Wallet setup for Polymarket
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Install a wallet, write the recovery phrase on paper, add Polygon PoS, and keep a dollar or two of POL for gas. That is the whole setup. The one step that matters more than all the others is the recovery phrase: lose it and the funds are unrecoverable, because self-custody has no reset link. Note the gas token is POL, renamed from MATIC — older tutorials are out of date.
The five steps
- Install MetaMask from the official source only. Get it from metamask.io or your browser's official extension store. Wallet phishing is overwhelmingly the biggest loss vector in crypto, and a fake extension will drain you instantly.
- Create the wallet and write down the recovery phrase on paper. Not a screenshot, not a note app, not email. Anyone with this phrase owns your funds, and if you lose it there is no reset, no support line and no recovery. This is the single most consequential step.
- Add the Polygon network. Modern MetaMask includes Polygon PoS by default. If not, add it from Settings > Networks rather than from a link someone sent you.
- Get a small amount of POL for gas. You need POL, the Polygon gas token formerly called MATIC, to pay for transactions. A dollar or two lasts a long time — Polygon gas is fractions of a cent.
- Connect to Polymarket. Choose Connect Wallet on Polymarket and approve the connection. Approving a connection is not approving a transfer; never approve a transaction you did not initiate.
Every other security measure is secondary. Anyone who obtains those words owns your funds immediately and irreversibly. Nobody legitimate will ever ask for them — not Polymarket, not MetaMask, not a support agent, not a moderator in a Discord. Write them on paper, store them somewhere you would keep a passport, and never type them into anything except the wallet you are restoring.
What self-custody actually commits you to
| Self-custody (international) | Custodial (Polymarket US, Kalshi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Can the platform freeze you | No | Yes |
| Can you recover lost credentials | No | Yes |
| KYC required | No | Yes |
| Who is liable for a mistake | You | Shared, with recourse |
Neither column is better in the abstract. Be honest with yourself about which failure you are more likely to experience. Full safety comparison →
Availability varies by jurisdiction. 18+. Event contracts carry risk of loss.
You appear to be in the US. Polymarket’s international exchange blocks US IP addresses — use Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated exchange, instead. See what’s available in your state.
Next
With a wallet ready, the next step is getting USDC (native Polygon USDC) onto Polygon PoS — and that is the step where the expensive mistakes happen. Funding guide →
Questions
Do I need MetaMask specifically?
No. Any wallet supporting Polygon PoS works, and Polymarket also supports simpler email-based login that provisions a wallet for you. MetaMask is just the most widely documented option.
Do I need MATIC for gas?
It is called POL now. POL replaced MATIC as the native Polygon PoS gas token in September 2024. The MATIC→POL migration was reported 99% complete on 3 September 2025. Holdings on Polygon PoS converted automatically 1:1; MATIC on other chains migrates 1:1 via Polygon Portal.
What if I lose my recovery phrase?
The funds are gone. That is not a policy, it is how self-custody works — there is no key escrow and no support path. If that risk is unacceptable to you, use Polymarket US (if you are American) or a custodial venue such as Kalshi instead. This is a legitimate reason to choose a custodial platform.
How much POL do I need?
Very little. Polygon transactions cost fractions of a cent, so a couple of dollars covers a great deal of activity. Do not buy more than that just for gas.
Related
Funding with USDC
Every route, with real costs.
All guides
The full sequence.
Safety
Custody models compared.
Minimum deposit
How small you can start.
All figures on this page verified 17 August 2026 against primary sources where reachable. Unconfirmed values are marked.