Can You Add Base to MetaMask?
Yes, and often with no typing at all. Recent MetaMask releases include Base in their preset network list, so check the network menu before entering anything by hand. Base is a fully EVM-compatible rollup built on the OP Stack, so your existing Ethereum address works on it unchanged.
Base has no gas token of its own, so every transaction fee is paid in ETH, and any wallet entry showing a different currency symbol is wrong. If you have never configured a custom chain before, our general MetaMask network guide walks through the mechanics from scratch.
How to Add Base to MetaMask
When the preset entry is missing, ChainList is the safest shortcut because it draws parameters from the community-audited ethereum-lists registry rather than unverified social posts. Verify the values anyway, since a wrong endpoint can feed your wallet false balances:
- Open ChainList: Load the Base page on ChainList, confirm the address bar reads chainlist.org, and click 'Connect Wallet'.
- Confirm the listing: The entry should show Chain ID 8453 with ETH as the currency. Base Sepolia appears in the same search results, so make sure you have mainnet.
- Add to MetaMask: Click 'Add to MetaMask' and compare the pop-up values against the official Base documentation before approving.
- Switch networks: Pick Base from the network menu. Any ETH or tokens you already hold on the chain appear straight away.
Never paste network parameters from group chats or replies under viral posts. A malicious RPC endpoint controls what your wallet displays, and recovery is far harder than a quick check beforehand.
Base Mainnet RPC and Chain ID
To set the network up manually, open "Add a custom network" in MetaMask settings and enter the configuration below, which matches the official Base documentation:
- Network Name: Base Mainnet
- RPC URL: https://mainnet.base.org
- Chain ID: 8453
- Currency Symbol: ETH
- Block Explorer URL: https://basescan.org
The public endpoint is rate-limited and HTTP only, so it suits everyday wallet activity and nothing heavier. Bots, indexers, and apps that need WebSocket subscriptions should move to a dedicated provider such as Alchemy, QuickNode, or Chainstack. Blockscout runs an open-source alternative explorer at base.blockscout.com.
Base Sepolia Testnet RPC and Chain ID
Base Sepolia is the public testnet, anchored to Ethereum Sepolia and running the same client software as mainnet. Add it with these settings:
- Network Name: Base Sepolia
- RPC URL: https://sepolia.base.org
- Chain ID: 84532
- Currency Symbol: ETH
- Block Explorer URL: https://sepolia.basescan.org
Test ETH carries no value and is available free through the faucets listed in the Base docs, including QuickNode, Alchemy, and Chainlink. Both networks display ETH as the symbol, so the Chain ID is your only reliable check on which network you are signing against. Keep testnet work in a separate account rather than your funded wallet.
Base Vibenet RPC Details
Vibenet is a newer preview network where Base ships chain-level features before they reach Sepolia or mainnet. It currently hosts B20, a token standard built into the node software itself rather than deployed as smart contracts:
- Network Name: Base Vibenet
- RPC URL: https://rpc.vibes.base.org
- Chain ID: 84538453
- Currency Symbol: ETH
- Block Explorer URL: https://chain.base.org/vibenet/explorer
A dedicated faucet at chain.base.org/vibenet covers gas. Treat Vibenet as an experimental sandbox and keep anything user-facing on Sepolia or mainnet.
About Base
Base launched in August 2023 as Coinbase's Ethereum Layer 2, an optimistic rollup that batches transactions off-chain and settles them on Ethereum. It reached Stage 1 on the rollup decentralisation ladder after shipping permissionless fault proofs, meaning users can exit the chain even if its operators turn hostile, and by mid-2026 it had overtaken Arbitrum as the largest Layer 2 by value secured on L2BEAT with roughly $11.5 billion.
The performance leap came from Flashblocks, which went live in July 2025 and streams partial blocks every 200 milliseconds instead of sealing one full block every two seconds.
Two hard forks then reshaped the protocol underneath. Azul introduced a multiproof system pairing zero-knowledge and trusted-hardware proofs, cutting withdrawals to Ethereum to about a day when both agree. Beryl followed on June 25 with the B20 token standard, a shorter five-day fallback withdrawal window, and a rebuilt execution client that lifts throughput by around a third.
The strategy shifted with the engineering. After Base's social and creator-coin push underdelivered, creator Jesse Pollak handed the Base app to Coinbase and refocused the chain on trading, stablecoin payments, tokenised stocks, and AI agents.
The payments leg is already working. Base cleared $565 billion in adjusted stablecoin volume in a single month this June, edging past Ethereum itself. Our stablecoin statistics roundup tracks where that places Base among settlement networks, and its standing across the Layer 2 landscape has risen alongside it.
The team has been exploring a network token since September 2025, but nothing has launched, no snapshot exists, and gas is still ETH. Ignore any airdrop site claiming otherwise.
Final Thoughts
Adding Base to MetaMask takes a minute at most, whether through the preset list, ChainList, or a manual entry with Chain ID 8453. Base Sepolia needs the same minute plus a faucet visit, and Vibenet suits anyone curious about unreleased features.
Check every field against the official documentation before approving, because fake RPC endpoints remain the most common way this goes wrong. Fund the wallet by withdrawing directly from Coinbase, which sends to Base natively, or by moving assets across with one of the leading crypto bridges.
The entry you save will outlast the chain's current form. Base has rebuilt its sequencer, its proof system, and its execution client without touching Chain ID 8453, and the roadmap points to more of the same.
.webp)