Consensys Software Inc. announced on Wednesday that it will split its consumer and institutional businesses into two independently operated companies by the end of 2026. The existing company will be rebranded as MetaMask, focusing entirely on the consumer platform, while a newly formed Consensys will house Ethereum protocol work and institutional blockchain infrastructure, including the Linea layer-2 network.
MetaMask will be led by Joe Lubin as chairman and CEO. The new Consensys will be run by CEO Mike Kriak and President David Cunningham, with Lubin serving as executive chairman. Lubin said the separation recognizes that consumer finance deserves the same focus and ambition that the company brought to building Ethereum itself.
MetaMask reports more than 100 million downloads across roughly 190 countries and trillions of dollars in cumulative transaction volume. The wallet has expanded beyond Ethereum: it added Solana support and later Bitcoin support in December, enabling users to manage BTC alongside assets on Ethereum and other networks. In June, MetaMask launched its Money Account feature, combining stablecoin yield, payments, and trading in one balance. The company also launched the mUSD stablecoin on Ethereum and Linea in 2025, with plans to use it for payments through the MetaMask debit card.
The newly formed Consensys will continue developing Linea, the Besu Ethereum execution client, and the Teku Ethereum consensus client, with a focus on blockchain infrastructure for banks, asset managers, payment providers, and other financial institutions. User applications, assets, and access on MetaMask are expected to remain unchanged during the transition.
