<Section name="1. Introduction" description="Introduction to wallet" hidden="false">

# Getting setup with MetaMask
## What is a Wallet

In the world of cryptocurrency, a wallet refers to an application or device you can use to interact with a blockchain.

Your wallet functions as a lock-box that secures your access to the blockchain.

When your wallet is connected to a blockchain, you can make purchases, transfer digital assets, interact with applications, and more!


</Section>

<Section name="2. Wallet Recovery" description="Understanding recovery mechanisms">

## What is a recovery phrase

When you set up a new wallet, the software generates a unique recovery phrase that is specific to that wallet account.

Also sometimes called a seed phrase or secret recovery phrase, your recovery phrase can be used to access your wallet and crypto assets if:

- Your wallet app or hardware fails unexpectedly or gets damaged.
- You are unable to access it due to misplacement or theft.
- You want to access your wallet account through the wallet app on a different computer or device.

Most recovery phrases are a list of 12 to 24 words that represent a unique piece of data. That data is used to generate the public key and private key for your wallet.



</Section>

<Section name="3. Securing your keys" description="Introduction to public and private key cryptography">

## Public Key

You just learned how your recovery phrase relates to a public key and private key.

Note that a wallet can contain multiple accounts, and each account has a unique pair of public and private keys.

Think of a public key like your home address. It is public, anyone can see it, and it identifies the location to use to send crypto assets to you.


## Private Key

If your public key is like your home address, then your private key is like your house key.

It's called private because only you should have access to it.

The private key unlocks access to your wallet and your crypto assets, allowing you to send them to other wallet addresses.


## Wallet Security

**ALWAYS** do this to protect your recovery phrase:

✅ write it down

✅ use a durable material

✅ store it in a safe place

**NEVER** do this to protect your recovery phrase:

🛑 save your recovery in an online drive

🛑 screenshot your private key

🛑 reveal your recovery key to anyone

</Section>

<Section name="4. Installing Metamask" description="Getting setup with metamask">

## Metamask 

There are several non-custodial hot wallets available today. We will explore the popular MetaMask Wallet for the remainder of this lesson since:

1. It is likely to be compatible with most DeFi apps.
1. It has a browser extension for Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Firefox internet browsers.
1. It is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS users.

### Installing up Metamask 

For convenience and ease of access throughout this lesson, you will need a MetaMask wallet. Next we will demonstrate how to set up a MetaMask wallet.

Download the browser extension from the official website: [https://metamask.io/download](https://metamask.io/download)

</Section>

<Section name="5. Using Metamask" description="Test out your web3 wallet">

## Testing everything worked

<Challenge id="q4cnq" />

</Section>



Getting started with Metamask

Setup MetaMask for Ethereum Mainnet

Ready to begin?