Bitcoin (BTC) on EVM-compatible networks
Bitcoin is now supported in MetaMask. You can now manage your BTC alongside your Ethereum and Solana assets all in one wallet. Learn more in our guide here.
Not all blockchains are created compatible.
The Bitcoin network was, in many ways, the 'proof of concept' for public blockchain technology: it showed that, given proper incentive mechanisms and safety measures, a currency could be maintained on a global scale, in a decentralized, trustless—that is, with no central trusted authority—manner.
The Ethereum network is the next step (arguably, an exponential step) along that path. The Ethereum blockchain isn't just keeping track of a currency. It maintains, live at all times, a global public computer that is capable of maintaining a global, decentralized currency (and many of them, at that). And on top of that, a global, decentralized monetary and financial system.
Different blockchains have different 'native currencies'
This is a topic both deep and broad, but in short: virtually all public blockchains have what is called a 'native currency', the token that is used to pay for gas, transactions, or computational work on the network. Bitcoin's native currency is bitcoin (BTC), and Ethereum's native currency is Ether (ETH).
You can manage both in MetaMask. Follow our guide here to get started.
Given that different blockchains are programmed differently, with different standards for tokens, functionality, and even wallets and addresses, you can't just send pure BTC to an Ethereum address or the other way around. You would need to use a 'wrapped' version of BTC on the EVM-compatible chain.
But if you just want to hold BTC, you can do so directly on the Bitcoin network within MetaMask. Learn how to swap to, send, or buy BTC directly in your favorite wallet here.