa88ea12eaa44561616ETHhttps://kovan.etherscan.io
Binance Smart Chain Testnethttps://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.binance.org:854597BNBhttps://testnet.bscscan.com
Huobi ECO Chain Testnethttps://http-testnet.hecochain.com256HThttps://testnet.hecoinfo.com
Avalanche Fuji Testnethttps://api.avax-test.network/ext/bc/C/rpc43113AVAXhttps://testnet.snowtrace.io
Polygon Testnet Mumbaihttps://matic-mumbai.chainstacklabs.com80001MATIChttps://mumbai.polygonscan.com
Arbitrum Testnet Rinkebyhttps://rinkeby.arbitrum.io/rpc421611ARETHhttps://rinkeby-explorer.arbitrum.io
Harmony Testnet Shard 0https://api.s0.b.hmny.io1666700000ONEhttps://explorer.pops.one
Harmony Testnet Shard 1https://api.s1.b.hmny.io1666700001ONEhttps://www.harmony.one
Harmony Testnet Shard 2https://api.s2.b.hmny.io1666700002ONEhttps://www.harmony.one
Harmony Testnet Shard 3https://api.s3.b.hmny.io1666700003ONEhttps://www.harmony.one

Claim Free Testnet Tokens From Faucets

As explained earlier, testnet tokens can be obtained for free from faucets or someone who has them. Use the following list to claim some free testnet tokens.

Ethereum Testnet Faucets

  • faucet.metamask.io
  • faucet.ropsten.be (Ropsten)
  • faucet.rinkeby.io (Rinkeby)
  • ethdrop.dev (Kovan)
  • goerli-faucet.slock.it (Goerli)
  • faucet.goerli.mudit.blog (Goerli)
  • usdcfaucet.com (Goerli)

Polygon Matic Testnet Faucets

  • faucet.polygon.technology

Avalanche Fuji Testnet Faucets

  • faucet.avax-test.network

Binance Smart Chain Testnet Faucets

  • testnet.binance.org/faucet-smart

Arbitrum Testnet Faucets

  • faucets.chain.link/arbitrum-rinkeby

Huobi ECO Chain Testnet Faucets

  • scan-testnet.hecochain.com/faucet

Conclusion

In this beginner-friendly yet comprehensive guide, we learned how to install and setup the MetaMask wallet extension in your web browser. Then we learned about the differences and similarities between “mainnet”, “testnet” and their use cases. After that, we added Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Huobi ECO Chain, Avalanche and Polygon testnets. Finally, we learned how to claim free testnet tokens for development purposes. Did we miss something interesting about this topic that you know or have anything to share with us? Let’s discuss them all in the comment section.

MetaMask Testnet Wallet Setup for Blockchain Development - Devtonight (2024)

FAQs

How do I Create a Testnet wallet on MetaMask? ›

Go to https://faucets.chain.link/.
  1. In Metmask, select the network where you want to receive testnet LINK.
  2. Click Connect wallet so the faucet app can detect the network and wallet address.
  3. If you want to receive testnet funds at a different address, paste it in the Wallet address section.

How do I enable test network in MetaMask? ›

Second Stage − Setup Test Network to add Test Faucet

Step 3 − After clicking on the setting another section of the wallet will open, here click on Advanced. Step 4 − Scroll down in the Advanced section you will notice a slider here that enables the test network in the wallet. Click it to turn on the test network.

How do I link Testnet to wallet? ›

If you created an account using option 2 or 3, you can now import these accounts to your wallet.
  1. Open your wallet browser extension from your browser.
  2. Select Settings > Import Account.
  3. Copy the private key from your local account, paste it into the window provided, and select Import.

How do you add Ethereum to MetaMask wallet for testing? ›

MetaMask. Using MetaMask to send Ether and tokens on a testnet is straightforward; in the top-left of MetaMask, you can select an Ethereum network. Switch from the Main Ethereum Network to Rinkeby (or other testnet) and you should see your balances and transaction history update, to reflect the network you've selected.

