A mobile version for MetaMask, the Chrome browser extension for accessing DApps, was revealed at the Developer Conference (Devcon) held from October 30 to November 2 in Prague.
Speaking on the release of the new mobile app, CEO of ConsenSys Joseph Lubin wrote on his twitter handle:
“Everyone’s favorite Ethereum browser extension is coming to your phone. The team is focusing on not being just a wallet but a portal to the world of all things blockchain.”
The MetaMask Plug-in, which is available on popular browsers such as Firefox, Opera, and Brave, is also one of the most-downloaded extensions in Google Chrome’s Web Store. The number of active users reported by the Google apps store as of October 2018 stood at 1,053,391.
MetaMask serves as a non-custodial wallet that gives users full control over their funds and the safety of their private keys. Over the years, MetaMask users have come to rely on MetaMask as their sole Ethereum and token wallet, but its unavailability over mobile, meant users were limited to running Ethereum DApps through their web browsers.
The current plugin handles DApp requests as well as the transfer of Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens using a simple interface. It is also capable of disabling phishing scams through the detection of compromised services that illegally acquires private keys.
In a bid to stop account addresses from being exposed to websites, MetaMask also announced privacy improvements for its desktop extensions.
On October 30 when Devcon 4 commenced, Fabian Vogelsteller, Co-author of the ERC-20 token standard and developer of Mist, proposed a new model, which he claims would reduce the vulnerability of investors in falling victims to unscrupulous ICOs’. The fundraising model which he termed ‘reversible ICO’ will permit investors to return their tokens and get reimbursed.
The conference also witnessed the unveiling of a roadmap for what was described as the “coherent whole’ Ethereum 2.0 by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. In his keynote presentation on October 30 at the conference, the project which Buterin dubbed ‘Serenity’ was summarized as “a combination of a bunch of different features” that had been in the discourse “for several years” through intensive research. The synergy of different observations over the years “is finally about to come together in one cohesive whole,” according to Buterin.
Buterin, however, evaded giving any affirmation on the anticipated time of release. When he was asked, he shied away, saying “really not so far away.”