UNDERSTAND · CHECK · PRACTISE
Token not showing in MetaMask: what to check
You expected USDC, but your wallet list is empty. Before repeating the transfer, separate three questions: which network was used, which account received it, and what does the network actually show?
Useful first: Crypto wallets: keys, custody and recovery
THE SHORT ANSWER
A token missing from MetaMask is not necessarily lost. Check the network, account and transfer result in an explorer. If the right token is present at your address, detection or display may explain the problem.
Three words before we start
- Account
- The address you are viewing. One wallet app can manage several accounts.
- Explorer
- A website for viewing a network’s activity. Etherscan, for example, lets you inspect Ethereum.
- Token contract
- The identifier of the program managing a token on a network. It is not your receiving address.
Example: 25 USDC on Base, an Ethereum view open
Léa expects 25 USDC on Base. In this fictional example, the transfer is confirmed to the correct account and that account’s USDC balance on Base is 25. Her app is filtered to Ethereum. She is looking at the wrong network; sending again would not fix that filter.
USDC, Base and Ethereum are real. Circle publishes a different USDC contract address for each of these two networks. The “USDC” symbol alone does not identify what you are viewing.
Check in this order
1. Find the sending network and transaction ID, also called a hash. A platform’s “withdrawal processing” status is not necessarily an on-chain confirmation.
2. Look up the hash in that network’s explorer. Check the status, token, recipient and current balance. A transfer received yesterday does not by itself describe today’s balance.
3. Compare this with the account and network shown in MetaMask. If the expected token is present at that address, check its visibility in token management; manual addition uses the contract for the correct network.
Menus differ between the extension and mobile app. The official guide below gives the current steps. Do not use a contract supplied by a stranger or make reinstalling the wallet your first response.
What changing the display cannot fix
Adding a token to a list does not create a receipt or move assets between networks. If the recipient was not your address, that button does not bring the funds back. For a deposit to a platform, its network and account-crediting rules apply in addition to blockchain confirmation.
A token can also show a quantity without a euro price. Missing pricing and missing tokens are different problems. A displayed value does not guarantee that a buyer will pay that amount either.
02 · PRACTISE, THEN UNDERSTAND THE ANSWER
3 situations to work through
Each answer has an explanation. Use a hint if you need one; there is no timer.
MADE-UP SITUATION · NO REAL ACTION
Léa’s 25 USDC
Léa’s fictional transfer is confirmed. The recipient account matches hers. Now compare the transfer network with the filter in her app.
- Transfer network
- Base
- USDC balance on Base
- 25 USDC
- App filter
- Ethereum
I need a hint
The transfer and the screen refer to different networks.
Read all explanations at my own pace
Léa’s 25 USDC
Léa’s fictional transfer is confirmed. The recipient account matches hers. Now compare the transfer network with the filter in her app.
Reasoning: Léa does not need to move the USDC to check this case. She needs to view the right account on Base. If the list remains empty afterwards, she can examine token detection. Check one possible cause at a time.
Start by matching the account and network.
A quantity, but no price
Sam sees 12 tokens in his account. The price column shows a dash. ATELIER is a made-up token used here to distinguish quantity from pricing.
Reasoning: The dash establishes neither zero value nor a guaranteed value. Sam must separate the 12 displayed units from the missing price information. Owning a token alone does not establish what a market will pay for it.
Quantity, pricing and the ability to sell are three questions.
The hash says “confirmed”
In this fictional case, the explorer shows receipt by account B. You expect the funds in account A, whose balance remains zero. Letters stand in for addresses in this exercise.
Reasoning: A confirmed transfer still needs to match the intended account. Here A and B differ. B has not been identified: we cannot promise recovery or conclude that B belongs to a scammer.
A successful status does not replace checking the recipient.
Two more useful questions
Do I need to connect my wallet to an explorer?
Looking up a public address or hash does not require a signature. This page’s exercise uses made-up data only: there is nothing to connect.
Does adding a token prove it is trustworthy?
No. It is a display action. You still need to check the token’s contract and source before deciding whether to interact with it.
Sources and further reading
- MetaMask — Missing or incorrect token balance · in English
- MetaMask — Display tokens · in English
- MetaMask — Missing token price · in English
- MetaMask — Check activity in an explorer · in English
- Circle — USDC and its networks · in English
Page updated on
Documentation checked on · WhyTheBlockchain · Editorial approach