You can sign up with email, but to get the best experience, we recommend installing a crypto wallet such as Metasalt. Getting set up with digital wallets is a lot easier these days. Besides, you will need a digital wallet to start buying and selling NFTs.
1. Install a crypto wallet
A crypto wallet, such as MetaMask, stores your Ethereum (ETH) transactions and processes transactions on the ETH blockchain. A unique wallet address will be generated for you, and you'll use this address to complete transactions. The difference between a Web 1.0 user name and password and a Web 3.0 digital wallet is simply that Web 3.0 replaces your user name with a public key (e.g., 01xd...1267d) and your password with a private key (e.g., 21768t12jk11129hhdc).
Public keys and private keys are complicated, but the idea behind them is simple. The private key works like your password to encrypt and decrypt message. As the name suggests, public keys are public and let's everyone know where to send the messages.
Now, the question is where do you store those private keys. The answer is a digital wallet. Simple. One of the earliest and well known wallets is Metamask. Although there are dozens of other wallets out there, we suggest using Metamask to start.
Watch a tutorial for beginners on how to install Metamask extension in Chrome
All transactions connected to your wallet address can be found on etherscan.io, an independent blockchain explorer. It's a good idea to check Etherscan after completing each transaction.
So, if I have a wallet, why do I need Metasalt?
Metasalt is a simply a website you use to interact with the blockchain. We do not take possession of your NFTs unless they are lazy minted. More on that later. Instead, we provide a system for peer-to-peer exchanges. Since you’ll be using Metasalt to interact directly with others on the blockchain, you’ll need a wallet to help you turn your actions in the browser into transactions on the blockchain. You can see the available wallets in our help center guide.
Now that you have a crypto wallet installed, you can connect your wallet address to Metasalt.
2. Purchase digital currency (ETH)
You can buy ETH, the digital currency that fuels transactions on the Ethereum blockchain, from a digital currency exchange like Geminin, MoonPay or Coinbase. You'll need ETH to "mint" an NFT, purchase an NFT, and for gas fees to complete transactions. Gas fees are a bit of a tricky concept, but we simplify the basics in our What are gas fees on Ethereum? help guide.
Now that you have ETH, let's get a crypto wallet.
3. Connect to Metasalt
Let's connect your wallet to Metasalt and edit your profile so you're ready to begin interacting on our platform. Navigate to metasaltio.io/login and click either the Email or Wallet button.
Click on the Metamask fox. You will continue through multiple prompts, finishing with the connection screen. When you see "Connecting..." Metasalt to your wallet, you're almost done.
If you'd like to change your username, click the three-dot menu on the right side of the screen and select Settings. You will receive an extra security prompt, click Sign and you can begin updating your profile.
Now you can customize your bio, email address, profile photo, and more.
If you ever have trouble viewing your items, make sure your wallet is connected correctly. Metasalt is a window into your wallet address, showing all the NFTs inside.
