MetaMask, the most widely used Ethereum wallet in the crypto industry, boasts tens of millions of active users. Recently, the NuFi team announced support for the Cardano Wallet in MetaMask, simplifying access to the Cardano ecosystem for millions of new users.
How to get Cardano to the Ethereum Wallet?
The NuFi team has integrated Cardano support into MetaMask Wallet using MetaMask Snap. Snaps are third-party features that users can install to enhance MetaMask’s functionality. The Cardano Wallet Snap, developed by NuFi, enables users to derive Cardano keys and sign transactions directly within MetaMask.
Cardano keys are generated from the MetaMask seed phrase, meaning the security and recovery of Cardano assets depend on the MetaMask Wallet’s seed phrase security. When signing a transaction, a MetaMask popup is triggered, requiring user confirmation within the wallet.
Once users add the Cardano Wallet Snap to MetaMask, they gain a Cardano wallet with a Cardano blockchain address. This allows them to transfer ADA coins to their wallet and start engaging with Cardano dApps.
Using the Cardano Wallet Snap is straightforward. Simply visit your preferred Cardano dApp and click the ‘Connect’ button to link your Cardano wallet. MetaMask can be one of the options for this connection.
The Cardano Wallet Snap will be available starting with MetaMask version 12.0.0, which is set to be officially released in mid-August. If you want to try it out now, you’ll need to manually install MetaMask version 12.0.0 by switching to developer mode in the Manage Extensions section.
The Cardano Wallet Snap operates via the NuFi widget, which acts as a bridge between Cardano dApps and MetaMask. The NuFi widget is a kind of backend for the Cardano Wallet Snap.
When a user initiates a Cardano transaction, it first needs approval in the Cardano Wallet Snap, which interacts with the NuFi widget. After approval in the widget, the transaction must be confirmed in the MetaMask interface. Once confirmed in MetaMask, the transaction is submitted to the Cardano network by the widget.
Cardano Wallet in MetaMask
If the Cardano dApp supports MetaMask, it will appear in the list of supported wallets.
For first-time use of the Cardano Wallet Snap, you’ll need to add the extension to MetaMask before proceeding. If you have Metamask version 11.x.x, you will be prompted to upgrade to version 12.0.0 as described above.
Just confirm the installation of Cardano Wallet Snap and in a moment the Cardano wallet will be available. It takes a few seconds.
Cardano Wallet Snap allows you to buy ADA via credit card or exchange assets for ADA.
You can send ADA or other assets from another Cardano wallet or an exchange to Cardano Wallet Snap.
The connected wallet allows you to interact with the Cardano dApp. At the time of writing it is possible to test it with ViFi.
The Cardano Wallet Snap enables you to open a NuFi wallet, enhancing your interaction with the Cardano ecosystem. You can find the ‘Open NuFi’ option at the top left of the Cardano Wallet Snap. With a NuFi wallet, you can stake ADA or send Cardano assets to another Cardano address. Cardano Wallet Snap can be seen as a gateway to the NuFi wallet that you will probably need for more advanced operations.
Conclusion
It’s worth noting that this project was funded by Catalyst. It’s encouraging to see projects that enhance integration with other ecosystems. Today, MetaMask serves as a gateway to numerous ecosystems, extending beyond just the Ethereum blockchain.
MetaMask doesn’t natively understand the Cardano ecosystem and can’t interact with it as Cardano wallets can. The Cardano Wallet Snap acts as a bridge between MetaMask and Cardano dApps. It derives Cardano keys from MetaMask’s seed phrase, constructs Cardano transactions, and allows them to be signed within MetaMask.