The head of MetaMask product talks about future plans in detail: possible expansion of non-EVM

Author: Decrypt; Compiler: GaryMa Wu said blockchain

Reporter Interview: Liam J. Kelly, Decrypt News Editor

Interviewee: Alex Jupiter, Head of Product at MetaMask

**Q: In addition to mentioning L2 at the EtherCC conference, another important topic is "account abstraction" to make cryptocurrency wallets smarter. At present, many competitors have poured into the field of encrypted wallets, hoping to gain more market share from MetaMask. Some have been criticizing MetaMask, arguing that it lacks innovation and should strive to surpass its current capabilities in order to capture more market share. How do you respond to these critics' point that MetaMask has room for improvement? **

A: We are always working on improving MetaMask. Our vision is far from complete and we have a very dedicated team working tirelessly every day to perfect this wallet. Competition is a driving force for us to keep improving account abstraction. Ethereum has two types of accounts:

● EOA, all external accounts, MetaMask is based on this type, which signs transactions through private keys. If you lose your private key, you will lose access to all assets;

● Smart contract wallets, which have been around for quite a long time.

Now, with innovations like Gnosis Safe, even more advanced features are possible. These wallets are considered smarter as they offer features such as multisig solutions and social recovery. However, we cannot overlook the benefits that EOA brings, such as full non-custodial control and user-friendliness, just remember the keys. It also ensures high scalability. Nonetheless, we are actively exploring new solutions, as we understand that as Ethereum evolves, MetaMask must evolve accordingly. With a large user base, introducing more than 30 million people to a new technology will naturally take more time than a startup with only a few users.

**Q: Tell me about the challenges of introducing new features (such as smart wallets) to MetaMask? Is there something that has to be changed to introduce eips for ethereum to change the underlying technology? **

A: At present, ERC-4337 is widely concerned by the Ethereum community. As a wallet solution, it is still very attractive, and it does not take a long time to advance. We're excited about building a stronger ecosystem around it, but it's still a bit immature and it's not ready for 30 million users. Nonetheless, we have decided to work with these teams and move forward with the development of the wallet.

**Q: I think this conversation will also touch on an argument that account abstraction is necessarily the way to go, but maybe it will co-exist with Externally Owned Accounts (EOA) the way they currently exist. Everyone out there seemed to be very optimistic about the smart wallet trend, but do you think it has a sustainable future? Do you think this is really the future of cryptocurrency wallets? **

A: Time will gradually reveal the development direction of MetaMask, but our goal is to promote various innovations in the industry. Our positioning for MetaMask is very clear, we want to open up the functionality of the wallet to expand its possibilities. We are introducing a new set of APIs called MetaMask Snaps that allow developers to extend wallet functionality in any way. For example, if they have an idea to enhance security by using advanced cryptography such as multi-party computation or threshold signatures, they can create a Snap and attach it to MetaMask to enable such functionality.

Likewise, for those working on account abstraction solutions, they can develop a Snap and attach it to MetaMask to extend its functionality. We have our own internal ideas, but we also want to make MetaMask flexible and adaptable to future technological developments. Our goal is to be agile so that developers can create their own version of MetaMask, and we hope that working together we can build the best user experience possible.

**Q: Can it be read like this: People want to make small changes that can add this Snap module, essentially tweaking the way it works? **

A: They don't have to be small changes. These changes can be huge. For example, we recently rolled out a new user interface to support the use of MetaMask on multiple blockchains. With MetaMask Snaps, we can gradually add new accounts while also introducing a new user interface. Transaction analysis is still the core function of the wallet, but as MetaMask gradually supports more platforms, it may change significantly in the next few years. Depending on which Snaps the developer chooses to integrate, the wallet may look different from its current state.

**Q: I remember you mentioned that MetaMask has an impressive 30 million users. How do you plan to continue to grow the number of users? Have you considered launching a token or implementing fancier measures to achieve this? Is growing your user base a metric you monitor closely on a daily basis? Or, is your main focus on improving the quality of the user experience? **

A: We are of course focused on maintaining and improving the quality of our services. While we have impressive figures such as 30 million monthly active users and 100 million users last year, we also recognize that these numbers are subject to market and wider ecosystem impacts and may fluctuate. Therefore, our main focus remains to provide the best possible wallet experience.

We have observed in the past that new innovations like NFTs can lead to a surge in usage, and we want to be at the center of these trends. As a secure and non-custodial wallet, we take security very seriously, so we choose our partners very carefully. Because once we release a wrong or not good enough function, it may have serious consequences and damage the wallet's reputation and user experience. Therefore, we take great care and attention to every development, ensuring that we deliver the best possible product.

**Q: So you're not moving fast and trial and error, when in fact it's the opposite? **

A: Yes, when building a Web3 project such as a wallet, it is never in line with the philosophy of Web3 to move quickly and trial and error. And I think our users don't want that either, because they trust us.

**Q: The surge in MetaMask usage and downloads is undoubtedly beneficial, and it seems that Layer 2 solutions may be the next potential trend, which can further promote the adoption of cryptocurrencies and attract more users to download MetaMask. So, what do you think about the development and plans of the Layer 2 trend for MetaMask? **

A: L2 solutions are undoubtedly here to stay. Its viability may have been debated for some time in the past, but the recent growth and adoption of projects like Polygon is a clear sign that people crave the security of Ethereum while also wanting faster and more cost-effective trade. L2 is meeting this need. I personally think that this view is also supported by a lot of evidence, because the new wave of cryptocurrency users will likely choose L2 instead of the Ethereum mainnet because it is faster and cheaper.

MetaMask is committed to supporting every EVM-compatible blockchain, with the potential to expand to non-EVM chains, which will further drive growth and adoption in different markets. However, we are firmly determined to maintain high quality standards throughout our expansion to ensure that everything we do is of high quality.

**Q: Whether MetaMask issues Token has become a hot topic in the Twitter community, can we have a chat? **

A: In fact, the actual utility of launching Token is very limited for us at present. I don't have any announcements to make at the moment, and while I understand your audience may be interested in Token, I can confirm that there are currently no plans to make such an announcement