Microsoft’s Edge browser will soon include a built-in wallet for crypto and NFTs. A pseudonymous insider named “Albacore” leaked screenshots showing this new functionality last week on Twitter. Since then, the tech giant has not made an official comment, but it does seem like the $2T company will be entering Web3 soon in a major way. Why is Microsoft adding a crypto and NFT wallet to Microsoft Edge?
Image Credit: Techarp.com
Why is Microsoft adding a crypto and NFT wallet to Microsoft Edge?
By building a crypto wallet into the Edge browser, Microsoft will simplify the Web3 experience for its customers. Customers’ crypto funds will be held in the existing interface for stored credit cards. As a result, users will not need to rely on 3rd party applications such as MetaMask or Coinbase Wallet. By taking out this extra step, this move should improve the onboarding process for non-crypto native people to start using cryptocurrencies.
The screenshots also include a warning that the wallet is non-custodial. This feature means that users have full control of their crypto. Microsoft will not have access to private keys or the ability to freeze funds. This is an important detail as the “freedom to transact” is a foundational part of the crypto ethos, and anything short of that would feel like a half-measure.
What features will the Microsoft Edge crypto and NFT wallet offer?
The screenshots leaked on Twitter showed an impressive user interface for Edge crypto users. The landing page gives an overview of crypto holdings with an aesthetically-pleasing graph of the wallet’s portfolio balance over time. Another tab opens a page for transactions, allowing the user to send various cryptocurrencies as well as see a history of completed transactions. There’s also a page for Web3-centric headlines with links to popular crypto blogs and breaking news items.
Most interestingly, there’s a page dedicated to NFTs. It looks like an aggregator of multiple NFT marketplaces, similar to popular trading sites Gem, Genie, or Blur. In bold lettering, the user is greeted with a message saying, “Browse different marketplaces to find your first NFT. As you build your collection of NFTs, we’ll organize them here.” It appears that Microsoft will allow buyers to purchase NFTs from multiple sources, and then give them a smooth, intuitive gallery view to arrange them.
Image Credit: Albacore
There was one mysterious tab that we didn’t get a screenshot for, however– Connections. Could this tab indicate some kind of social network that lives on top of the Microsoft Edge crypto interface? Or maybe the ability to follow different interesting NFT collections? It could even be something as simple as a list of saved contacts, wallet addresses, or frequent transaction counterparties. Either way, we should find out soon.
Why is the Microsoft Edge crypto and NFT wallet important?
By incorporating crypto and NFTs into one of their flagship products, Microsoft is giving 232m Microsoft Edge users an easy way to start a wallet and start transacting with Web3. This implementation will be just another important step in helping to foster mainstream adoption of both crypto and NFTs.
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