Connecting Wallets

AstralBeam requires you to connect both a Casper wallet and an EVM wallet to enable bidirectional bridging.

Supported Wallets

Casper Wallets

EVM Wallets

Installing Casper Wallet

1. Visit casperwallet.io
2. Click "Download" and select your browser
3. Install the browser extension
4. Create a new wallet or import existing:
   • New Wallet: Follow the setup wizard, save your recovery phrase securely
   • Import: Use your recovery phrase or private key

Getting Your Casper Address

1. Open Casper Wallet extension
2. Your public key is displayed at the top (starts with 01 or 02)
3. Click to copy the full address

Installing MetaMask

1. Visit metamask.io
2. Click "Download" and select your browser/platform
3. Install the extension
4. Create a new wallet or import existing
5. Save your recovery phrase securely

Adding Testnet Networks

For testnet bridging, add these networks to MetaMask:

Ethereum Sepolia

Network Name: Sepolia
RPC URL: https://rpc.sepolia.org
Chain ID: 11155111
Currency Symbol: ETH
Block Explorer: https://sepolia.etherscan.io

Base Sepolia

Network Name: Base Sepolia
RPC URL: https://sepolia.base.org
Chain ID: 84532
Currency Symbol: ETH
Block Explorer: https://sepolia.basescan.org

Connecting to AstralBeam

Step 1: Navigate to the Bridge

Go to astralbeam.io

Step 2: Connect Casper Wallet

1. Locate the "Connected Wallets" section at the top of the bridge interface
2. Find the Casper row showing "Not connected"
3. Click the connect icon (plug icon)
4. A popup will appear from Casper Wallet
5. Review the connection request
6. Click "Approve" in Casper Wallet
7. Your Casper address will now appear truncated (e.g., 01abc1...ef23)

Step 3: Connect EVM Wallet

1. Find the Ethereum row showing "Not connected"
2. Click the connect icon
3. A wallet selection modal will appear
4. Choose your preferred wallet (e.g., MetaMask)
5. In MetaMask, review the connection request
6. Click "Connect"
7. If on the wrong network, you'll be prompted to switch to Sepolia
8. Your Ethereum address will now appear truncated (e.g., 0xabc1...ef23)

Step 4: Verify Connection

Both wallets should now show:

• A green dot indicating "Connected"
• Your truncated wallet address
• Action buttons (switch/disconnect)

Managing Connected Wallets

Switching Casper Account

1. Click the switch icon next to your Casper address
2. Casper Wallet will open
3. Select a different account if you have multiple
4. Approve the new connection

Disconnecting Ethereum Wallet

1. Click the X icon next to your Ethereum address
2. The wallet will be disconnected
3. Click the connect icon to reconnect

Switching Ethereum Network

If you're connected to the wrong network:

1. The bridge will show a warning: "Wrong Network Detected"
2. Click "Switch to Sepolia" (or the correct network)
3. Approve the network switch in MetaMask

Troubleshooting Connections

Casper Wallet Not Connecting

1. Extension not installed: Install from casperwallet.io
2. Wallet locked: Open Casper Wallet and enter your password
3. Connection rejected: Try connecting again and approve the request
4. Browser issue: Try refreshing the page or restarting browser

MetaMask Not Connecting

1. Extension not installed: Install from metamask.io
2. Wallet locked: Open MetaMask and enter your password
3. Pending requests: Check for pending connection requests in MetaMask
4. Multiple wallets: Disable other wallet extensions that might conflict

Wrong Network

1. The bridge only supports specific networks
2. Check the current network in MetaMask
3. Use the "Switch Network" button or manually switch in MetaMask
4. For testnet: Use Sepolia (Chain ID: 11155111)

Security Best Practices

1. Verify the URL: Always check you're on astralbeam.io
2. Review permissions: Check what permissions the dApp is requesting
3. Use hardware wallets: For large amounts, consider hardware wallet support
4. Keep recovery phrases secure: Never share or store digitally
5. Disconnect when done: Disconnect wallets after bridging if desired