MetaMask releases open beta, developers deploy features and functionality

MetaMask, a non-custodial wallet with over 21 million monthly active users, is launching the Snap feature in open beta. MetaMask said in a statement on September 12 that the launch marks the first step in creating a “completely permissionless ecosystem.” "

MetaMask releases Snap to decentralize development

The wallet developers also revealed that the idea is that developers can anchor the wallet to create what the provider calls “the hardest problem on Web3.”

MetaMask invites the developer community to release independent features and functionality through Snaps, effectively expanding its ecosystem as the wallet becomes modular.

This means that more than 21 million users can create and launch their features or functionality on MetaMask without the cryptocurrency company’s approval. This authorization may lead to the development of a large number of services or features, perhaps numbering in the thousands or hundreds of thousands, to solve a variety of unresolved problems in Web3.

MetaMask believes that through decentralized development, it can allow humanity to flourish at “exponential scale” while capturing “the full range of innovation happening in Web3.”

Still, launching Snaps has been challenging. MetaMask, owned by Ethereum software solutions developer ConsenSys, revealed that in discussions with Google, the developer behind the search engine and PlayStore proposed an overhaul of how extensions like MetaMask work.

However, after a compromise between ConsenSys and Google developers, an agreement was reached on how the wallet could operate without creating security holes.

Snaps is now available in public beta starting with MetaMask v11.0 and can be accessed from all supported browsers, including Chrome and Brave. However, the feature will be available to Firefox users on an unspecified date.

Powering DeFi and Web3

MetaMask plays a vital role in Web3, allowing decentralized protocols to connect with users by providing solutions in decentralized finance (DeFi), the Metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFT), and more . Since the wallet is a “hot wallet,” connected to the internet and non-custodial, users searching for key services from trading to staking can conveniently plug into it without giving up control of their assets.

Google PlayStore data shows that as of September 12, more than 10 million users have downloaded the wallet. More users are downloading in other operating systems such as iOS and Windows.

In November 2022, ConsenSys faced criticism after updating its privacy policy, announcing that it would rely on Infura to collect additional data for users. API tooling is a critical infrastructure in Web3 as it creates interfaces between protocols, including MetaMask, allowing them to seamlessly connect to the Ethereum mainnet.