MetaMask has announced the launch of MetaMask Snaps in an open beta version. That is, users can test the development that has been made so far, give their feedback, and continue helping the product before it is widely made available for others. Snaps is a product that enables developers to join the ecosystem and fetch innovative features for its members. This allows them to integrate upcoming functionalities in a decentralized manner.
There was an urgent need for a platform on which independent developers could develop without requiring platform approval. This does not imply that the infrastructure will no longer be responsible for safeguarding users against vulnerabilities.
MetaMask has stated that it will maintain AllowList, a set of developers and their developed features that are safe to use. Strengthening this aspect is the fact that there have been several rounds of external and internal audits for MetaMask Snaps. While third-party auditors have carried out the external audit, the internal audit has been done by the team itself.
MetaMask has alternatively defined this as a journey to becoming a fully permissionless ecosystem, stating that the introduction of Snaps is a significant milestone that will aid the platform’s transition to a fully decentralized state. However, it’s important to note that AllowList, which MetaMask wallet maintains, does not take advantage of its centralized nature. The sole purpose is to protect users from any undesirable occurrence.
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There could be questions as to why the community should trust an independent developer when integrating their features. MetaMask has put such speculation to rest by clarifying in advance that their belief is in supporting a decentralized internet with scalability at its core. To reiterate, only those in the AllowList will be available for integration.
Before continuing with the interaction, MetaMask has advised users to search the MetaMask Snaps Directory.
Extension v11.0 and up are not yet available for Firefox. At the time this article was written, no tentative release date had been announced. However, it will be accessible on the browser in the coming days. The wallet is made modular by the efforts of independent developers. It enables users to personalize their Web3 experience and enhances Web3’s usability.
As for the developers independently contributing to the ecosystem, they refer to those contributors who don’t work at MetaMask. Hence, they are truly independent in every possible aspect. There is also no restriction on the number of developers who can join the community. Those who join will have access to more than 30 Snaps.
A total of three categories of Snaps are live at the moment. These are:-
- Interoperability
- Transaction Insight
- Notifications
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Snaps do have access to the data of users; however, it is recommended that they review the permissions being granted at the time of integrating the feature or functionality.
