All Collections
NFT Basics
Basics of NFTs
The beginner's guide to crypto: create Metamask wallet, buy Ethereum, and register ENS
The beginner's guide to crypto: create Metamask wallet, buy Ethereum, and register ENS
Ev Tchebotarev avatar
Written by Ev Tchebotarev
Updated over a week ago

Getting into NFTs and understanding all the jargon can be difficult. Read on to learn how to get started. In this article you will learn:

  • How to create your wallet using Metamask

  • How to buy digital currency (ie Ethereum)

  • How to set up your ENS (Ethereum Name Service)

  • How to apply to Sloika and mint your NFTs on your own custom smart contract

1. How to create your wallet using Metamask

To do anything in the world of crypto (or web3, as we call it), you will need a digital wallet. A wallet is a set of digits and letters, and can look like this: 0x5305b2E1f42275Dd496a8022cDf8D97dd83fAd6E.

In crypto, wallets can belong to individuals, companies, or they can be "smart contracts", and so on. There's no limit to how many wallets one can have, and some might have one wallet... or a billion.

To start with your wallet, you will need to write down a private key, that is displayed in a human-readable format of 12 or 24 common words (called seed or recovery phrase), and may look like this: house memory boat bottle sunset, etc.

⚠️ The correct order of these words is important.

⚠️ Do not write this phrase on your computer!

⚠️ Anyone knowing this phrase can take control over your wallet

To create a wallet, visit Metamask.io (be careful to verify the domain as look-alike domains can attempt to steal your data), and install Chrome extension.

Once you have it installed, follow the prompts to create a new wallet:

Click on the opaque window to reveal the recovery phrase. Do not write it down on your computer — write it down with pen and paper and keep it in a secure location.

You will need to repeat the words one by one to ensure that you wrote them down.

Once you verify the recovery phrase, you will have your own wallet.


2. How to buy digital currency (ie Ethereum)

In your wallet, you can see your transactions and your activity. To get started, you can click "Buy" to purchase Ethereum.

Metamask partnered with variety of providers that will allow you to buy Ethereum. Use the one that is common in your country (not all providers might be the same in your region). If none of the providers are available, you can use any of your local providers, by providing them with your wallet address.

⚠️ Please note that all cryptocurrency transactions are final and non-reversible.

Depending on the provider, you will be able to use Apple Pay, credit cards, bank transfers, etc. Here's the example with Transak.

We recommend to have at least 0.05 ETH (about US $65 as of October 11, 2022) to cover the fees associated with ENS (Ethereum Name Service) and gas fees required for minting of NFTs.

Once you complete the purchase, you should see the balance in your wallet in just a few minutes. If you don't see Metamask, click on Extensions icon and click on the pin to make Metamask icon visible at all times.


3. How to set up your ENS (Ethereum Name Service)

ENS is Ethereum Name Service. You can read in more detail why ENS is an important step for every NFT creator here: Take Control of Your Digital Identity with ENS.

To start the process, visit app.ens.domains (please double check and bookmark the address to make sure you are on a legit website), and click "Connect wallet"

Your Metamask wallet will open in a popup window and you will be asked to OK one or two steps. Once you do so, you will see your partial wallet address displayed on the top left.

Search for the ENS you want (for example, FirstnameLastname). If it's available, you will be able to register it.

⚠️ The price of ENS registration largely depends on the gas fees, so if the gas fees are low (use gasprice.io), you can save a considerable amount.

If you have sufficient amount of Ethereum and the ENS you want is available, follow the steps after clicking "Request To Register" button to register it.

Follow this video tutorial if the steps within the app are not clear.


4. How to apply to Sloika and mint your NFTs on your own custom smart contract

First, visit Sloika.xyz (double-check the domain and bookmark it to avoid scams) and click "Apply as a photographer". Then, follow this document to get prepared for minting!

Did this answer your question?