MetaMask, long the default gateway to Ethereum with its browser extension that made "connect wallet" second nature for millions, is now expanding its reach across blockchains. In late May, MetaMask activated native Solana support, enabling its 30 million monthly active users to manage SOL and SPL tokens without needing separate Solana-focused wallets like Phantom. Bitcoin support is slated for the 2025 roadmap, initially targeted for the third quarter but not yet delivered. If implemented, MetaMask would become the first major wallet to natively support Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin, unifying ecosystems that historically required distinct apps, seed phrases, and user mental models.
The timing is strategic: Artemis data from June revealed that Solana's monthly active addresses matched those of all other layer-1 and layer-2 networks combined, signaling its shift from an "Ethereum alternative" to a hub for real user activity. This left MetaMask, with the largest distribution, missing the chain with peak engagement. Meanwhile, Phantom, the Solana-native incumbent with 15 million monthly active users and $25 billion in user assets, had already added Ethereum and Bitcoin support in 2024, highlighting that multichain wallets are no longer a future concept but a present reality.
MetaMask's approach goes beyond feature parity, offering a unified portfolio view across Ethereum and Solana, with built-in swaps and bridges. Users can import existing Solana wallets using the same Secret Recovery Phrase that controls their Ethereum keys, streamlining multi-app management into a single session. When Bitcoin support arrives, it will close the loop: one recovery phrase and interface for three different consensus mechanisms and cryptographic schemes. While the convenience is evident, security risks are amplified—a single compromised backup could expose all chains simultaneously. Consensys has issued security guidance, but the trade-off between ease of use and potential blast radius remains, underscored by a recent extension bug that caused excessive SSD writes on some Chromium setups, though a fix was deployed.
Account abstraction plays a key role in this rollout, with Consensys pairing it with its Delegation Toolkit and the upcoming EIP-7702 standard in Ethereum's Pectra upgrade. These tools enable gas sponsorship, transaction batching, and session-style permissions, paving the way for "invisible wallets" where users interact with dApps without considering keys, gas, or chain IDs. However, EIP-7702 also introduces phishing risks, as malicious dApps could request broad permissions, placing the onus on MetaMask's security alerts to distinguish legitimate requests from scams.
Regulatory challenges loom, with the SEC suing Consensys in June 2024 over MetaMask Swaps and staking features allegedly generating over $250 million in fees without proper broker registration. Consensys is contesting jurisdiction, but the case adds uncertainty to product expansions. In contrast, competitors like OKX Wallet support 100+ chains with smart account features, and Coinbase Smart Wallet focuses on passwordless flows, targeting users unaware they're using a wallet. MetaMask's multichain push is as much about survival as ambition, as wallet interfaces become the new homepage, directing user flow. If Bitcoin integration ships by year-end, 2026 could see a single interface treating Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin as tabs in one browser, reframing the competitive landscape from chain dominance to wallet defaults.
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