Table of Contents
A cryptocurrency wallet has been discovered within Microsoft's Edge Browser, revealing that the computer giant is testing the technology.
Software researcher Albacore shared screenshots of the secret non-custodial crypto wallet on Twitter.
Various functions including an entire user interface for the wallet, a decentralized application explorer, a news feed and even the ability to buy crypto are seen in the screenshots.
On one page, testers for the wallet are told that they will be using their own funds for the "confidential project" in which "no details should be shared externally."
In the onboarding process, Microsoft states: "This is a non-custodial wallet, meaning you are in complete control of your funds. We will not have access to your password and recovery key. It is embedded in Edge, making it easy to use without installing any extension."
Newest in the gauntlet of questionable upcoming Microsoft Edge features, a crypto wallet 💸
— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) March 17, 2023
Not really sure how to feel about this kind of thing being baked into the default browser, what are your thoughts?
More screenshots of the UI in the next tweet ➡️ pic.twitter.com/GAUPiZGLIY
NFT access is another feature shown in the screenshots. "Browse different marketplaces to find your first NFT, as you build your collection of NFTs, we’ll organize them here," the page states.
Microsoft has not officially announced the wallet.
Other browsers including Opera and Brave have built in crypto wallets. The latter has over 8 million users actively earning rewards through the form of its token BAT.
Unclear Crypto Windows
In February, Microsoft announced it was abandoning its industrial metaverse group just four months after its initiation, laying off 100 staff members in the process.
Read more: Microsoft to Shut Down Industrial Metaverse Arm, Cuts Jobs
The Industrial Metaverse Core group was a division of the computer giant established to bring offer metaverse solutions for industrial environments. Potential clients included health care, retail financial services and energy.
Microsoft cited prioritizing short-term projects.
Nonetheless, Microsoft said it still remains "committed to the industrial metaverse."
On 23 January 2023, the company disclosed a “multi-year, multibillion-dollar investment” in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Microsoft further announced that Chatgpt will be included in its flagship search engine Bing and web browser Edge.
Microsoft's interest in the metaverse led BlackRock to dedicate 2.9% of its metaverse ETF portfolio to it.
The world of Web3 can be quite a whirlwind. Whether it’s crypto news in Singapore, South East Asia or even across the globe, we understand how busy the industry is keeping you, so we kindly send out three newsletters each week:
- BlockBeat for a wrap-up of the week’s digital assets news
- Blockhead Brief for weekend happenings as well as what to look forward to in the week ahead
- Business Bulletin for macroeconomic updates and industry developments.
To avoid FOMO and access member-only features, click here to subscribe for FREE.
