MetaMask Snaps is just one small step forward

Hi frens,

MetaMask is the first crypto wallet that most people have heard. I’ve always wondering why it is the case. The company ConsenSys behind MetaMask was founded by Joseph Lubin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum. Probably that’s why.

While Ethereum has been developing as open source software, MetaMask stepped back, ceased to “open” but just “make public” the source code. In other words, it’s no longer a community product but a commercial product. And it does print.

So, what is MetaMask Snaps? It’s “the first step to pioneering a permissionless future.” Simply put, it’s a wallet extension platform on MetaMask, and only for MetaMask. It may look like browser extension in the first place, but you probably couldn’t expect Snaps to be compatible with other wallets. It’s not like Chrome extensions work across all Chromium (open source version of Chrome) based browsers, ex. Brave, Vivaldi, Sidekick, Arc, etc.

Snaps greatly benefit MetaMask. Users can install complementary extensions to enhance their overall experience, such as Wallet Guard or any wallet extension for various blockchains. Boom! MetaMask becomes a multi-chain wallets.

What’s the impression for users? MetaMask anywhere. I installed Tezos Wallet extension, developed by the team behind AirGap. What wallet should I look for on Tezos NFT marketplaces? MetaMask. Now with 30 million monthly active users.

I wouldn’t called it “decentralized” or “democratize” for such single-branded experience. We had IBM PC, Windows and Internet Explorer dominated the market. Monopoly may benefit users and developers in some ways, but it often blocks other innovations or becomes anti-competitive in the end.

That's one giant leap for MetaMask, but just one small step for the decentralized web3.

Your friend,

Denken

P.S. My simple translation pull request has been pending for over eight months. It probably never gets merged because they’re too busy developing Snaps.

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