Metamask, a major player in the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem and the most widely used wallet on this blockchain, is planning to cross one of the biggest tribal divides in crypto-currencies by adding support for Bitcoin (BTC). Two people with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed these plans. One mentioned that access could be in the MetaMask wallet by next month. Another said that the exact functionality for Bitcoin was not yet definitive, but that the features could be limited at first and gradually extended.
MetaMask's Ethereum wallet is a gateway for more than 30 million monthly active users to the Web 3 world of decentralised applications and non-fungible tokens (NFT). Since its inception almost a decade ago, Ethereum has extended the capabilities of a blockchain beyond what Bitcoin had pioneered, notably with support for smart contracts, i.e. software built on top of the blockchain.
MetaMask helps users to navigate this environment based on smart contracts. Since last year, similar features have been added to Bitcoin, including NFT-like features such as Ordinals and Runes, which have enabled the creation of meme coins on Bitcoin. It is not yet clear whether MetaMask support will make it easier for users to navigate these Bitcoin enhancements.
Built by Consensys, an Ethereum-focused research and development firm run by Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin, MetaMask does not currently directly integrate with Bitcoin. However, it is using an Ethereum-compatible ERC-20 token, known as Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), to bridge the gap between Bitcoin and Ethereum's decentralised applications.
A MetaMask spokesperson said in an email, "We are excited about MetaMask's commitment to embracing the multi-chain world of web 3 and continually exploring new integrated features to improve the usability and security of the leading self-directed wallet. While we cannot confirm any timelines for specific developments at this stage, we are always working on innovations to better serve our users. Stay tuned for further updates when we are ready to share more information."
