Metamask Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Metamask with Brownie and Flask
As a developer building decentralized applications (dApps) on blockchain networks, understanding how to interact with them requires a solid understanding of various tools. One of the key tools for managing smart contracts is Metamask, which enables seamless interaction between the frontend application and the underlying blockchain network. In this article, we will walk you through the process of setting up Metamask using Brownie and Flask.
What is Metamask?
Metamask is an open-source, easy-to-use tool that allows developers to manage access to the Ethereum blockchain from any application or browser. It provides a secure way to store and manage private keys, allowing you to interact with smart contracts without directly exposing them to the public network.
Setting up Brownie and Metamask
First, let’s set up our Brownie application:
- Install Brownie
: Open a terminal and install Brownie using npm by running the following command:
npm install -g brownie
- Create a new Brownie project: Run the following command to create a new directory for your project and navigate to it:
brownie init
- Install Metamask: Run the following command to install Metamask using npm by running the following command in the terminal:
npm install -g metamask
Setting up Metamask
Now let’s set up our Metamask instance:
- Launching MetaMask
: Open a browser and go to [metamask.io]( to start your personal MetaMask wallet.
- Create a new account (optional): If you want to manage multiple wallets, create an additional account on the site.
Create a frontend with Brownie
To speed up a frontend application using Brownie and Metamask, follow these steps:
- Install dependencies: In the root directory of your project, run the following command to install the required dependencies:
npm install express flask web3
- Create an Express server: Create a new “app.js” file in the root of your project and add the following code:
const express = request('espresso');
const app = express();
const Web3 = request('web3');
// Initialize the Metamask instance with its private key
const web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider('
app.use(express.static(__dirname));
leave contractAddress;
if (process.env.BROWNIE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS) {
contractAddress = process.env.BROWNIE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS;
}
// Root path of application
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('Hello world!');
});
constant port = 3000;
app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(Server is running on
});
This code initializes a basic Express server that listens for requests to the root URL. When a request comes in for the root URL, it checks whether the BROWNIE_CONTRACT_ADDRESSenvironment variable is set and uses that as the contract address.
Start a transaction
To start a transaction with Metamask, use the following code:
const txHash = wait web3.eth.sendTransaction({
from: '0xYOUR_METAMASK_ADDRESS',
recipient: '0xCONTRACT_ADDRESS',
value: '0.01 ether',
gas: "20000",
gas price: '20 gwei'
});
This code sends a transaction with the following properties:
- from
: The sender's Ethereum address.
- to
: The recipient's Ethereum address.
- value
: The amount to transfer in Ether.
- "gas": The gas limit of the transaction.
- "gasPrice": The gas price of the transaction.
Sign the transaction with Metamask
To have Metamask sign the transaction, use the following code:
`` javascript
const tx = wait web3.eth.sendSignedTransaction({
from: '0xYOUR_METAMASK_ADDRESS',
recipient: '0xCONTRACT_ADDRESS',
value: '0.