When it comes to non-custodial wallets in the crypto space, Metamask is the leading name and with millions of users, it is unarguably the most popular crypto wallet out there.
The Cardano blockchain is an open-source, decentralized blockchain network that uses the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. It facilitates transactions on its network using the native token on the Cardano network – ADA.
If you’re a Metamask user who is currently exploring methods to add the Cardano network or/and its native token – ADA – to your wallet, then you’re on the right page.
In this article, you will learn how to add Cardano (ADA) to your wallet on both the Metamask browser extension and mobile app for Android or iOS.
Can You Add The Cardano Network To Metamask?
No, you cannot add the Cardano network and its native token – ADA – to your Metamask wallet because the Cardano network is not compatible with Metamask.
In case you were wondering why it is simply because the Cardano blockchain is not an EVM-compatible network and only blockchains that are compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine can be added to Metamask via specific custom RPC endpoints.
How To Add Cardano (ADA) To Metamask (Alternative Methods)
While you cannot add or hold the native ADA token on your Metamask wallet due to the Cardano network not being compatible with Metamask, you can however add the ADA token to your wallet using other alternative methods.
One of such methods is to add the Binance-PEG version of ADA to your Metamask wallet via the Binance Smart Chain network.
Below are some of these alternative methods you use to add Cardano (ADA) to your Metamask wallet.
Method 1: Add ADA To Metamask via the Binance Smart Chain.
The first alternative method you can use to get ADA on your Metamask wallet is by adding the Binance-PEG version of the ADA token to your wallet using the Binance Smart Chain network.
While this is not the native ADA token that is used on the Cardano blockchain itself, it is the Binance-Pegged version of the token which carries the same value as the native ADA token.
Binance Pegged tokens are 100% backed by the native coin in reserve and the reserve addresses are published for anyone to audit.
One Binance-PEG ADA is the same as one ADA just on different blockchains. You can also convert the Binance-PEG ADA to native ADA and vice versa using the Binance bridge on the Binance exchange.
Now that you understand how this works, let’s show you how to add ADA (Binance-PEG ADA) to your Metamask wallet using the Binance Smart Chain.
Step 1: Copy the contract address for Binance-PEG ADA.
To add the Binance-PEG ADA token to your Metamask wallet, you need the correct contract address for the token.
The contract address for Binance-PEG ADA can be found on the Binance-PEG ADA contract page on BSCScan. The correct contract address for Binance-PEG ADA is “0x3EE2200Efb3400fAbB9AacF31297cBdD1d435D47” so go ahead and copy that to your device clipboard.
Alternatively, you can visit the Binance-PEG ADA contract page on BSCScan or the official ADA token page on CoinMarketCap and copy the contract address directly from there.
Step 2: Launch the Metamask extension and enter your password.
Next, launch the Metamask extension and enter the account password to unlock your wallet.
If you use the Metamask app on your mobile device, then you can simply unlock your wallet using any of the available biometric methods like Face ID, fingerprint, PIN, or Face Unlock.
Step 3: Ensure Binance Smart Chain is the selected network.
Since we’re adding ADA (Binance-PEG) to Metamask via the Binance Smart Chain, you want to make sure that you have already added the Binance Smart Chain network to your Metamask wallet and selected it as the default network.
If you haven’t added the Binance Smart Chain to your Metamask wallet, we have a good tutorial on how to add BSC to Metamask easily on both the extension and mobile app. You will need to follow the steps in that article to add the network to your Metamask wallet before moving forward with this guide.
Once you have added the Binance Smart Chain network to your wallet, go ahead and select it as the default network as in the screenshot below.
Step 4: Click on [Import tokens].
Now that you have selected the correct network, scroll down on the Metamask window and click on [Import tokens].
Step 5: Paste the Contract Address and click [Add Custom Token].
Now paste in the Binance-PEG ADA contract address you copied earlier and wait a few seconds for Metamask to automatically fetch the Token Symbol and Ticker.
Once that’s done, click on [Add Custom Token].
Finally, click on [Import Tokens] to add Binance-PEG ADA to your Metamask wallet.
Note: You can not send native Cardano tokens (ADA) to your Metamask Binance-PEG ADA wallet address and this is because these two tokens are deployed on different blockchains even though they have the same value.
