How to buy Moonbeam (GLMR) for the upcoming Bid-to-Earn auctions featuring blockchain memorabilia from Dr. Gavin Wood
To participate in the GBM Bid-to-Earn auctions for Dr. Gavin Wood’s three iconic pieces of blockchain memorabilia, you’ll need a cryptocurrency wallet and the amount of Moonbeam aka Glimmer (GLMR) you wish to use for bidding in the auctions.
You can find out all about these auctions at: https://gavinwood.gbm.auction
If you weren’t already aware, GLMR is the utility token of the Moonbeam Network, Moonbeam’s primary deployment on the Polkadot (DOT) network, which serves as a developer-friendly parachain and the network that our auctions will take place on.
The two easiest ways to obtain GLMR tokens are:
- Purchasing with fiat via a wallet provider which supports Moonbeam such as SubWallet or Metamask.
- Purchasing via a cryptocurrency exchange with fiat or crypto then withdrawing the GLMR to your wallet.
This article will cover both of these options in detail and guide you through the process of getting your GLMR.
First off, let’s look at how you add the Moonbeam network to an existing wallet such as Metamask.
You won’t need to do this manual process if you opt to use SubWallet, which already has the Moonbeam Network as a default option, however if you want to get GLMR with your Metamask wallet or plan to buy from a cryptocurrency exchange, you’ll need to add the Moonbeam Network in order to see your GLMR tokens and to place bids in the upcoming auctions on the 16th May.
If you’d like to use Subwallet rather than Metamask, skip this set of instructions and go straight to “Purchasing GLMR with SubWallet via fiat (using desktop browser)” further down this page.
Adding the Moonbeam Network (GLMR) to your Metamask wallet
If you don’t have a Metamask wallet, but want to set one up, simply head to https://metamask.io/download/ and follow the instructions to download the browser extension or install the mobile app.
Once you’ve installed Metamask, or if you’ve already got your wallet set up, you can open your Metamask account and select the network dropdown arrow, then click ‘Add Network’.
After clicking ‘Add Network’, you’ll see a series of suggested networks and an option to ‘Add a network manually’.
Select this option to ‘Add a network manually’, then enter the following network configurations:
- Network Name: Moonbeam
- RPC URL: https://rpc.api.moonbeam.network
- Chain ID: 1284
- Symbol (optional): GLMR
- Block Explorer (optional): https://moonscan.io/
After you’ve entered the network configurations shown in the image above, click ‘Save’ and the Moonbeam Network will be added to your list of networks.
If you see this message, you have successfully added the Moonbeam Network to your Metamask wallet.
Select ‘Switch to Moonbeam’ to continue.
You’ll see that the network has been successfully added and the default currency GLMR is showing in your wallet.
Now you’re ready to purchase and receive your GLMR using any method you choose!
Purchasing GLMR with Metamask via fiat (using desktop browser)
If you’d like to purchase GLMR with fiat, your payment options may vary depending on the region you’re based in. Common options include a debit/credit card, bank transfer or other means of banking payment.
From the Metamask account dashboard, select the ‘Buy & Sell’ option to explore the payment methods available to you. You will be presented with the screen below.
You’ll need to connect your wallet to this function using the ‘Connect wallet’ button in the top right corner of your screen.
After you’ve connected your wallet, you’ll be able to select a payment method and set the amount of GLMR you wish to purchase.
You are able to change your region, payment currency and payment options per the dropdowns shown. In the majority of regions, you can use a credit/debit card or make a bank transfer in order to make your purchase.
Once you’ve decided how much you’d like to purchase and what currency you’ll be using, you’ll be shown a screen confirming the wallet address for receipt of the GLMR tokens. This will be auto-populated with your current Metamask wallet address.
The payment process will continue via Transak, a fiat on-ramp which enables the buying/selling of cryptocurrencies. You will be required to complete a KYC (Know Your Customer) process in order to complete your purchase.
This process may involve using your mobile device to take a photograph of your identification document and to provide a selfie of yourself to match up with this ID.
First you’ll add your name and contact information.
You’ll then need to provide details of your current home address.
You will need to provide a reason as to why you are using Transak to purchase cryptocurrency, in this case you’ll be doing so to bid on a physical asset represented by an NFT, so you can select this option. You may also select the “Buying crypto to use a web3 protocol” option, as this is also a statement of fact.