How do I use testnet blockchain? ›

Send testnet BTC (20 minutes)
  1. Click the Assets tab in your Casa App.
  2. Click your Test Bitcoin wallet.
  3. Click the Send button.
  4. Enter an amount of TBTC to send back to Yet Another Bitcoin Testnet Faucet.
  5. Click the Continue button.
  6. Click the Scan Code button.
  7. Go to Yet Another Bitcoin Testnet Faucet.
Jan 14, 2021

What are different types of testnet in MetaMask? ›

The Metamask wallet allows access to four test networks:
  • Ropsten.
  • Kovan.
  • Rinkeby.
  • Goerli.
Sep 25, 2017

How do I unlock Ropsten test network on MetaMask? ›

In AlphaWallet, go to 'Settings“, then 'Select Active Networks' and select 'Ropsten (test)'. Click 'Save' and you are ready to go. Then you can get Ropsten ETH through below faucets: https://faucet.metamask.io/

How do I manually add Ropsten test network to MetaMask? ›

Here what I tried to add "Ropsten Test Network" and create a test account for receiving free Ether money.
  1. Open MetaMask extension and click on the dropdown icon of the network name. ...
  2. Click "[Show/Hide] test networks" link. ...
  3. Turn on the "Show test networks" switch. ...
  4. Select "Ropsten Test Network" as the current network.

Why is MetaMask not letting me confirm? ›

Why is my "Confirm" button greyed out? On the confirmation screen, you might see the confirm button is greyed out. This will be because you have an insufficient amount of the native token necessary to pay for the transaction. See above.

Can you transfer from testnet to Mainnet? ›

Nothing from the test network can be migrated to mainnet. The chain data is different for both Execution (ETH1) and Consensus (ETH2), so you must remove the old chain data and resync the mainnet chains from scratch. Your validators on the testnet do not carry over to mainnet.

How do I transfer money from testnet to Mainnet? ›

Migrating to mainnet
  1. Get a mainnet account. You can get a Hedera account by signing up at portal.hedera.com and going through an identity verification process. ...
  2. Make sure you have HBAR in it! ...
  3. Change your client configuration. ...
  4. Change any mirror node APIs you're using. ...
  5. Migrate your custom application/infrastructure.
Feb 26, 2021

How do you get money from testnet? ›

In order to add testnet funds to your testnet account, navigate to the testnet faucet and log in to your Binance account. When complete, you will receive 200 testnet BNB so that you can interact with the Binance DEX testnet.

Which Ethereum testnet to use? ›

Ethereum testnets

For development, its recommended you use the Rinkeby or Kovan test networks. This is because they use a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism, ensuring transactions and blocks are created in a consistent and timely manner.

Is testnet real money? ›

Once obtained, they can be used to test out wallets, make transactions and even interact with decentralized applications on the blockchain. Testnet coins are not worth anything. They are only used for testing and development purposes and are not intended to be used for real transactions.

What is different about Ethereum testnet? ›

A testnet is a copy of the Ethereum blockchain which is not actual Ethereum but functions in the same way. This provides valuable testing infrastructure for developers. A testnet is a blockchain network that is validated by Proof of Work, Proof of Authority, or Proof of Stake.

How to run testnet? ›

To use testnet, use the argument -testnet with bitcoin-cli , bitcoind or bitcoin-qt or add testnet=1 to your bitcoin. conf file as described earlier. To get free satoshis for testing, use Piotr Piasecki's testnet faucet.

How do I add tokens to testnet? ›

Just go to your MetaMask, select the Ropsten testnet, click on the “Add Token” button, and paste your token address at the top.

How does the testnet work? ›

Una testnet network is a almost identical copy of the blockchain of a cryptocurrency that has two main objectives: Test changes to the protocol of the cryptocurrency Risk free. That external developers can integrate the cryptocurrency / protocol into their application, being able to do tests at no cost.

What is the difference between Mainnet and testnet? ›

A testnet refers to a test version of a blockchain network that is used for testing purposes, while mainnet refers to the actual, live version of a blockchain network that is used for real transactions. Understanding this distinction (testnet vs mainnet) is crucial for anyone working in the blockchain industry.

