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Connecting a wallet
Which wallet to use, what connecting and signing in share, and what to do when a wallet won't connect.
What a wallet is#
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wallet | Your account on the chain: an address, and the keys that control it |
| Address | Public. It is what this site sees when you connect |
| Recovery phrase | The 12 or 24 words that restore the wallet. Whoever has them owns the wallet |
| The Hood account | There is none apart from the wallet. No email, no password |
| Gas | ETH paid to the network for a transaction: a trade, a launch, a claim |
Which wallet to use#
| Kind | Examples | How it connects |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | MetaMask, Rabby, Coinbase Wallet, OKX Wallet, Zerion | Listed under On this device once installed |
| Phone app | MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet | Scan the QR code (WalletConnect), or on a phone open this site inside the app |
| Hardware | Ledger, Trezor, Keystone, OneKey | Ledger by USB (Chrome, Edge, Brave) or Ledger Live by QR code; Trezor in its own popup; others by QR code |
| Hardware in an extension | A Ledger or Trezor added to MetaMask or Rabby | Connect the extension |
Install a wallet only from its own website. Save the recovery phrase offline before you add any funds, and fund it with ETH on the network The Hood runs on before you trade.
Connect and sign in#
| Step | What it shares or does | Costs gas |
|---|---|---|
| Connect | Shares your address with this site. Read-only | No |
| Sign in | A signed message that proves the wallet is yours. Not a transaction, can’t move funds. Lasts 30 days | No |
| Transaction | A trade, a launch, a stake or a claim. Your wallet shows each one for you to approve | Yes |
Staying safe#
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| The address bar | Look-alike sites copy the page exactly |
| What the wallet shows | A sign-in is a message; anything asking to spend or approve a token is a transaction |
| Old approvals | Revoke token approvals you no longer use, in your wallet or an approvals tool |
When it doesn't connect#
| You see | Do this |
|---|---|
| No wallet in this browser | Install an extension and reload, or scan the QR code with a phone wallet |
| Request declined | You closed the wallet’s prompt. Press Try again and approve it |
| Wrong network | Press Switch. The wallet adds the network if it doesn’t have it |
| QR code expired | Codes last 5 minutes. Press New code and scan again |
| Ledger not found or locked | Plug it in, unlock it with your PIN and open the Ethereum app |
| Sign-in waits on the phone | Open the wallet app and approve the message, or press Cancel and sign in again |