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2 minute read
If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in the past five years, you’ve heard of Cryptocurrencies like Ether and Bitcoin being used to buy pretty much everything imaginable, from portraits of nonplussed primates to real-life luxury villas.
So, maybe you’re not so into trading NFTs, but you’re interested in how Ether (the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network) can be used in Web3 gaming.
For veteran gamers, Ether’s charm lies in its ability to let players trade digital items and assets freely, independent of developer’s rules or clunky servers. The player directly owns whatever assets they stack up over time.
To start Web3 gaming yourself, you need to have a digital wallet where you can buy, trade, and store the currencies you’ll use in-game. MetaMask is one of the most popular of these wallet applications, and it’s pretty easy to set up, too. Here’s a quick guide to getting started:
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Head to MetaMask’s website and hit ‘download’.
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Pick the version of MetaMask that matches your browser of choice. (This guide follows the Chrome extension setup, but MetaMask also works on iOS, Android, Firefox, Brave and Edge)
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This brings you over to the Chrome application store, where you’ll install the MetaMask extension by clicking “Add to Chrome”
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Click “Add Extension” to start the installation.
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You’re in! After the extension is installed, you should see a welcome page with MetaMask’s fox icon.
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You should now have a button shortcut for MetaMask in your toolbar under the puzzle piece icon.
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Click the icon to pull up the homepage, which should give you a friendly newbie message. Then click ‘create wallet’ and secret recovery phrase, which we’ll get into a sec.
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You’ll be prompted to create a password and then watch a short instructional video, which will give you a leg up on understanding the next few steps.
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After the video, MetaMask will give you a Secret Backup Phrase.
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This is basically a unique series of 12 words that unlocks your wallet. You should store it somewhere extremely secure where you’re absolutely sure it’ll be safe. Anyone with this code will have complete and total access to all your assets.
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MetaMask suggests using a password manager or creating a physical copy and securing it.
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Once you have your phrase, MetaMask asks you to retype your phrase from wherever you’ve stored it (or your memory, if you’re an overachiever).
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Heads up: keep an eye out for phishing, MetaMask won’t ask you for your Secret Backup Phrase out of the blue.
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You’re all set. Click on your browser’s extension icon, and then the MetaMask fox symbol to open your wallet.
