Can I Add BNB Chain to MetaMask?
Yes. BNB Smart Chain is fully EVM-compatible, so MetaMask treats it the same way it treats Ethereum. BNB Chain now sits in the wallet's preset "Additional networks" list on both extension and mobile, so you no longer have to copy RPC settings from a third-party site.
If you prefer to check each field yourself, manual entry still works with the values in the official BNB Chain documentation. We cover both methods below.
How to Add BNB Chain to MetaMask
The quickest way to add BNB Chain to MetaMask is through the wallet's built-in network list, which MetaMask maintains itself. Follow these four steps.
- Open the network menu: Click the network selector in the top-left of the extension, or tap the network dropdown above your token list on mobile.
- Find BNB Chain: Scroll to the "Additional networks" section, or type "BNB" into the search bar.
- Add the network: Click "Add" next to BNB Chain and approve the confirmation prompt.
- Switch over: Select BNB Chain from your network list to display your BSC balances and activity.
ChainList is the main alternative. Open its BNB Smart Chain page, connect MetaMask, and click "Add to MetaMask". ChainList also ranks public RPC endpoints by latency, useful if you later want a faster connection.
BNB Chain Mainnet RPC and Chain ID
To configure the network manually, choose "Add a custom network" in MetaMask's settings and enter the values below, as published in the official BNB Chain docs:
- Network Name: BSC Mainnet
- RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.bnbchain.org
- Chain ID: 56
- Currency Symbol: BNB
- Block Explorer URL: https://bscscan.com
The network name is only a label, but the Chain ID must be exactly 56. A mismatched ID makes MetaMask reject the entry or sign transactions for the wrong chain.
One caveat applies before you swap in a third-party endpoint. MetaMask warns that replacing the default RPC on BNB Smart Chain disables Smart Transactions, which shields swaps from front-running. Keep the default unless your infrastructure demands a dedicated provider.
You also need BNB for gas, since every BSC transaction consumes it regardless of which token you move. Withdraw it from an exchange over BEP-20, or bridge to BNB Chain from another network. Track the current BNB price on our live chart.
BNB Chain Testnet RPC and Chain ID
Developers, or anyone rehearsing a transaction before risking real funds, can configure the BSC Testnet with these values from the same docs:
- Network Name: BSC Testnet
- RPC URL: https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545
- Chain ID: 97
- Currency Symbol: tBNB
- Block Explorer URL: https://testnet.bscscan.com
The testnet is a separate ledger, so mainnet BNB never shows up there and tBNB carries no market value. Claim free tBNB for gas from the official BNB Chain faucet.
About BNB Chain
BNB Chain is the layer 1 originally incubated by Binance, secured by an elected validator set running Proof of Staked Authority consensus. BNB fuels gas, staking, and governance, and its Ethereum tooling compatibility has made it a default deployment target for DeFi protocols, launchpads, and trading bots.
Its recent story is raw speed. The Lorentz and Maxwell hard forks compressed block times from 3 seconds to 0.75 seconds during 2025, and the Fermi hard fork finished the job in January 2026, cutting blocks to 0.45 seconds with finality near 1.125 seconds. April's Osaka/Mendel upgrade then turned to consistency, capping per-transaction gas so confirmations hold up under load.
Usage justifies the engineering. DefiLlama shows BSC holding around $5 billion in DeFi value, close to $14 billion in stablecoins, and more than 2 million active addresses processing over 15 million transactions a day. Spot DEX turnover regularly clears several billion dollars a week, anchored by PancakeSwap and a constant stream of token launches.
Bottom Line
Adding BNB Chain to MetaMask has become a one-click job now that the network sits in the wallet's preset list. Manual entry only earns its extra minute if you want to inspect the RPC URL and Chain ID yourself, and the official docs supply every value.
Once connected, fund the wallet with a little BNB for gas and trade on one of the fastest, busiest networks in crypto. Sub-second blocks mean your first swap confirms before you finish checking BscScan.