What is the most popular Ethereum testnet? ›

Ethereum Testnets
  • Goerli. Testnets. The top proof-of-authority (PoA) cross-client testnet for Ethereum smart contract development. Chains. ...
  • Sepolia. Testnets. A recently merged Proof-of-Stake testnet for the Ethereum mainnet. ...
  • Rinkeby. Testnets. An Ethereum testnet for solidity smart contract testing with faucet ETH for gas.

Is testnet ETH worth anything? ›

Developers can use a Rinkeby Faucet to get free testnet ETH and test their smart contracts without the risk of losing real financial assets. Because it's a testnet, the currency is worthless. You can't mine ETH within the Rinkeby testnet, only request it.

What is Ropsten testnet? ›

What is the Ropsten testnet? The Ropsten testnet, which is now deprecated, is an Ethereum-based test blockchain used by Ethereum developers to test protocol upgrades before deploying applications on the Ethereum mainnet.

Is Ropsten network real? ›

Ropsten, which was launched in 2016, is Ethereum's oldest testnet. It permits testing of blockchain development prior to mainnet release. It is similar to the mainnet and identical to other testnets, with the exception that no "actual" cash is at risk in the event of technical faults.

What is testnet on Metamask? ›

There are testnets on the blockchain so you can run your tests outside of the mainnets, and the transactions made on these testnets do not affect the mainnets. By activating these networks in your metamask wallet, you can perform your own tests and switch between networks quickly.

What is the contract address for Ropsten testnet? ›

Select wallet

Ropsten Test Network (ROP) ERC20 Token in Ethereum Mainnet. Token is implemented as ERC20 smart contract with address 0x0ba54510d3b95ba4173a2c4c86be27561bb36678 .

How do you receive free Ethereum money from Ropsten test network? ›

To get free Eth on the Ropsten testnet, we can use the official faucet. Just paste your Eth address and click Send me test Ether to get a free 0.3 Eth. The Ropsten test network is considered to be the test network that is most closely related to the Ethereum Mainnet.

Why my MetaMask wallet is not working? ›

If the issue persists, try resetting your Metamask account by going to Settings > Advanced > Reset Account. Once your account is reset, restart your browser and try connecting your Ledger device to Metamask again.

Why does MetaMask keep failing? ›

According to the reports, MetaMask failed transactions typically happen when you make a straight purchase on a web3 site without first connecting your wallet. We advise linking your MetaMask wallet before making any purchases to avoid this problem.

Why won't my MetaMask wallet connect? ›

Restart your browser, or force close the mobile app and reopen. Restart your computer or mobile device. Lock and unlock MetaMask. If your problem relates to a specific transaction, check the relevant block explorer for the network you're using, such as Etherscan.

Can testnet tokens be sold? ›

No, it's "certainly" not possible unless you do a kind of scam project to swap such as tokens between networks, which of course is not encouraged from this forum.

What is testnet and Mainnet in blockchain? ›

Transactions on a mainnet are recorded on the blockchain permanently and are visible to the public. In contrast, transactions on a testnet are used for testing and development purposes and are not recorded on the blockchain permanently.

Can you sell testnet tokens? ›

Coins on the Binance Smart Chain testnet have no economic value, and you can't sell them for real money anywhere.

What is Mainnet testnet? ›

It is a blockchain network that is fully operational and deployed by its developers. Bitcoin and Ethereum are both Mainnets. The term is used in contrast to a “Testnet”, which is a blockchain project that is still in progress and is not yet ready to be deployed.

Does testnet support MetaMask? ›

The test networks are already there on Metamask, just that they are hidden by default. You just need to go to Settings -> Advanced and turn on the “Show test networks” switch. That's it!

Does Coinbase support testnet? ›

TL;DR: Coinbase Cloud's Node product now supports Goerli testnet. Node was launched on 9/21 for web3 developers, providing instant, free, and reliable read/write blockchain API access on Ethereum Mainnet. Today, we've extended Node's network support by adding Goerli testnet.

