Polygon/Matic network set up and transfer guide for blockchain gamers

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Blockchain Gaming

15 min readJun 3, 2021

Polygon/Matic network, a side-blockchain of Ethereum, has gained immense popularity due to its technological innovations. It is not just in the pure financing sector but also in gaming industry. Many blockchain gaming companies have jumped and/or are developing games on this network due to the low fees and near-instant transactions. This guide will help gamers to get the required coins/currencies/funds onto the Polygon/Matic blockchain to further utilize it to play games and trade NFTs (non-fungible tokens).

There are several ways to acquire coins/tokens on the Polygon/Matic network. Here we have listed 3 of such methods.

You can use the following anchor links to go directly to the required section but we highly recommend reading the guide completely.

> Setting up MetaMask — for Ethereum, for Polygon/Matic, and for Binance Smart Chain.

> Transferring directly from fiat (local currency) to Matic using Transak

> Transferring from Ethereum network to Matic network using Matic bridge

> Transferring from Binance Smart Chain to Matic network using xPollinate OR EVO bridge.

The guide is meant for everyone and hence includes a brief explanation about blockchains along with references for further study. If you are already versed with the basics of blockchains such as Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, and Polygon/Matic then you can skip the introduction part.

We have tried to explain most of the terms relevant to the scope of this guide but if there are still doubts/questions feel free to join our discord and telegram to get further clarification.

What is a blockchain?

Blockchain is the term given to the underlying technology that works as a ledger (database) to store data such as transactions and token ownership of cryptocurrencies. Some of the commonly known features are immutability (no data can be modified), security (cryptography), permissionless (enter/exit at will), decentralized (no single point of failure). Read more about its applications in the gaming industry here.

What is Ethereum blockchain/network?

Ethereum is one of the most prominent blockchains which supports smart contracts. This has lead to applications in the gaming industry that would have been impossible before. True ownership, provable fairness, human mining, p2p fundraising and decentralised MMO. The primary coin/currency/token of Ethereum blockchain is Ether (ETH) which is required to make transactions on the network either to transfer ETH or thousands of other tokens using the network. You can learn more about Ethereum and its use cases on their official website — Ethereum.org.

Though we do not dive deep into Ethereum and all its token, for the purposes of this guide we need to know few points. 1. Ether (ETH) as mentioned before is the native coin/currency/token of the Ethereum network. 2. Polygon (MATIC) is one of the many tokens on the Ethereum network.

What is Polygon/Matic blockchain?

Polygon network (formally known as Matic) is an Ethereum sidechain. A sidechain is like a clone of the parent blockchain (Ethereum in this case) which may use a different set of rules to govern and run the network. This may provide several benefits such as scalability, speed and low fees while still enjoying the advantages of the Ethereum blockchain itself. Think of the Polygon network as a parallel pathway to Ethereum wherein a user can transfer funds back and forth with a 1:1 value (1 ETH on Ethereum = 1 ETH on Polygon/Matic) and use it for various application on either chain. The transfer of funds can be performed via “bridges”. They are a transfer app/tool which can swap your coins/tokens to either chain on demand. The Ether token on the Polygon/Matic network is designated as wrapped Ether (wETH). The value of 1 ETH is always equal to 1 wETH. Wrapping ETH is a process of making ETH compatible with ERC-20 (a standard interface for tokens). To understand it in the general sense, you can read more about what wETH is and why is it required on Radar Relay’s website — weth.io.

It is important to know the distinction of the tokens and their designations on either chain so as to avoid confusion further in the guide.

To summarize in simple terms,

Ethereum network has ETH as its native token, ETH for transaction fees and MATIC as an ERC-20 token.

Polygon/Matic network has MATIC as its native token, MATIC for transaction fees and wETH as a pegged equivalent token of ETH.

The cryptocurrency wallet — MetaMask

In this guide, we will focus on setting up a browser-based wallet called MetaMask. It is an excellent wallet that can be configured for several blockchains/networks and also used to interact with web3 application. You can download the software from their official website — Metamask.io

The following steps will illustrate how to set up the wallet for three networks viz. Ethereum, Polygon/Matic and Binance Smart Chain (BSC). The BSC configuration is for people who wish to transfer funds from Binance Smart Chain to Matic instead of Ethereum. This might be the case especially due to the high fees on the Ethereum network.

