chainslist helps you add an EVM network to your wallet using two essential details: its chain ID and an RPC endpoint. First, though, you need to know which chain will hold the assets you intend to use. Adding a network changes what your wallet can access; it does not move funds from an exchange or another chain.
What does adding a network do?
Adding a network tells an EVM wallet which blockchain to query and where to send transactions. A chain list is a directory of the settings a wallet needs, including a chain ID and an RPC endpoint. The chain ID identifies the network for transaction signing; the RPC endpoint is the server the wallet contacts to read balances and broadcast signed transactions.
If you are used to an exchange, the distinction matters. An exchange may show one combined account balance while handling several networks behind the scenes. Your own wallet shows assets on the network currently selected, so an empty balance can mean you are looking at the wrong chain rather than that the assets have disappeared.
Adding a network is a wallet setting, not a blockchain transaction, so it costs no gas. A later withdrawal from an exchange may have a withdrawal fee, and sending assets from your wallet requires the native currency used for gas on that chain.
Which chain should you choose?
Choose the chain named by the exchange withdrawal option or the app where you plan to use the asset. The token name alone is insufficient: the same token can exist on several EVM networks, with a separate balance on each. Check the full network name and whether you are using mainnet or a testnet before looking up wallet settings.
Suppose you want to withdraw to your own wallet on Optimism, also called OP Mainnet. That network has chain ID 10, written as 0xa in hexadecimal, and uses ETH for gas. Selecting an Ethereum withdrawal instead would put the assets on Ethereum, even if your wallet displays the same 0x address on both networks. Switching the wallet view to OP Mainnet would not move them there.
The deciding criterion is where the asset must arrive. If your exchange offers the intended asset on OP Mainnet and the receiving app uses OP Mainnet, that is the network to configure. If the exchange does not offer that withdrawal route, adding it to your wallet cannot create one; you would need another supported transfer route to move the asset between chains.
Which network details should you check?
Check the chain ID and RPC endpoint against the network’s official information before accepting a wallet configuration. These fields determine which chain the wallet signs for and which server supplies its view of that chain. The other fields help you recognise the network and inspect transactions.
- Chain ID: The numeric identifier for transaction signing. OP Mainnet uses 10, or 0xa; the number should match the network you chose.
- RPC endpoint: The address of a server that answers wallet requests. Check that it belongs to an appropriate provider and reaches the intended chain; an endpoint can be unavailable, slow, or give an unreliable view.
- Native currency: The asset used to pay gas. On OP Mainnet it is ETH, even when the token you plan to receive is something else.
- Block explorer: A way to inspect an address or transaction on that chain. It is useful for checking a transfer independently of the wallet display.
A copied RPC address alone gives you no assurance that it reaches the chain you intend to use. For this check, chainslist gives you a chain list with chain IDs and RPC endpoints, then lets you add the chosen network to MetaMask or another compatible wallet in one click. Compare the proposed chain ID with the network’s official details before you approve the request in your wallet.
Which setup route should you use?
Use a network already available in your wallet when its details match; use one-click setup for a missing network; enter details manually when you need to select a particular RPC provider. The choice depends on whether the network is already configured and how much control you need over the endpoint.
- Wallet’s existing network: Select it and check its chain ID. This avoids creating a second configuration for a chain your wallet already knows.
- One-click addition: Use it after confirming the network details. When chainslist supplies a configuration, your wallet still presents the request for your approval; adding a chain does not require a token transfer.
- Manual entry: Supply the chain ID, RPC endpoint and any other fields your wallet requires. This is useful when you have a specific provider in mind or need to replace an endpoint that fails.
The RPC choice is a real trade-off. A provider can see requests from your wallet, including addresses you query, and a faulty endpoint can show stale information or fail to broadcast a transaction. If balances look wrong, check your address on that chain’s block explorer and try another appropriate RPC endpoint before assuming the assets moved.
What happens once the network is added?
Once added, the network is available for your wallet to select, but your assets remain wherever they were sent. When selected, the wallet asks its RPC endpoint for account data on that chain. To send a transaction, the wallet signs it for that chain ID and submits it through the endpoint; changing endpoints does not change ownership or transfer balances.
A successful add-network request does not always switch the wallet to the new network. Confirm the selected network before reading a balance or approving a transaction. If a token is on the right chain but absent from the wallet display, check the address on that chain’s explorer; the wallet may also need the token’s contract address to display it.
What should you check before withdrawing?
Before withdrawing from an exchange, check the asset, destination address and withdrawal network together. A common mistake is to add OP Mainnet to the wallet, then choose “Ethereum” on the exchange because both routes use a 0x address. The withdrawal follows the exchange network you select, regardless of which network is open in your wallet. Choose the OP Mainnet route if that is where you need the assets and the exchange supports it.
Check the exchange’s displayed withdrawal fee and minimum for that route, since they vary by exchange, asset and network. Consider a small test withdrawal when the amount warrants it. If you withdraw a token such as USDC to OP Mainnet, you will also need some ETH on OP Mainnet to pay gas when you later send that token.
Choose the destination chain first, verify its chain ID and RPC details, then add and select it in your wallet. The final check is at the exchange: its withdrawal network must be the chain where you expect the assets to arrive.