So, Microsoft plans to release a crypto wallet feature on the Edge browser. In detail, the information was first revealed by a European software researcher from central Europe that goes by Albacore (Pseudonym) on Twitter.
As soon as he spotted the new Microsoft Edge Crypto Wallet, he tweeted some screenshots from the beta build of the browser. However, he questioned the whole ordeal, expressing his blatant puzzlement on whether the new feature will actually get to roll out or not…
It’s worth noting Back in December 2018, the popular web browser Opera added a built-in wallet. So, this is not an unexpected move…
Newest in the gauntlet of questionable upcoming Microsoft Edge features, a crypto wallet 💸
Not really sure how to feel about this kind of thing being baked into the default browser, what are your thoughts?
More screenshots of the UI in the next tweet ➡️ pic.twitter.com/GAUPiZGLIY— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) March 17, 2023
Microsoft Crypto Wallet
Note that this feature is still only available to Microsoft Edge Dev Channel users as part of a very limited test phase. It might not even live to see the light of day…
According to Microsoft: “This (Microsoft Crypto Wallet) is a non-custodial wallet, meaning you are in complete control of your funds. We will not have access to your password and recovery key. It is embedded in Edge, making it easy to use without installing any extension.”
And that’s some good news. Why? With the increased scams and fraud in the industry, having a “trustworthy” built-in option that doesn’t require the installation of sketchy third-party extensions is always an added bonus!
Moreover, Microsoft warns the testers that this is a confidential project. So, no tester should exploit their knowledge and share details with the general public.
The tech giant cautions that in the event of “loss of funds” from the Microsoft crypto wallet, it will be responsible for reimbursing any loss!
Released UI Screenshots:
Features of Microsoft Crypto Wallet:
- Embedded in Edge, so it is easy to use without installing any extension.
- Ability to handle multiple types of cryptocurrency.
- Supports multiple Ethereum accounts
- Records transactions.
- Keeps up with currency fluctuations.
- Microsoft crypto wallet can connect to decentralized apps (dApps).
- Offers an “explore” tab to view relevant news about cryptocurrency.
- It has an “assets” tab that will let you view your NFTs.
What are people saying?
One user sarcastically tweeted out that no one uses Microsoft Edge in this day and age. However, a lot of people do in fact still use this Microsoft browser as shown in the graph below by Statista.
Note that It’s only counting usage in the US region:
So, this new Microsoft crypto wallet feature will surely onboard a lot of newbies to the Web3 world. And that is a good thing. But, will this increase scams? Most definitely. But some risks are worth taking…
On the other hand, one user pointed out something else:
Is Microsoft digging its own grave by rolling out a crypto feature? I think this might be an over-exaggeration, but we appreciate the thought process…
As always stay tuned for everything Web3!