MetaMask does not come with every blockchain pre-installed. It starts with Ethereum and a handful of popular networks, and everything else — including Gnosis Chain — has to be added by you. The good news is that adding it takes about two minutes once you know which buttons to press and which network details to type.
This guide walks you through everything: what Gnosis Chain is and why you might want it, the two ways to add it (one-click and manual), how to check that the setup actually worked, and the mistakes beginners make most often. You will finish with a verified Gnosis connection and a clear sense of how to stay safe while using it.
id=”what-is-gnosis-chain”>What Gnosis Chain Is (and Why It Used to Be Called xDai)
Gnosis Chain is an Ethereum-compatible blockchain — a so-called EVM chain — which means it runs the same kind of smart contracts as Ethereum and works with the same wallets, including MetaMask. It was originally launched under the name xDai Chain, and you will still see that old name in many tutorials. The network was renamed to Gnosis Chain a few years ago, but nothing fundamental changed: it is the same chain, the same chain ID, and your old xDai guides still work.
The chain’s headline feature is cheap, fast transactions. On Ethereum mainnet, a simple transfer can cost several dollars when the network is busy. On Gnosis Chain, fees are typically a fraction of a cent, paid in a token called xDAI. Transactions also confirm quickly, usually within seconds, which makes the chain popular for payments, prediction markets, and apps where users transact often.
Two things about xDAI are worth understanding. First, xDAI is a stablecoin-like token: each xDAI is meant to track the value of one US dollar, because xDAI on Gnosis Chain is backed 1:1 by DAI locked on Ethereum. That means the gas token in your wallet holds a relatively stable value, unlike ETH or most other gas tokens. Second, you cannot buy xDAI directly on most centralized exchanges — you usually bridge DAI from Ethereum and receive xDAI on the other side, or swap for it on a decentralized exchange once you are on the chain.
Gnosis Chain is secured by a large set of validators — well over one hundred thousand, according to the project’s own reporting — which makes it one of the more decentralized sidechain-style networks. It is not Ethereum mainnet, and it does not inherit Ethereum’s full security, but it has been running reliably since 2018 under its original xDai name, which gives it one of the longest track records of any EVM sidechain.
Why Add Gnosis Chain to MetaMask
MetaMask is network-agnostic: the same wallet address works on every EVM chain, and you simply switch networks to move between them. Adding Gnosis Chain unlocks several practical uses:
- Near-zero fees. If you are priced out of Ethereum mainnet activity, Gnosis Chain lets you use DeFi apps, send payments, and mint NFTs for fractions of a cent.
- Prediction markets and DAOs. Gnosis built its reputation on prediction markets and DAO tooling, and much of that ecosystem still lives on this chain.
- Stable gas costs. Because gas is paid in xDAI, which tracks the dollar, your transaction costs stay predictable instead of swinging with a volatile gas token.
- Bridging practice. Moving assets between Ethereum and Gnosis Chain is one of the gentlest introductions to bridging in crypto.
A fair counterpoint: Gnosis Chain has less liquidity and fewer blue-chip apps than bigger networks, and bridging assets onto any sidechain carries its own risks. Adding the network costs you nothing, though — you can add it, look around, and ignore it if it does not suit you. If you want a refresher on moving between networks safely in general, our guide to switching networks in MetaMask safely covers the habits that prevent the most common mistakes.
Before You Start: What You Need
You need three things, and you probably have all of them already:
- MetaMask installed. The browser extension or the mobile app both work. If you have not set one up yet, install it from the official MetaMask site — and type that address yourself rather than clicking a link someone sent you.
- A few minutes. The whole process is under ten clicks.
- The correct network details. For the manual method you will type these in yourself. As of this guide’s writing, the widely published settings for Gnosis Chain are:
| Field | Value (as of this guide’s writing) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Network name | Gnosis Chain | The label shown in your network list |
| RPC URL | https://rpc.gnosischain.com | The server your wallet talks to |
| Chain ID | 100 | The chain’s unique number — MetaMask also accepts 0x64, the hexadecimal form |
| Currency symbol | xDAI | The token used for gas fees |
| Block explorer URL | https://gnosisscan.io | Where you look up transactions |
One honest caveat: RPC endpoints and explorers do change over time, and older tutorials list different explorers. Before you paste anything, it is worth cross-checking these values against MetaMask’s own help pages or Gnosis Chain’s official documentation — typed by you, directly into your browser. If a value has changed, use the current official one.
Method 1: The One-Click Add
The fastest route uses a network directory site. The general idea is the same whichever reputable directory you use:
- Open the directory in your browser (the well-known one is called Chainlist — type the address yourself).
- Connect your MetaMask wallet when prompted, the same way you connect to any dapp.
- Search for “Gnosis” and pick the entry with chain ID 100.
