How to Add Arc to MetaMask: Chain ID, RPC and Setup

What are the Arc network parameters?

Both networks are live. Mainnet carries real value; testnet is free rehearsal space.

Take these values from this page, docs.arc.io, or circle.com only — never from a search ad or an unfamiliar link.

How do you add Arc mainnet to MetaMask?

1. Open MetaMask and click the network selector at the top-left of the extension.
2. Choose Add a custom network (older builds: Settings → Networks → Add network → Add a network manually).
3. Enter the mainnet fields from the table above. The currency symbol is USDC; MetaMask may warn that the symbol does not match its records for the chain ID, which is expected for a new network.
4. Save, then switch to Arc in the network selector.
5. Confirm the connection by opening explorer.arc.io and pasting your address — if the balance MetaMask shows matches the explorer, the RPC is connected correctly.

How do you add Arc testnet to MetaMask?

Repeat the same five steps using the testnet row of the table: chain ID 5042002, RPC https://rpc.testnet.arc.io, explorer https://testnet.arcscan.app. Testnet is the right place to rehearse a transaction or a contract deployment before doing it with real USDC on mainnet.

Why does the currency symbol say USDC?

Because on Arc it genuinely is. Gas is charged in USDC at 18 decimals at the protocol level, under an EIP-1559 fee model with a 20 gwei minimum base fee, targeting roughly $0.01 per transaction. There is no separate native coin to buy before you can transact, which is the single biggest practical difference between Arc and every other EVM chain you have added to a wallet. The full explanation of Arc's fee model is here.

One consequence worth internalising: the balance that pays your gas is the same balance you are spending. On other chains you can be rich in the token and stuck because you have no gas. On Arc, if you have dollars, you can transact.

How do you get USDC on each network?

On testnet, use Circle's faucet at faucet.circle.com and select Arc testnet — it drips test USDC to the address you paste in, with no purchase step and no bridge required.

On mainnet, there is no faucet. You bridge real USDC in with Circle's CCTP from Ethereum, Base, Solana, and other supported chains — how that works.

Which other wallets support Arc?

Any wallet that accepts a custom EVM network can be pointed at Arc using the same values. MetaMask, Ledger, Fireblocks and Binance Wallet are among Arc's day-one ecosystem partners, alongside exchanges such as Kraken and Upbit. The setup flow differs cosmetically between wallets but the five fields are the same everywhere.

For hardware wallets, add the network in the software wallet first (MetaMask, for example), then connect the Ledger through it — the device signs EVM transactions generically and does not need Arc-specific firmware.

Common problems and what they actually mean

• "Could not fetch chain ID." The RPC URL is wrong or truncated. Re-paste the full RPC URL, including the scheme.
• "This chain ID is already in use." You added Arc previously under a different name. Edit the existing entry rather than creating a duplicate.
• Symbol mismatch warning. Expected. MetaMask cross-references a public chain registry and Arc's USDC-as-gas model is unusual; the warning is informational.
• Balance shows zero after a faucet drip or a bridge. Give it a moment, then refresh. If the explorer shows the balance and MetaMask does not, the wallet is querying a stale RPC — switch networks and back.

Before you deploy anything

Once the network is added, the rest of the launch sequence is ordinary EVM work. Team Finance is live on Arc: mint a token, lock the liquidity, put the team allocation under a schedule and distribute. It has been non-custodial since 2020 and has secured more than $2.7 billion across 40,000+ projects on 26 chains.

The order that matters to buyers is: mint, lock liquidity, vest the team, then prove all three on the explorer.