As an Ethereum user, you likely want to explore Optimism – a leading Layer 2 protocol that offers cheaper gas fees and faster transaction speeds. Once you add Optimism to MetaMask, it will allow you to access EVM-compatible DApps like Synthetix using the OP token.
TL;DR
In this guide, we will show you how to easily add Optimism to your MetaMask wallet in two different ways – through Chainlist or manually inputting RPC details.
ChainList Platform
Chainlist is a multi-chain wallet discovery tool that allows connecting multiple networks seamlessly to wallets like MetaMask. It maintains an up-to-date list of validated networks that can be added with one click.
Guide to Add Optimism to MetaMask via ChainList
Step 1: Ensure MetaMask is installed and go to chainlist.org
Step 2: Connect your MetaMask wallet to Chainlist
Step 3: Search and select “Optimism” from the list of networks
Step 4: Click “Connect” to add Optimism to MetaMask
Guide to Manually Add Optimism via RPC
Step 1: Ensure MetaMask is installed and select “Add Network”
Step 2: Enter Optimism RPC details:
- Network Name: Optimism
- RPC URL: https://mainnet.optimism.io/
- Chain ID: 10
- Currency Symbol: ETH
- Block Explorer URL: https://optimistic.etherscan.io/
Step 3: Click “Save” and Optimism will be added.
(The guide then continues discussing Optimism details, applications, and conclusion as before.)
This provides users with both a simple one-click method using Chainlist as well as the option to manually input Optimism RPC details.
Optimism Network Details
Optimism is an EVM-compatible Layer 2 scaling solution that allows developers to build and deploy decentralized applications without worrying about Ethereum’s high gas fees and network congestion. It achieves scalability using a technique called Optimistic Rollups, which batch transactions and settle them later on Ethereum.
Compared to other Layer 2 protocols like Arbitrum and Polygon, Optimism focuses solely on improving Ethereum’s scalability through an optimistic rollup model without compromising on Ethereum’s security guarantees. This makes it highly compatible with existing Ethereum tooling and infrastructure.
Optimism Applications
Here are some prominent applications that are built on Optimism:
- Synthetix: Decentralized trading platform for synthetic assets
- Opium: Decentralized exchange and lending protocol
- Uma: Platform for building and trading customized financial contracts
- Dydx: Leading decentralized exchange
- Sorare: NFT game for fantasy soccer
- Reflexer Labs: Stablecoin projects like rUSD
Conclusion
In summary, adding Optimism to MetaMask gives users access to a robust Layer 2 ecosystem with faster transaction speeds and lower gas costs. It also maintains security guarantees of the main Ethereum chain through its optimistic rollup technology. With just a few clicks, anyone with a MetaMask wallet can now explore promising DeFi and NFT applications running on Optimism.