- Click the add/approve button and confirm in the MetaMask popup.
MetaMask will ask you to approve adding the network and then offer to switch to it. That is the whole method — four steps, no typing.
A word of caution that applies to every one-click tool: you are trusting the directory to hand your wallet the correct chain ID and RPC endpoint. Chainlist is widely used, but the genuinely safe habit is to glance at the chain ID in the approval popup before you confirm. If it says anything other than 100 for Gnosis Chain mainnet, cancel and investigate. This two-second check defeats most fake-network tricks.
Method 2: Adding It Manually, Step by Step
The manual method takes slightly longer but leaves nothing to trust: you type every value yourself. Here is the full sequence in the MetaMask browser extension:
- Open the network selector. Click the network dropdown at the top of the MetaMask window (it probably says “Ethereum Mainnet”).
- Click “Add network.” This opens the network settings screen.
- Choose “Add a network manually.” MetaMask shows a list of popular networks first — Gnosis Chain may or may not appear there depending on your version. The manual option is always available at the bottom.
- Fill in the five fields. Enter the network name, RPC URL, chain ID (100), currency symbol (xDAI), and block explorer URL from the table above. Take care with the RPC URL: a single wrong character means your wallet talks to the wrong server or to nothing at all.
- Click Save. MetaMask validates the chain ID against the RPC endpoint. If the endpoint is unreachable or the chain ID does not match, you will get an error instead of a silent misconfiguration — which is actually the outcome you want.
- Switch to the network. MetaMask usually offers to switch immediately. If not, use the network dropdown to select Gnosis Chain.
On the MetaMask mobile app, the path is slightly different: open the menu, go to Settings, then Networks, then Add Network, then switch to the Custom tab and fill in the same five fields. The values are identical on every platform.
If you see an error about the chain ID already being in use, it means the network is already added under a different name — check your network list before creating a duplicate. If the RPC endpoint times out, try again in a minute; public endpoints occasionally hiccup, and a retry usually succeeds.
How to Verify Your Setup Worked
Adding the network is only half the job — a quick verification takes thirty seconds and catches typos before they cause confusion:
- Check the chain ID. With Gnosis Chain selected, open the network details in Settings and confirm the chain ID reads 100.
- Check the currency symbol. Your balance area should show xDAI as the native currency, not ETH.
- Look up a known address on the explorer. Open the block explorer (gnosisscan.io — typed by you) and search for any address. If the explorer loads chain data normally, your endpoint is talking to the real chain.
- Send a tiny test transaction — only when you have xDAI. If you already hold xDAI, send a dust amount to yourself. If it confirms within seconds and appears on the explorer, everything is wired up correctly. Never test with an amount you cannot afford to lose.
If your balance shows zero, that is expected — adding a network does not move funds. Your ETH stays on Ethereum; nothing appears on Gnosis Chain until you bridge assets over or receive xDAI from someone. For a broader walkthrough of setting up other networks the same way, our Polygon setup guide follows the identical pattern and makes a good second read.
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Confusing Gnosis Chain with the old xDai name. They are the same chain. If a tutorial says xDai and your wallet says Gnosis, do not “fix” it by adding a second network — you will just end up with confusing duplicates.
2. Typing the chain ID wrong. Chain ID 100 is Gnosis Chain mainnet. A single-digit typo points your wallet at a completely different chain, and MetaMask will happily let you do it. Double-check before saving.
3. Pasting an RPC URL from an untrusted source. A hostile RPC endpoint can display fabricated balances and censor or misreport your transactions. Use the official endpoint or another endpoint you verified yourself, and keep a fallback in mind in case the primary one has downtime.
4. Expecting your ETH to appear. Networks do not share balances. Your Ethereum holdings are invisible on Gnosis Chain until bridged, and vice versa. A zero balance after adding the network is normal, not a bug.
5. Sending assets to the right address on the wrong network. Your address is the same everywhere, which makes it easy to send tokens on a network the recipient is not watching. Always confirm which network the other side expects before sending — our Soneium setup guide includes the same cross-network checklist.
6. Using the testnet by accident. Gnosis has a long-lived testnet called Chiado (chain ID 10200). Testnet tokens are worthless. If your xDAI shows up but has no value and dapps behave strangely, check whether you added Chiado instead of mainnet.
7. Approving network-add popups from sites you did not intend to trust. As the warning above notes, the approval popup is the security boundary. Read it every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Adding Gnosis Chain to MetaMask is a two-minute task with a one-second safety habit: check the chain ID before you confirm anything. Use the one-click directory method for speed or the manual method for full control, verify the setup with the checks above, and remember that a zero balance afterward is completely normal. Keep your RPC sources trustworthy, your approval popups read carefully, and your testnet and mainnet straight.
This guide is for education only — not financial advice.
