Step by Step: Fiat to your first NFT

In this guide, I will explain a simple way to convert your dollars to both Ethereum and, if you choose, an NFT. I will be using Coinbase and Coinbase Wallet as the basic software for purchasing and storing cryptocurrencies and NFTs. There are dozens of other exchanges (Binance.us, Gemini, Kraken) and wallets (Trust Wallet, Rainbow Wallet, MetaMask), but Coinbase is easy to use and overall very trustworthy.

Buying ETH with USD on Coinbase

Your Coinbase account acts as your exchange for buying and selling cryptocurrencies for cash. It is not the ideal place to store large amounts of ETH and you CANNOT send NFTs to this Ethereum address. Think of it as a stock exchange for cryptos.

1. Download the Coinbase app on your mobile device or go to Coinbase.com and setup a Coinbase account (use this link if it’s your first time so we both get $10 for free)
2. Under the profile section verify your identity with an ID/SSN to disable spending and sending limits faster (there is usually a 3–5 day period where you are limited on how much crypto you can buy after you first set up your account)
3. Add a bank account or debit card to purchase from by following the steps under your profile’s ‘Payment Methods’
4. Navigate to the ‘Trade’ page on the website or click the center blue button and press ‘Buy crypto with cash’ on the mobile app

Ex. Coinbase app (select Ethereum instead of Bitcoin)

1. Select Ethereum, enter the desired amount, and select the account to withdraw money from
2. Find the ETH you just purchased under your ‘Portfolio’ tab

Sending ETH from your Coinbase account to a different wallet

With some ETH in your Coinbase exchange account, you can now send the ETH to other wallets as a form of payment. This is very similar to making a bank transfer, so make sure to double check any address you are sending Ethereum to, as there are no do-overs. Make sure the address is also an ETHEREUM address and not a different coin’s address like Bitcoin.

1. Open up Coinbase on your computer or mobile phone and navigate to the ‘Portfolio’ tab
2. Select ‘Ethereum’ and if you have any in your account you will see your ‘ETH Wallet’ with your balance in it
3. Click on your ‘ETH Wallet’ and in the top right of the mobile app press the arrow icon. On the computer, you will see the same ‘Send’ interface to the right.

Ex. Coinbase sending interface (make sure to select ETHEREUM)

1. Enter the desired amount to send and copy and paste the long text address into the ‘To’ input field. Example address (Tweak Wallet: 0xf4140f2721f5fd76ea2a3b6864ab49e0fba1f7d0)
2. Double check at least the first and last 4 digits of the address and press Send, then verify the transaction in your wallet by pressing Sign.
3. You just sent some ETH!

Setting up an ETH wallet with Coinbase Wallet

(This is unnecessary if you are only trying to send Ethereum to another user.)

Your ETH wallet will, in a sense, become your digital profile if you choose to start collecting NFTs and showing them. Your wallet is separate from your Coinbase account, but you can link them. Essentially, your Coinbase account is your stock trading account, and your Coinbase Wallet is your bank account. This wallet is totally public and people are able to see the transactions you make, both with cryptos and NFTs. Your wallet will also be the best place to store your NFTs and cryptos as it is far more secure and can always be recovered as long as you remember your 12 word seedphrase.

1. Download Coinbase Wallet on your mobile phone (not available on the computer) and if you don’t have access to a phone then skip below to the MetaMask setup portion

1. Go through the steps of creating a new wallet and setting up your profile. Make sure you save your 12 word seedphrase somewhere safe, hidden, and where it cannot be lost. This is the only way to recover your wallet if you forget your password or Coinbase explodes (yes, if Coinbase for some reason ends tomorrow you can still access all your NFTs and crypto if your keep your generated seedphrase)

Connecting your Coinbase Wallet and Coinbase exchange account

1. Once you have set up your wallet, you may transfer your Ethereum to the wallet to begin purchasing NFTs by first linking your Coinbase Wallet to your Coinbase exchange account
2. In the Coinbase Wallet app on the tab with the wallet icon (bottom left), click ‘Buy or transfer’ and then ‘From Coinbase or Elsewhere.’ Link your Coinbase account if you haven’t done so to see your ETH balance in your exchange

Connecting to Web3, OpenSea, and MetaMask

Your wallet/digital profile is now created, and you can connect it to various sites that use Web3 technology to trade NFTs or cryptos. Each time you make a transaction in your wallet, you will need to manually sign it by opening up the Coinbase Wallet app and verifying the transaction. By importing your wallet into MetaMask web wallet, you can access your NFTs and cryptos on your browser much easier.

1. With your Coinbase Wallet now set up you can go to NFT sites such as Opensea, Rarible, Foundation, or Superrare to start collecting NFTs. These websites allow you to connect your Coinbase Wallet by scanning a QR code using the WalletConnect for Coinbase Wallet feature.
2. It is far easier to manage your digital presence and wallets with a Web native wallet, such as MetaMask, so you don’t need to constantly open your phone to verify. Good thing we can import the Coinbase Wallet we just created into MetaMask. Download MetaMask browser extension for Google Chrome, Firefox, or Brave Browser.
3. Add MetaMask to your pinned extensions at the top of your browser for ease of use and select ‘Import Wallet’ when first setting it up
4. Click ‘Import using seed recovery phrase’ and copy and paste the 12 digit seedphrase into MetaMask. If you do not have a Coinbase Wallet, simply create a new wallet.

1. Create a password and ‘Restore’ your wallet(don’t worry if you forget this as long as you have your 12 word seedphrase you can also recover your wallet by doing this same process again)
2. You now have your Coinbase Wallet connected to your MetaMask web wallet and can easily connect to any website. Go to OpenSea.io, connect your MetaMask wallet by signing the messages and start browsing NFTs!

How to Mint a Twisted Tweak

Once you have set up a digital wallet and loaded it with some Ethereum, you can now participate in the Twisted Tweak minting process! If you have set up a wallet properly, this step should be fairly easy!

1. Go to https://www.nftweak.com/twistedtweaks
2. Click on the ‘Mint a Twisted Tweak’ button to be redirected to the main minting page
3. Connect your MetaMask wallet by clicking the Connect Wallet button in the top right and sign the message in your MetaMask.
4. Finally, input how many Twisted Tweaks you would like to mint and press Mint! Each Twisted Tweak is .06 ETH plus a small gas fee. After minting, the Twisted Tweak will show up in your wallet and be viewable on OpenSea!

If you enjoyed this and are just setting up an OpenSea account, I’d appreciate if you used my referral link! Also follow my project @nftweak on Twitter!