Install MetaMask / Ethereum network setup

This section illustrates the installation process of MetaMask. The title also mentioned Ethereum network setup because by default it will be configured for the Ethereum network.

Go to the official website Metamask.io, downloads tab and click ‘Install MetaMask for Chrome/Firefox/Brave’.

Add/install the extension from the respective app stores for Chrome/Firefox/Brave.
Once installed, it will take you to the welcome page. Click ‘Get started.

The next page will present you with two options, ‘Import wallet’ OR ‘Create a wallet’.
With the Import wallet function you can basically input your existing Ethereum wallet into the MetaMask (e.g. If you have a hardware wallet or any other of which you have the seed phrase then that can be imported easily). With Create a wallet function you can set up a fresh wallet/address/account with MetaMask. Either way, our ultimate goal of getting funds on Matic won’t be affected.
As for new users, we will go ahead with the instruction to create a new wallet. Click on ‘Create a wallet’.

The next step is to input the desired password for your account. Tip: Use a password manager such as nordpass to generate and store strong passwords.
The next page is the most important one, Secret Backup Phrase. Click the lock icon to reveal the phrase. Copy/write it down properly (in order) and NEVER share it with anyone else. Keep the phrase secure as it will be used to restore your account if something goes wrong like loss of computer/hard drives, etc.

The next page will ask for the same phrase that you received. This is to verify whether you have written it down in proper order.
Once the above steps are followed, your MetaMask wallet is set up and pre-configured for the Ethereum (ETH) network. It should look similar to the image below with ‘Ethereum Mainnet’ mentioned in the top right corner.

Polygon/Matic network setup

This section illustrates the configuration steps for Polygon/Matic network. This is performed on the same MetaMask wallet you just created/imported by following the above steps.

Click on the button where it says ‘Ethereum Mainnet’ on the top right corner and select ‘Custom RPC’ option, as seen in the image below.

This will open a new page with several inputs option. Refer to the image below.

Each blockchain/network has its own connection information and thus we will now input the information for Polygon/Matic network.
It is crucial to verify the information from the official website of the project. For Matic, you can find the information on their docs website — MetaMask/Config-Matic
For your convenience, we have written it down here and you can copy-paste the following in the appropriate fields but always verify. Refer to the image below.

Network Name: Polygon/Matic Mainnet
New RPC URL: https://rpc-mainnet.maticvigil.com/
Chain ID: 137
Currency Symbol: MATIC
Block Explorer: https://explorer.matic.network/

(you can also find more servers here: https://docs.matic.network/docs/develop/network-details/network/)

You should now see the network in your MetaMask wallet.

Adding the WETH token to MetaMask

MetaMask does not show all the tokens automatically even if your account has them. Since we are dealing with the WETH token on Matic, we need to add it to MetaMask so later when we transfer/buy it, you can view it on the app itself. Note: Do not add the default wETH from MetaMask option. It is not the same.

In MetaMask, click on “Assets”
Scroll to the bottom of the list and click “Add Token”.

At the top of the next screen, click “Custom Token”
Add the Token Contract Address for wETH on Matic:

0x7ceb23fd6bc0add59e62ac25578270cff1b9f619
The token symbol should automatically appear to be WETH.

Press Next and you will now see you have a wETH as one of the visible tokens.

Finding the correct contract address

You may be wondering how you find the correct “contract address” to add a custom token to your MetaMask wallet. You can do this by going to the Matic block explorer: https://explorer-mainnet.maticvigil.com and searching (upper right-hand corner) for your own address from your MetaMask wallet.

Tip (free MATIC faucet; USE AT YOUR OWN RISK):

If you have 0 MATIC in your wallet, head over to https://matic.supply/ (thanks to TamtamHero) and claim free MATIC. The faucet will send you 0.001 MATIC which is plenty for several transactions.

Make sure you are on the Polygon/Matic Mainnet on your MetaMask
Click on ‘Connect’. A pop-up should appear out of MetaMask where you need to click next and connect.

Once connected it will show you the following ‘Receive’ button along with your wallet address below.

Click on the ‘Receive’ button and you will receive the 0.001 MATIC almost instantly in your wallet. You can verify the transaction on the blockchain by clicking the link that appears below.

