Self-custodial crypto wallet MetaMask will now let users choose which of their accounts will connect with decentralized applications.
In a March 14 blog post, MetaMask introduced a wallet upgrade that separates the various accounts linked to individual users.
Previously, all accounts tied to a user would be automatically linked together when they connected to applications on-chain. The upgrade allows users the option to separate their accounts with the ability to maintain them in different browser tabs.
“By organizing your MetaMask accounts, you have better control over their usage. For example, you may want to use Account 1 as your “public facing” account associated with your ENS, while using Account 2 for your DeFi degen activities that you want to keep private,” explained MetaMask.
The Ethereum-based wallet service has also made changes to its browser extension, which limits the amount of user data sent to the third-party services required to run it.
During the onboarding process, users will be prompted to confirm the first three words of their Secret Recovery Phase and choose their own Remote Procedure Call (RPC) provider instead of the default option Infura.
Users can also choose to disable certain features that send requests to third-party APIs through the platform’s “Advanced configuration” settings, which will give them more control over their data.
This particular upgrade is likely to be welcomed by decentralization and privacy advocates, who were heavily critical of MetaMask in November. At the time, MetaMask’s parent company ConsenSys notified users that it stores IP address and wallet information when users send transactions using Infura on MetaMask.
Amid the chaos that ensued over the weekend, following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the shutdown of crypto-friendly Signature Bank, swap volumes on MetaMask surged to an all-time high as per data from The Block.
“People were betting, they were freaking out that some of their stablecoins were going to drop. DAI even dropped because most of its backing is on USDC now,” explained MetaMask group manager Dan Finlay in an episode of The Scoop podcast.
Finlay revealed that MetaMask made $1.5 million in fees after the surge in swap volume.