WhETHer you are buying NFTs or investing in Ethereum, you will need to know how to transfer ETH to your MetaMask wallet. If you do not have a Coinbase account or a MetaMask wallet yet, fret not as we’ll teach you how to set up each one as well. Without further ado, let’s find out how to send ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask.
How to Set Up Coinbase Account
To buy ETH, first you will need to set up a Coinbase account. Having launched in June 2012, Coinbase has built its reputation as one the most trusted and secure crypto exchanges in the world. With over 89 million registered users, you can trust that you’re not alone when you choose Coinbase as your preferred crypto exchange.
To set up your Coinbase account, follow the steps below:
1. Create your account
Go to Coinbase from a browser on your computer, or download and open the Coinbase app on Android or iOS to get started.
2. Verify your email
Select Verify Email Address in the email you received from Coinbase. This email will be from no-reply@coinbase.com.
3. Verify your phone number
When you sign into Coinbase, you will be asked to enter your phone number. Upon doing so, you will need to enter the seven-digit code Coinbase texted to you, into your Coinbase account.
4. Enter your personal information
Enter all the required info from your government-issued photo ID (you will need to provide a picture of your ID later).
5. Verify your identity
Sign into Coinbase to complete your ID verification.
6. Link your payment mETHod
Depending on which country you live in, the type of payment mETHods you can link will vary. In general, you can choose to link to a Bank Account, Debit Card, Wire Transfer, PayPal, and other various forms of payment.
How to Set Up a MetaMask Wallet
MetaMask is a software (hot storage) crypto wallet that is mainly used to interact with the ETHereum blockchain. You can access MetaMask through a browser extension or mobile app, which is then used to interact with decentralized applications (Dapps).
To set up your MetaMask wallet, follow the steps below:
1. Add the chrome extension or download the app
Simply visit the official website to add the chrome extension to your browser, or you can download the Android or IOS app for your mobile device.
2. Create a wallet
Once you choose Get Started, you will be asked to either Import Wallet or Create a Wallet. Assuming you don’t already have a wallet, choose Create a Wallet. If you already have a wallet, select Import Wallet and then enter your secret phrase.
3. Create a password
When you create a password, make sure it is strong. Use upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and different symbols to ensure you create the strongest possible password.
4. Secure your secret phrase
Your secret phrase is like the Web3 version of your Social Security Number (SSN), so you need to treat it as such. When securing your secret phrase, make sure you write it down on a piece of paper and store it in a secure location. For more security, write it down on multiple pieces of paper and store it in multiple secure locations.
5. Confirm your secret recovery phrase
After writing down your secret phrase you will be asked to enter it again to ensure you wrote it down correctly. Upon entering your phrase, you will be logged into your MetaMask wallet.
How to Send ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask?
Now that you’ve got both your Coinbase account and MetaMask wallet set up, you are all set to transfer ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask. The reasons you might consider sending ETH to MetaMask vary, however, the most common reasons are to buy an NFT, to interact with various Dapps, or as a more secure storage option for your ETH.
Regardless of the reason, you can refer to the steps below to successfully transfer ETH from your Coinbase account to your MetaMask wallet.
Step 1: Sign Into Your Coinbase Account
To initiate the transfer of ETH, you will need to start by signing into your Coinbase account to access or buy some ETH.
Step 2: Buy ETHereum (ETH)
If you have already purchased ETH you can skip ahead to Step 3. If not, then simply navigate to the Buy/Sell button at the top of your Coinbase account. Next, select Buy, enter the amount of money you want to convert to ETH, double-check that you are buying Ethereum, then choose your payment method before tapping Preview Buy.
After selecting Preview Buy, confirm that everything looks good. Double check your payment mETHod and how much of your native currency you are converting to ETH. In addition, take notice of the Coinbase fee, as this will affect your purchase price and the amount of ETH you will receive. If everything looks good, select Buy Now.
After you have purchased your ETH, you can view your balance under the Assets tab.
Step 3: Click Send
Once you have some ETH in your Coinbase account, navigate to the top of your account and click the Send/Receive button. Then, choose the amount of ETH you want to send to your MetaMask wallet, make sure you select pay with Ethereum.
Step 4: Copy/Paste Your MetaMask Address to Coinbase
Before sending your ETH, you need to sign into your MetaMask wallet to copy your wallet address. Your wallet address can be found at the top of your wallet profile, under Account.
Your wallet address is 42-characters and will start with “0x”. On the chrome extension it should automatically say Copy to Clipboard when you hover over it. On mobile, you should be able to easily click on the address and it will automatically copy it for you. Next, paste your Metamask wallet address into the To section in your Coinbase account. You can choose to add a note if you want, but it’s not necessary.
Step 5: Click Continue/Send Now
After pasting your MetaMask wallet into Coinbase, click Continue to review your transfer. Once you have confirmed the transfer looks good, tap Send Now.
Note that you have to pay a network fee to send ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask. This fee varies based on network (blockchain) usage and is not determined by Coinbase. Also note that it can take up to 10 minutes or more to receive your ETH into your MetaMask wallet. Again, this time generally depends on how congested the network is at the time of transfer.
Step 6: Check Your MetaMask Wallet
To confirm that you have received your ETH, log into your MetaMask wallet where you should see a front preview of your new balance. If you have multiple assets in your wallet, you may need to click on the Assets tab to view your ETH.
If you have sent your ETH and you don’t see it in your MetaMask wallet don’t panic, just be patient. Remember, it can take several minutes for it to appear in your wallet. If you ever want to review your transactions, you can go to the Activity tab in your wallet where you have access to all of your transactions on the blockchain via Etherscan.
Closing Thoughts
And that is how to send ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask. However, you should remember that with a MetaMask wallet comes a lot of responsibility, especially if you have a lot of money or valuables stored in your wallet. Keep in mind that people’s wallets are hacked every day, and not because MetaMask is easy to hack, rather, people are generally unaware of how to keep their wallet credentials safe.
One of the best options for securely storing your ETH and NFTs is by getting yourself a hardware wallet like Ledger. These keep your secret phrase offline and out of harm's reach.
