How to Add Polygon to Metamask: A Step-by-Step Guide for Web3 Users

Hey there fellow Web3 enthusiast!

If you‘ve dabbled in decentralized finance and NFTs, you know how insanely high Ethereum gas fees can be. Not to mention the network congestion and slow transaction times.

It‘s enough to drive any crypto user crazy!

Well don‘t worry my friend, I‘ve got the perfect solution for you – Polygon.

Polygon (previously called Matic Network) is a Layer 2 scaling solution built on top of Ethereum. It allows you to do everything you love on Ethereum, but with faster speeds and barely any fees. A match made in heaven!

But to tap into the awesomeness of Polygon, you need to connect it to your Ethereum wallet.

And if you‘re like me, you likely use MetaMask – the most popular Web3 wallet.

So in this jam-packed guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through how to add Polygon to MetaMask.

Here‘s a quick overview of what I‘ll cover:

Why Polygon is a game changer
Key benefits of adding Polygon to MetaMask
Step-by-step guide to connect Polygon and MetaMask
How to transfer assets and use DeFi on Polygon
Tips to avoid issues and troubleshoot problems

Let‘s get started!

Why Polygon is a Game Changer

Before we jump into the how-to, let me give you some background on why Polygon is so amazing.

Ethereum has a major scalability problem. Its architecture only allows for 14-15 transactions per second (TPS).

But with all the DeFi and NFT frenzy, the network gets clogged up really fast.

This causes two big issues:

Skyrocketing Gas Fees

More transactions than the network can handle leads to insanely high gas fees.

Just take a look at how Ethereum average transaction fees have ballooned over the past year:

Date	Avg Fee (in USD)
January 2021	$10.13
May 2021	$71.72
September 2021	$59.88
January 2022	$26.64

Source: BitInfoCharts

As you can see, average Ethereum fees peaked at a crazy $71 in May 2021!

Who wants to pay $70 just to trade some tokens or mint an NFT?

Slow Transaction Times

All the congestion also means transactions take forever to process on Ethereum.

Etherscan data shows the average Ethereum transaction time is 5-10 minutes. Again, simply unacceptable!

This is where Polygon comes to the rescue.

Polygon is a Layer 2 solution that runs on top of Ethereum. It processes transactions off-chain and commits batches of transactions back to Ethereum.

This delivers:

Faster speeds – Polygon can process up to 7,000 TPS. Transactions get confirmed in under 2 seconds!
Minuscule fees – Polygon transaction fees are well under $0.001 on average.
Ethereum security – Transactions still benefit from Ethereum‘s rock solid security.

And major Ethereum applications have already deployed on Polygon like AAVE, Curve, 1inch etc.

So by adding Polygon to MetaMask, you get the best of both worlds – fast and cheap transactions + Ethereum‘s security and network effects.

Let‘s get to it then!

Benefits of Adding Polygon to MetaMask

Before I show you how to add Polygon, let‘s quickly go through why you should integrate Polygon with MetaMask:

Use DeFi apps on Polygon

Adding Polygon gives you instant access to all your favorite DeFi apps like AAVE, Curve, QuickSwap, DFyn etc. with minimal fees.

You can trade, lend, borrow, provide liquidity – and earn attractive yields on your crypto – with barely any costs.

Mint and trade NFTs

Minting an NFT on Ethereum costs $50-100 nowadays. But on Polygon, you can mint for under $0.01!

And then trade those NFTs on marketplaces like OpenSea forked on Polygon for negligible fees.

Transfer assets instantly

The Polygon bridge allows you to quickly move assets like ETH, stablecoins, NFTs etc. between Ethereum and Polygon in minutes.

Use MATIC token

You need MATIC tokens to pay for gas fees on Polygon. Adding Polygon allows you to hold and transact using MATIC seamlessly.

Farm yields

You can put your tokens to work farming attractive yields on Polygon-based yield aggregators and DEXs.

Stake MATIC

As a validator network, staking your MATIC is an easy way to earn yields while supporting the ecosystem.