This concludes the MetaMask wallet setup for both Ethereum and Polygon/Matic network.

Binance Smart Chain network setup

Binance Smart Chain is yet another blockchain which like Ethereum supports the smart contract and multiple tokens. BSC can also be configured on the same MetaMask wallet.

Click on the button where it says ‘Ethereum Mainnet’ on the top right corner and select ‘Custom RPC’ option, as seen in the image below.

This will open a new page with several inputs option. Refer to the image below.

We will now input the information for the Binance Smart Chain network.
It is crucial to verify the information from the official website of the project. For BSC you can find the information on their docs website — Docs/Binance/RPC
For your convenience, we have written it down here and you can copy-paste the following in the appropriate fields but always verify. Refer to the image below.

Network Name: BSC Mainnet
New RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/
Chain ID: 56
Currency Symbol: BNB
Block Explorer: https://bscscan.com

You should now see the network in your MetaMask wallet.

Transferring funds (coins) to Polygon/Matic network

There are several ways to get your funds/coins onto the Matic network. The method to follow depends completely on you and the starting point. If you do not have any coin on either Ethereum or BSC and want to buy using fiat (local currency) then you can do so directly using services such as Transak (instructions below). On the other hand, if you have funds on either Ethereum or BSC then you can transfer it to the Matic network using services knowns as bridges (instruction for both below).

Purchasing directly with fiat (local currency) onto Polygon/Matic network

There are several services that facilitate cryptocurrency purchases via bank transfer/cards. Here we illustrate the purchasing method using the service called Transak with which you can directly receive cryptocurrency on the Polygon/Matic network. Please note that the option to purchase directly on the Matic network is, unfortunately, unavailable for the U.S. residents (need go via Ethereum network i.e. buy ETH and then transfer to Matic)

Go to https://global.transak.com/
Input the amount & select the currency of choice
Next, select the coin and the network from the drop-down option. Here you need to select WETH on the Matic network. Please refer to the image below.

On the next page, you need to input your receiving address/wallet. To get this, open your MetaMask wallet. Make sure you are on the Polygon/Matic network. Copy your wallet address by clicking on it. Refer to the image below

Paste the copied address in the input field where it says wETH address. Refer to the image below.

Now depending on the method of payment, the next few steps will include the KYC process. Read more about the Transak KYC process here.
Once the KYC is approved, the next step is the payment. Follow the instruction and wait for the coin/tokens to arrive in your wallet. It might take some time depending on the service.

Transferring funds (coins) from Ethereum network to Polygon/Matic network

It is assumed that you have Ether (ETH) on your Ethereum wallet and the following steps will illustrate the process of transferring the same coins to the Polygon/Matic network. It is common knowledge that the network fees experienced currently are quite high thus we recommend visiting — GasNow.org to check for a suitable time to transfer.

Go to the Matic bridge app website: https://wallet.matic.network/bridge/
Connect your MetaMask wallet. Once you click the connect button and continue, MetaMask will require you to ‘Sign’ in order to log in.

Make sure you are on ‘Ethereum Mainnet’ on your MetaMask app.
Select ‘Ether’ from the dropdown and input the desired amount.

Click ‘Transfer’ and follow the instructions. It will show you the transfer fees which is the network fees to be paid in ETH.
Go to the Matic wallet: https://wallet.matic.network/. Here you can see the available balance after the transfer.
Please note that, if you wish to make transactions on the Matic mainnet then you need the MATIC token. The fees are negligible and thus even 1 Matic will be enough for several hundred. Earlier in this guide, you can find a link to a MATIC faucet to get you started.
Furthermore, you can buy MATIC quickly using a swap app such as QuickSwap. Go to: https://quickswap.exchange/#/swap and connect your MetaMask (on Matic Mainnet)
Once connected, select the token you need to swap to get MATIC. In this case, ETH to MATIC.

Transferring funds (coins) from Binance Smart Chain (BSC) network to Polygon/Matic network

This section is specifically for those who want to avoid the high fees of transferring from the Ethereum network to the Polygon/Matic network.

> Using EVO USDC bridge

Here we will use a bridge app called EVO with which you can transfer USDC directly from BSC to the Matic network. Furthermore, we will then swap it to WETH / MATIC on the Matic network itself.

