Navigate TRON in MetaMask

MetaMask supports TRON by default, allowing you to manage your TRX, USDT, and other assets within your wallet easily. This guide explains how transaction fees work on TRON, how to move funds, and how to stake/unstake TRX.

Transaction fees on TRON

Instead of charging a gas fee for every transaction (like Ethereum), TRON uses resources—bandwidth and energy—to pay for transactions. Which resource is used depends on the type of transaction.

All transactions use bandwidth, while certain transactions like sending USDT also require energy.

If your account does not have enough resources to cover the transaction, TRX will be burned to cover the transaction cost.

Bandwidth

• Required for every transaction on TRON.
• Accounts holding TRX receive a limited amount of free bandwidth each day (~600 bandwidth). If you do not have enough bandwidth, TRX will be used to complete the transaction.
• Staking TRX provides additional bandwidth.
• Used for sending TRX.

Energy

• Required in addition to bandwidth for transactions that involve smart contracts, token swaps, and DeFi activity.
• Accounts do not receive free energy. If you do not have enough bandwidth, TRX will be used to complete the transaction.
• Comes from staking TRX or by delegation from another account.
• Replenishes automatically based on the amount of TRX staked.
• Used for sending USDT and other TRC-20 tokens.

How to move funds to TRON

There are multiple ways to transfer assets easily to the TRON network.

1. MetaMask’s built-in swap feature
2. Transferring from a centralized exchange
3. Buying tokens directly within MetaMask

Swap to USDT/TRX

You can swap tokens from other chains to USDT or TRX on TRON easily by clicking the ‘Swap’ button on the homepage.

1. Select the token you want to exchange and from what network (Example: ETH on Ethereum)
2. Select the token you want and to what network (Example: USDT on Tron)
3. Enter the amount you want to exchange
4. Review quote and confirm transaction.

Note

If swapping tokens within the TRON network (example: TRX to USDT), you will need energy to complete the transaction. If you don’t have energy OR enough TRX, you won’t be able to conduct basic swaps and will need to acquire TRX to pay for fees or stake TRX to earn energy in order to execute the swap.

Transfer from a centralized exchange

Already hold USDT or TRX on an exchange? You can send it to your MetaMask wallet in a few steps.

1. Visit the platform you want to withdraw from and login.
2. Find the token you would like to transfer (like USDT) and click "send".
3. Paste your MetaMask account address. Always double check you pasted the full and correct address.
4. Choose the TRON network and enter the amount you would like to withdraw and submit. Make sure you transfer the right assets to the right wallet address and on the right network.
5. Enter your two-factor authentication codes.
6. The transfer could take up to 10 minutes. Check your recent transactions to confirm the status of the withdrawal. It may take longer if the network is busy.

For more information, refer to our guide here.

Buy USDT/TRX

You can also buy USDT or TRX directly by tapping the ‘Buy’ button on the homepage.

Note

Buying crypto in MetaMask (also referred to as on-ramp) is not available in every country or region.

1. Select the 'Buy' button under your account balance on the left of the screen.
2. On the next screen, you will select the token you want to buy, and the network you want to buy it on. You can search for a certain token by searching its name or address. (ex: USDT on TRON)
3. Select the account you want to purchase the token to, and verify your region is correct.
4. Enter the amount you want to purchase. You can also change the token from this screen if you want to buy a different token.
5. Select your payment method.
6. When you're ready to continue, click 'Continue' or 'Get quotes'.
7. You will be presented with a quote that is the best option for your purchase. For users in certain regions, including the US, MetaMask has partnered with Transak for a seamless way to buy crypto and top-up without leaving the app. For these users, you'll automatically see Transak's quote, but can see more options by clicking the Settings icon in the top left of the screen. For other users, you can toggle between providers by clicking the arrows next to the provider's name.
8. From there, you'll be taken to the provider's platform to complete your purchase, or you will finish your purchase within MetaMask if you're using Transak.

For more information refer to our guide here.

