Two of the most exciting subsectors in the larger crypto world are DEFI and NFTs. Everyone desires a piece of the growing cryptocurrency market. Despite the complexity of the blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrencies, there are some simple concepts that can guide your initial steps. A web3 wallet development is one of those.
A Web 3.0 Wallet: What Is It?
A Web 3 wallet is a mechanism for gaining access to the web3.0 economy, which is the most recent version of the web in which people have considerably more control over their data and privacy and may get value from it as opposed to allowing it to be collected by tech giants like Google or Facebook.
A web3.0 wallet is non-custodial because control and anonymity are so important. It implies that you can store digital assets safely without having to rely on a third party and that you can maintain your privacy and anonymity without having to go through onerous KYC/AML procedures.
On the other hand, it necessitates that you accept full responsibility for the custody of such assets through a mechanism known as a recovery Seed, which will be covered in detail in the next practical steps.
Since the interactions are too sophisticated for a small screen, web3.0 delivers a whole different user experience that is more in line with desktop programs than mobile. There are currently a lot of non-custodial crypto wallets available on the market.
Web3.0 wallets are the perfect entry point to a wide range of blockchain-based cryptocurrency applications, such as Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Gaming, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), that are best accessed and used via desktop browsers because processes frequently run in the background and share activity notifications with your browser. MetaMask is one of the most well-liked web3.0 wallets.
Presenting MetaMask
Although it primarily supports the Ethereum ecosystem, MetaMask is a non-custodial browser and mobile cryptocurrency wallet that may also be used to access other blockchains by configuring them inside the wallet.
Due to its non-custodial nature, it enables users to maintain their privacy while interacting with Ethereum-based applications. It enables users to carry out transactions to any Ethereum address by default and transmit and store coins that adhere to the ERC-20 standard.
All non-custodial wallets share a recovery Seed for security, which is how security is controlled. Individual private keys are saved locally in your browser’s data store.
Recently, MetaMask topped 21 million monthly active users, with yearly growth that was driven mostly by the development of NFTs and DEFI (x38 from 2020 to 2021). Since MetaMask is the market leader in the web3.0 wallet category, this growth is expected to continue.
The user-provided wallet offers:
A way to use tokens to pay for decentralized applications and enter the decentralized finance ecosystem (dApps)
- A mechanism for token staking in DeFi protocols
- A method for exchanging tokens on decentralized exchanges (DEXs)
- A location to keep NFTs
- A portal for web 3.0 applications
Using MetaMask: Getting Started
You can use MetaMask as a browser extension or plugin or as a mobile application. Anyone can install it on a PC like any add-on or download it to a mobile device. We’ll examine each in turn, dissecting the setup procedure & functionalities.
Look up “MetaMask” in the web store of Chrome or Firefox. Make careful to select the official version when you download the extension and activate it in Chrome; this will display more than 10 million users.
Additionally, you can use MetaMask with any open-source browser that is based on the Chromium code, which includes the Brave Browser.
Then, select “Get Started.” The majority of users will need to respond to the request to “Create a wallet.” You can import an existing wallet at this step if you already have an ERC20 wallet.
You’ll need to create a password, so make sure it’s secure and ideally unique. You can regularly access the wallet, thanks to the password.
The next stage in setting up your browser wallet is asking you to create a recovery Seed. The only option to get your money back if you lose access to your computer or Google/Firefox account is through this method. Your seed phrase needs to be offline stored and recorded. If it is written on paper, laminate it or put it in a water-resistant wallet. Avoid keeping it online.
Your wallet and account addresses
You now have an Account with an Ethereum address to receive and transfer Ethereum-based tokens after setting up your MetaMask wallet. Under “Account Details,” where you may also paste your address or scan a QR code from your phone, you can click the three dots to give your account a special name.
To receive tokens based on Ethereum, use those address data. You will receive a browser notification when they are received, and they will show up in the list of assets below, along with any associated transactions under the “Activity” tab.
If an ERC20-based token is not already supported automatically, it can be manually produced by utilizing the ‘Import Tokens’ option, which can be found further down the page.
Additionally, you can send money to any other Ethereum wallet by using the Send function. The “Activity” tab will display the transactions. After choosing the token, you want to send and click “Send,” enter the recipient’s address.
Keep in mind that transmitting tokens would require you to pay a gas fee. You’ll be given three options that vary in speed and price; choose the one that makes the most sense, given the urgency of the transaction.
Multiple accounts can be made, and you can access them by clicking the account symbol in the top right corner.
You can access the websites of dApps and DEFI protocols while your MetaMask wallet is open and join using your wallet while only sharing your Ethereum address. You’ll see an interface that enables you to approve transactions, and your wallet will have a list of all such connections.