Can you verify contract on testnet? ›

IMPORTANT Contracts should be verified on Testnet before being deployed to Mainnet to ensure there are no issues. Contracts must be flattened.

How do I add smart chain testnet to MetaMask? ›

Open MetaMask, navigate to “Settings,” and choose “Network.” To add the blockchain manually, click the “Add Network” button. You can now decide between two networks: Mainnet and Testnet.
...
Adding Binance Smart Chain
  1. Name of the network: Smart Chain – Testnet.
  2. New URL: copy one from this page.
  3. Symbol: BNB.
  4. Chain ID: 97.
Jun 30, 2022

How can I get free testnet ETH? ›

You can either go to app.mycrypto.com/faucet, or go to Tools > Use Testnet Faucet in the left-hand side menu on MyCrypto. After adding your account, you're ready to request your testnet Ether. Simply select your testnet account and click the "Request Assets" button.

What is a testnet wallet? ›

Testnet wallets allow developers or testers to experiment without having to risk actual bitcoin. The funds in a Testnet wallet do not have any real value, and the testnet bitcoin in these wallets cannot be "activated" or "converted" into mainnet bitcoin.

What can I use instead of Ropsten? ›

What testnets should I use instead of Ropsten? The two testnets that Alchemy and the Ethereum Foundation recommend using are Goerli and Sepolia. These two testnets will be maintained after The Merge, and it is where dApp and client developers should migrate to from Ropsten, Kovan, and Rinkeby.

How long does a testnet last? ›

The testnet aims to grow and stabilize the validator community. It will also allow for first experiments of building dApps and rollups on top of Celestia. The testnet will last for a few months and will lay the groundwork for the Celestia incentivized testnet in Q3 2022.

Why use a testnet? ›

Testnets are used by developers to ensure that the smart contracts and dApps (Decentralized Applications) they deploy are functional and secure. Developers can work with the same clients as they would on the mainnet but testnets operate on a separate ledger.

How do you run Ethereum testnet? ›

  1. Step 1: Install Homebrew & Geth. The first thing you'll need to do is download Geth. ...
  2. Step 2: Create Your Genesis File. The Genesis Block is known as the first block in the chain. ...
  3. Step 3: Start Your Node. Now that you've created and defined your Genesis File, you're ready to start running your node! ...
  4. Step 4: Mine Ether.
Nov 5, 2018

How do I create a testnet account? ›

In testnet you can directly create named accounts. Simply go to the wallet, pick a name, and you are ready to go. Remember to save somewhere safe the mnemonic phrase.

How do you make your own testnet? ›

Table of contents
  1. Step 1 - Writing the Smart Contract.
  2. Step 2 - Compiling the Smart Contract.
  3. Step 3 - Getting a Rinkeby Testnet Token.
  4. Step 4 - Deploying the Smart Contract.
  5. Step 5 - Importing Our Token in Metamask.
  6. Step 6 - Sending Our Token to Others.
Jun 15, 2022

How do you get testnet? ›

Obtaining Testnet Ether

You can either go to app.mycrypto.com/faucet, or go to Tools > Use Testnet Faucet in the left-hand side menu on MyCrypto. After adding your account, you're ready to request your testnet Ether. Simply select your testnet account and click the "Request Assets" button.

What network is testnet? ›

Una testnet network is a almost identical copy of the blockchain of a cryptocurrency that has two main objectives: Test changes to the protocol of the cryptocurrency Risk free. That external developers can integrate the cryptocurrency / protocol into their application, being able to do tests at no cost.

How do I make a blockchain testnet? ›

Navigate to https://testnet.coinfaucet.eu/en/ or your choice of testnet faucet, paste your testnet address, click Get Bitcoins! and solve the captcha. 3.
...
Testnet coins carry no value and cannot be used to pay transactions.
  1. Bitcoin (BTC)
  2. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
  3. Ethereum (ETH) (Does not include ERC20 stablecoins.)
  4. Ripple (XRP)
Dec 14, 2022

How do I add a token to testnet? ›

Just go to your MetaMask, select the Ropsten testnet, click on the “Add Token” button, and paste your token address at the top.

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