Sending native ADA tokens to your Metamask wallet will result in a permanent loss of funds. You can only send ADA to your wallet on Metamask using the Binance Smart Chain (BEP20) network.
Some crypto exchanges like Binance allow you to ADA to an external wallet (Metamask in this case) using multiple networks. So if you’re sending $ADA from your Binance account to Metamask, ensure you select “BNB Smart Chain (BEP20)” as the network to be used for the transaction else you may lose your funds.
Method 2: Download an alternative wallet compatible with Cardano (ADA).
Since it is currently not possible to hold native ADA tokens on your Metamask wallet due to Metamask not being compatible with the Cardano network (yet), an alternative way to hold your ADA tokens would be to download a wallet that is compatible with the Cardano blockchain by default.
There are a handful of crypto wallets that are compatible with the Cardano network and the leading (and recommended) one is the Daedalus wallet which is available as standalone desktop software for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
Sadly, the Daedalus wallet is not yet available on mobile, and if you’re on mobile, then a great alternative to Daedalus would be Trust Wallet since the wallet now supports the Cardano network. There is currently no official Trust Wallet app for PC but we have a guide on how you can use Trust Wallet on PC without issues.
With that out of the way, let’s show you how to download and set up the Daedalus Wallet on your device.
Step 1: Download and install the Daedalus wallet software on your device.
First, head over to the Daedalus Wallet download page and download the latest version of the software for your operating system. Daedalus is available on PC (Windows), Mac, and Linux operating systems as standalone software.
Next, double-click on the downloaded package and install the software on your computer. After it is installed, double-click on the Daedalus icon to launch the wallet and select your language, number, date, and time format then click [Continue].
Now, click on [Continue] to agree to the terms and conditions on the next page.
Step 2: Click on [Create] to create a new wallet.
On the Daedalus Wallet dashboard, click on [Create] to create a new ADA wallet.
Step 3: Enter a Wallet name and create a Spending password.
Now, enter a Wallet name for your wallet and create a Spending password. The Spending password will be required each time you send or stake ADA, and when voting on the Cardano network.
Click on [Create Shelley wallet] to create your ADA wallet.
Step 4: Safely back up your 24-word Daedalus wallet recovery phrase.
Daedalus should generate a 24-word secret recovery phrase for your newly created ADA wallet. Write this phrase down and store it safely somewhere, preferably offline.
Finally, enter the 24 words of your secret recovery phrase in the exact order to verify your phrase.
Once it is verified, the wallet should be up and running and you should be able to send and receive Native ADA tokens on your Daedalus wallet.
How To Transfer ADA From Binance To Metamask?
You can only send ADA from Binance to Metamask via the Binance Smart Chain because Metamask does not support the native Cardano blockchain.
To transfer Cardano (ADA) from Binance To Metamask, you first need to ensure that the Binance Smart Chain network (BSC mainnet) is added and enabled on your Metamask wallet.
Once that’s done, select the BSC network as the default network and add the Binance-PEG ADA token to your Metamask wallet using the correct contract address.
Next, copy your Binance-PEG ADA wallet address from Metamask, this is the same as your default Metamask wallet address.
Now, hop on Binance and head over to your Funding wallet. Click on [Withdraw] and select “Cardano ADA” from the coin list.
Tap on [Send via Crypto Network]. Paste the wallet address in the correct field on the next page and select [BNB Smart Chain (BEP20)] as the network to be used.
Finally, enter the amount of ADA to be transferred and tap on [Withdrawal].
Wrapping Up
It is currently impossible to add the native Cardano token (ADA) to your Metamask wallet because Cardano is not an EVM-compatible blockchain and Metamask can only be configured with blockchains that are compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Although Cardano is currently working on a sidechain that will be compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, but until the rollout is complete, the network remains incompatible with the EVM.
You can however add the Binance-Pegged version of ADA (Binance-PEG ADA) to your Metamask wallet via the BNB Smart Chain by manually inputting the correct contract address of the token into your Metamask wallet.
Alternatively, you can also use a different wallet entirely that comes with native Cardano network support. One such wallet is the Daedalus Wallet which is available as desktop software on PC, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
If you were searching for a guide on how to add Cardano to Metamask, we hope you found this guide helpful.