How to stake TRX on MetaMask

You can stake or “freeze” TRX on MetaMask Mobile to earn energy, additional bandwidth, and additional TRX at the APR listed. Staking is not supported on MetaMask Extension.

Staking is optional, but recommended if you use TRON regularly to cover transaction costs.

1. Open MetaMask Mobile
2. Tap on TRX from your asset list
3. Scroll down and tap ‘Stake’ or ‘Stake more’
4. Choose how much TRX you want to stake and which resource (for example, energy)
5. Review details and confirm.

Once completed, your TRX will be locked and begin generating resources to pay for transactions. This is represented as sTRX.

You won’t be able to send sTRX, you can just view the balance. You can unstake anytime.

Note

When staking, you can choose to generate energy or bandwidth, but not both simultaneously. If you want to generate both resources through staking, you will need to complete two separate staking requests.

How to unstake TRX on MetaMask

When unstaking TRX, there is an unlocking period. During this time, you don’t earn any energy or bandwidth and your TRX cannot be transferred.

1. Open MetaMask Mobile
2. Tap on TRX from your asset list
3. Scroll down and tap ‘Unstake’
4. Enter TRX amount to unstake
5. Review details and confirm.

Why did my transaction use TRX instead of resources?

A transaction may use TRX if:

• Your account does not have enough bandwidth or energy
• TRX was staked from a different address.

Only the address that staked TRX can use the earned resources.

If you regularly use multiple addresses, you may want to stake TRX on each address.

FAQs

Can I connect to TRON dapps?

Not currently. Dapp connectivity will be available on Mobile and Extension soon.

How do I earn MetaMask Rewards with TRON?

Swapping into Tron will gain points, but transactions within the TRON network will not gain points.

Example: Swapping USDT on Ethereum to TRX on Tron will gain points, but sending USDT on TRON to another address on TRON will not gain points.

You earn 8 points for every $10 swapped with MetaMask Swaps.

For more information on MetaMask Rewards, see here.

Why was receiving USDT free, but sending it cost TRX?

Receiving tokens on TRON does not require bandwidth or energy.

The sender pays the transaction cost. When you send USDT or other TRC-20 tokens, your account must pay energy. If your account does not have enough energy, TRX will be used instead.

Why did my transaction fail?

A transaction may fail if:

• Your account does not have enough bandwidth or energy
• Your TRX balance is too low to cover the required cost
• The transaction could not be processed by the network.

Failed transactions don’t affect your staked TRX. They simply do not complete.

Do I need to stake TRX to use TRON?

No. Staking TRX is optional. If you do not stake TRX:

• Basic transactions like sending TRX may still succeed using free bandwidth
• Smart contract transactions will use TRX for fees.

Staking is recommended for frequent TRON users to reduce costs.

I can’t stake on MetaMask Extension - how do I pay for fees?

Staking TRX is only available on MetaMask Mobile. If using the same account, you can stake TRX on Mobile to earn resources and transact on Extension with those earned resources.

How does voting work?

All staked TRX through MetaMask automatically votes for the MetaMask SR (Super Representative). You do not need to manage voting manually.

SR address: https://tronscan.org/#/address/TVMwGfdDz58VvM7yTzGMWWSHsmofSxa9jH

How long does it take to regenerate energy or bandwidth?

Energy and bandwidth will be replenished after 24 hours. Resources generate linearly the moment they are used. For example, if 240 bandwidth is consumed during a transaction, it will be regenerated at a rate of 10 bandwidth per hour for the next 24 hours until the balance is replenished.

How do I know what resource I’m using to cover my transaction?

It depends on the transaction type and where you initiate it.

• Send transactions: On the send confirmation screen, MetaMask shows the fee details, including whether the transaction will use bandwidth, energy, and/or TRX if resources are insufficient.
• Swaps: For swaps, the quote displays the estimated TRX fee. If you have enough resources, this may show as 0 TRX, if you have enough energy to cover your cost.

Resources are first used automatically if available. If you don’t have enough bandwidth or energy, TRX is used to cover the remaining cost.