The final step of the KYC process requires you to provide a photograph of a piece of official ID such as a passport, driving license or ID card. Select the issuing country for your piece of ID and prepare to take a photo of this document.
You will also be required to take a selfie for comparison with your ID.
Once the KYC process has been completed, you will receive an on-screen message and an email confirming that your profile has been verified and you are now able to complete a purchase using Transak.
If you’re using a bank transfer as your payment option, you’ll need to manually make the payment via your bank account. The details for payment will be shown on screen per the example below.
If you’re using a debit or credit card to make your payment, you’ll be required to enter your card details and the payment will be taken via that card.
After this is completed and your payment has been successfully made, your GLMR tokens will be delivered to your wallet.
You’re now ready to start bidding on the upcoming auctions!
Purchasing GLMR with Metamask via fiat (using mobile device)
To purchase GLMR with Metamask on your mobile device, just follow the exact same steps as detailed above in the “(using browser)” guide.
You will be required to KYC if you haven’t already done so.
Purchasing GLMR with SubWallet via fiat (using desktop browser)
The SubWallet team have created this handy video which explains how to download and install the SubWallet browser extension.
Alternatively, simply follow the instructions detailed below:
Navigate to the SubWallet homepage at https://www.subwallet.app/ and select the ‘Download’ option shown in the top right hand corner of the webpage.
Select the browser in which you want to install the SubWallet extension.
In this example we’ll be using the Google Chrome browser.
Install the SubWallet extension by selecting ‘Add to Chrome’.
Once installed, the extension should open a new tab of your browser.
Here you can choose to create an entirely new account, or import an existing one from a Seed Phrase, Polkadot.js, Metamask Private Key or via QR Code.
If you’re creating a new account, select ‘Create a new account’ then enter a secure password which you’ll use to access the SubWallet account on this browser.
You’ll then be presented with a screen displaying your 12-word seed phrase.
It is vital that you NEVER share this seed phrase with anyone.
Congratulations, your SubWallet account is created and ready to use.
You can now purchase the GLMR tokens you want to use for the auction. To make a purchase within the app using fiat, select the shopping cart icon.
Select the account to purchase tokens for (select ‘Account 1 — EVM’)
Select the token you wish to purchase (GLMR)
You’ll be given a choice of supplier to purchase your GLMR tokens from.
Select an option (we recommend Transak) and proceed through the purchase process, please note that you will need to complete KYC procedures in order to make your purchase and your payment options and purchase limits will depend upon the region your account is registered in.
You will receive an email confirmation once your payment has been processed and your GLMR tokens will have arrived in your account.
You’re now ready to start bidding on the upcoming auctions!
To find details on how to bid, check out our Bid-to-Earn Auction guide here.
Purchasing GLMR with SubWallet via fiat (using mobile device)
Navigate to the SubWallet homepage at https://www.subwallet.app/ and select the ‘Download’ option shown in the top right hand corner of the webpage.
If you have an iPhone, select the ‘App Store’ option.
If you have an Android, select the ‘Google Play’ option.
Download the app to your mobile device and then follow the same steps detailed in the “using desktop” instructions above to set up your account and purchase your GLMR.
Purchasing GLMR on a cryptocurrency exchange
Several major cryptocurrency exchanges have listed Moonbeam aka Glimmer (GLMR) tokens for trading.
You can find it on popular exchanges such as:
Binance: https://www.binance.com/en-NZ/how-to-buy/moonbeam
Bybit: https://www.bybit.com/en/coin-price/moonbeam/
OKX: https://www.okx.com/price/moonbeam-glmr
Kraken: https://www.kraken.com/learn/buy-moonbeam-glmr
KuCoin: https://www.kucoin.com/how-to-buy/glimmer
Once you have made your purchase on an exchange, you can withdraw the GLMR tokens to your SubWallet or Metamask account for use in the auctions.
If you’re using Metamask, make sure you follow the instructions at the start of this guide to add the Moonbeam Network to your wallet, otherwise you won’t be able to see your GLMR tokens when they arrive in your wallet.
If you have any questions or face any issues, feel free to reach out to our team via our Discord and we’ll be happy to help.
