To buy NFTs, you need to first create something called a Digital Wallet. A wallet is what you’ll use to buy the currency needed to purchase NFTs and where they are stored once you purchase them. For those who may be scratching their heads, Cryptocurrency (often called “crypto”) is a virtual or digital currency that can be used to buy goods and services. There’s no physical coin or bill used and all the transactions take place online. It uses an online ledger with strong security to ensure that online transactions are secure.
Typically when you purchase NFTs (or other items on the blockchain) you’ll need to use Cryptocurrency to pay for your purchase, which brings us back to the digital wallet mentioned earlier. Have you ever played a video game where you need to buy in-game currency (like Gems) to buy certain items? If so, you’re already more familiar with the concept of a digital wallet than you may think!
A very commonly used form of Crypto is called “ETH” (short for Ether) and we recommend using this cryptocurrency for the Bitverse.
How do I make a digital wallet?
There are a ton of different options out there that you can use, but for the Bitverse, we recommend using Metamask (https://metamask.io/).
To get started, head to their website and either download the app or add the browser extension. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see the following:
Click the “Get Started” button and you’ll be presented with the following choice (if you already have a wallet, you’ll want to import it from this screen); assuming that this is your first wallet, click on “Create a wallet”. Once you do so, you’ll have the option to set a password; DO NOT lose this, share this, or make it overly simple (please no ‘password123’).
Once your password is set, it’s time to really secure your account. Introducing…the secret recovery phrase. Your Secret Recovery Phrase is a 12-word phrase that is the “master key” to your wallet and your funds.
Never, ever share your Secret Recovery Phrase, not even with MetaMask!
If someone asks for your recovery phrase they are likely trying to scam you and steal your wallet funds. MetaMask even has a short video explaining this a bit further that you’ll see pop-up; if you are new to web3 we encourage you to watch this video.
Click “Next” and you’ll see the following screen:
Click the gray box that says “CLICK HERE TO REVEAL SECRET WORDS”. Metamask will then show you your UNIQUE 12-word Secret Recovery Phrase and provide some tips to keep this information secure. Again, do not EVER share this phrase with anyone.
After a quick test that will prove you know this phrase, you’ll see the following screen. Click “All Done” when you’re ready.
You now have your very own digital wallet that you can use to purchase a Bitverse NFT once you have the available ETH in your wallet.
There are quite a few places where you can buy ETH, so be sure to check out our next guide on how to acquire some and use it to buy your Bitverse NFT Hero!