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Looking for a guide on how to interact with a specific network using MetaMask? You're in the right place.
MetaMask is usable with any network compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
Follow the links below to find the network you're looking for — although please note this is by no means an exhaustive list.
EVM-compatible blockchains
Based on Ethereum (usually through hard forks) but with key differences such as different consensus mechanisms, alternative blockchains to Ethereum mainnet have a broad range of intended functions, features, and relative advantages. Chief amongst them is their ability to compute more transactions per second (tps) whilst maintaining lower gas fees. Generally, they each have their own ecosystem of dapps, such as DeFi and NFT platforms.
Follow the links below to view our profiles on each network:
BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain/BSC)
Harmony
Fantom
Avalanche
Aurora
Layer 2 (L2) and sidechains
L2 networks are protocols built on top of an existing blockchain to improve throughput -- the volume of transactions it can handle. L2s are generally fundamentally linked to layer 1 chains, relying on them for security.
Sidechains are their own blockchain. With this slightly greater distance from the main chain comes increased self-reliance: in contrast to L2s, sidechains use their own security mechanisms. However, they are still closely linked to the parent chain. Their purpose is typically to improve or expand the parent blockchain's functionality, a step achieved by enabling 1:1 interchangeability of assets between the two networks. For example, one ERC-20 Polygon (POL (previously MATIC)) token on Ethereum mainnet can be exchanged for one Polygon token usable on the Polygon sidechain via the network's bridge.
Our profiles can be accessed by the links below:
Polygon
Optimism (Optimistic Ethereum)
Arbitrum
Palm
Celo
MetaMask's parent company, Consensys, is also launching its own layer 2 network using zero-knowledge proofs: Linea.