Leverage Web3 apps

Dozens of Web3 apps are choosing to deploy on Polygon over Ethereum. So you get access to a range of bleeding edge innovations.

And that brings us to…

Step-by-Step Guide: Add Polygon to MetaMask

Alright, I‘m sure you‘re itching to get Polygon set up on your MetaMask wallet by now.

There are two ways to go about it:

Using the Polygon Bridge (easiest method)
Manually adding the Polygon RPC

Let‘s look at both processes.

Method 1: Via Polygon Bridge

The Polygon Bridge makes adding Polygon a breeze. Just follow these simple steps:

Visit the Polygon Bridge site and connect your MetaMask wallet.

You‘ll see the bridge dashboard with your ETH balance.
Scroll down and click the big green "Add Polygon Network" button under Settings.
A MetaMask window will pop up asking you to confirm adding Polygon RPC. Just click "Approve".

That‘s seriously all there is to it! The entire process takes less than a minute.

Once approved, you‘ll see the Polygon Mainnet added to your MetaMask network dropdown.

Method 2: Manually Add Polygon RPC

You can also manually add Polygon Mainnet to MetaMask by:

Opening your MetaMask browser extension and logging into your wallet.
On the top right network dropdown, selecting "Add Network".
On the form enter these network details:
- Network Name: Polygon
- New RPC URL: https://polygon-rpc.com/
- Chain ID: 137
- Currency Symbol (optional): MATIC
- Block Explorer URL (optional): https://polygonscan.com
Click "Save" and Polygon will be added to your network list!

The manual process takes slightly longer but gives you more control.

Either way, you‘re all set to access Polygon‘s awesome ecosystem.

How to Receive and Send Assets

Once connected, transacting on Polygon is a breeze:

Receiving MATIC – Your Ethereum address remains the same. Simply switch network to Polygon, and share your address to receive MATIC.
Sending MATIC – Ensure you have enough MATIC for gas fees. Change network to Polygon, enter receiver address, amount, and hit send!
Transferring tokens – Use the Polygon bridge to easily move assets like ETH, stablecoins, NFTs etc. between Ethereum and Polygon.
Swapping tokens – Use DEXs like QuickSwap on Polygon to swap tokens at lightning fast speed and negligible cost.

Remember, always double check you are on the correct network before making transactions!

Avoiding Issues and Troubleshooting

While adding Polygon is straightforward, you might run into minor issues. Here are some potential problems and how to fix them:

ENS Names Not Resolving

Switch back to Ethereum mainnet and re-set your ENS name. It should now resolve correctly on Polygon.

Assets Not Displaying

If your wallet balance is correct on Etherscan but not showing in MetaMask, manually add that token using its contract address on Polygon.

Stuck/Dropped Transactions

This happens when you run out of gas mid-transaction. Try speeding up or replacing the tx with a higher gas price.

RPC/Network Connection Issues

Make sure you entered the correct RPC URL for Polygon network (polygon-rpc.com). Try switching to a backup RPC provider like Ankr, QuickNode etc.

Bridge Transfer Problems

If the Polygon bridge has maintenance, asset transfers may not work. Wait for bridge operations to resume.

Other Weird Errors

For any other problems, reach out to Polygon or MetaMask customer support on Discord. The teams are very responsive.

Hopefully these tips help you troubleshoot any teething issues!

Final Thoughts

Phew, that was quite the action-packed guide!

Let me quickly recap the key points:

Polygon turbocharges Ethereum with faster and almost free transactions.
Connecting Polygon to MetaMask allows you to tap into these benefits seamlessly.
Use either the bridge or manual method to add Polygon network.
Transact and use DeFi apps with negligible fees.
Transfer assets easily between Polygon and Ethereum.
Troubleshoot errors like stuck transactions, network issues etc.

So there you have it my friend!

I hope you‘re as excited as I am to start using Polygon with MetaMask. Just think of all the gas fees you‘ll save!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to help fellow Web3 enthusiasts.

Until next time, stay sane in the world of insane crypto fees!