It is assumed that you have funds on your Binance Smart Chain mainnet (the same MetaMask wallet we set up earlier). If not, you can send it for cheap from Binance exchange to your wallet. Note: You need BNB to pay for the transaction fees on the BSC network. Thus keep a few dollars worth of BNB while swapping in the following steps.

If you already have USDC on your wallet then skip the next step and go to step 3.
To swap your current coins (BNB, BUSD, etc.) to USDC go to https://exchange.pancakeswap.finance/#/swap and connect your wallet. Select the coin you want to swap. For example, if you want to swap BNB for USDC then select it as seen in the image below.

Go to https://evodefi.com/bridge?token=USDC and connect your wallet. Make sure you are on the BSC Mainnet on your MetaMask app.
The bridge should show ‘Binance Smart Chain’ in the ‘FROM’ field and ‘Polygon Technology (Matic)’ in the ‘TO’ field, as seen in the image below.

Select the token as USDC and input the amount. At the time of writing this guide, I was only able to click the ‘max’ button and not able to manually type the amount. Hopefully this bug is fixed soon.
Input the receiving address. This address is your account/wallet address on the Matic mainnet. Always verify.
Click send and wait for the transaction to confirm. You should see the order status pop up and also in the list below on the app.
Once you have the coin (e.g. USDC) on your Matic Mainnet, head on to QuickSwap (https://quickswap.exchange/#/swap).
Switch your MetaMask wallet network from BSC Mainnet to Matic Mainnet and connect to QuickSwap.
Select USDC on the top and ETH on the bottom input and swap.

Once complete, you should have WETH on your Matic Mainnet.

> Using xPollinate bridge

Here we will use a bridge app called xPollinate with which you can transfer stablecoins directly from BSC to the Matic network. Furthermore, we will then swap it to WETH / MATIC on the Matic network itself. Note that only DAI, USDC and USDT transfers are supported.

If you already have DAI/USDC/USDT on your wallet then skip the next step and go to step 3.
To swap your current coins (BNB, BUSD, etc.) to DAI/USDC/USDT go to https://exchange.pancakeswap.finance/#/swap and connect your wallet. Select the coin you want to swap. For example, if you want to swap BNB for USDT then select it as seen in the image below. Remember that you need either DAI/USDC/USDT for the next steps. Make sure to keep few dollars worth of BNB as the BSC network will use it for fees. Each transaction will cost anywhere between 12 cents to 50 cents and we only need a few.

Go to https://www.xpollinate.io/ and connect your wallet. Make sure you are on the BSC Mainnet on your MetaMask app.
Select ‘Binance Smart Chain’ on the left-side input and ‘Matic Mainnet’ on the right-side input field.
Select the currency/coin you would like to transfer (e.g. USDT). Note: Also check the liquidity below, because if the liquidity is lower that the amount you need to transfer, it will fail.
Input the receiving address. This address is your account/wallet address on the Matic mainnet. Always verify. Refer to the image below for step 4,5 and 6.

Click swap and wait for the following screen to appear. Input the amount and click ‘Swap’. Confirm the transaction on your MetaMask app popup.
It may take few minutes for the transfer and once successful it will show you the transaction link.
Once you have the coin (e.g. USDT) on your Matic Mainnet, head on to QuickSwap (https://quickswap.exchange/#/swap).
Switch your MetaMask wallet network from BSC Mainnet to Matic Mainnet and connect to QuickSwap.
Select USDT on the top and ETH on the bottom input and swap.

Once complete, you should have WETH on your Matic Mainnet.

This concludes the guide for getting funds onto Polygon/Matic network from either fiat (local currency) using Transak OR from Ethereum Mainnet using Matic bridge OR from Binance Smart Chain using xPollinate OR EVO bridge.

Disclaimer: Use the guide at your own risk, it is meant to only illustrate the processes. Blockchaingaming.com or the author is not responsible for any loss of funds due to errors made by the user while following the guide. Incorrect wallet address input, incorrect token contract address, incorrect network configuration, etc. are the responsibility of the user and must be verified at all steps. Furthermore, this includes loss of funds due to improper information or process by the 3rd parties (Transak, MaticSupply faucet, xPollinate, EVO, PancakeSwap, QuickSwap, Matic) as referred in this guide. The information as stated is directly referred from the official websites without alteration in the core processes.

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