Crypto wallet prototype discovered in Microsoft Edge browser

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Microsoft might not be the first name that comes to mind when it comes to blockchain. Still, the company experimented with the technology for many years.

According to screenshots shared on Twitter by Albacore, a pseudonymous software researcher from Central Europe, Microsoft has added code that would integrate a non-custodial crypto wallet into the company’s default Edge browser.

Newest in the gauntlet of dodgy Microsoft Edge features coming soon, a crypto wallet 💸 Not sure what you guys think about this kind of thing built into the default browser, what do you guys think? More UI screenshots in the next tweet ➡️ pic. twitter.com/GAUPiZGLIY

— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) March 17, 2023

Screenshots shared by Albacore depict a user interface for a cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized app explorer, newsfeed, and the ability to buy cryptocurrency through Coinbase and MoonPay. The improvement is “already built in” to recent versions of the Microsoft Edge browser, but it’s hidden away and not available to users.

Albacore warns that Microsoft is building and testing a lot of stuff that never sees the light of day.

“[The] The Edge team are the kings of throwing everything imaginable against the wall and seeing if it sticks,” the researcher said. “The list of outdated gimmick features they’ve tried and ultimately removed is quite long.”

Even so, Albacore claims that the Edge wallet works fine.

“Given that I was able to use it very well, I imagine a deployment isn’t out of the question,” Albacore told Decrypt. “[I] Hopefully if this is a small trial they won’t bother to deploy the services in production.

Microsoft’s first web browser, Internet Explorer, was launched in 1995, the same year as the Opera browser. But while Microsoft ditched Internet Explorer last year in favor of Edge, Opera has created different iterations of its browser and integrated a crypto wallet and login for dapps into its Opera Crypto browser.

Albacore believes Microsoft’s foray into crypto wallets could be an attempt to offer similar products to Opera’s closest rival, Brave Browser, the privacy-focused browser that also provides Web3 functionality.

“I think they could assess whether more elements of the Brave feature set is something that part of the user base would appreciate,” Albacore said.

Brave added support for the Solana blockchain in its desktop browser in May. Earlier this month, Brave expanded the functionality of its self-custody wallet, allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies without having to leave the built-in Brave Wallet.

Beyond its own blockchain designs, Microsoft has also worked with others to get started in this emerging industry, including conducting a $20 million strategy round in Space and Time, a web3 data warehouse, in September. .

Microsoft would not confirm any aspect of the development of its Edge crypto wallet.

“At Microsoft, we regularly test new features to explore new experiences for our customers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Decrypt in an email response. “We’re looking forward to learning and getting feedback from customers, but we don’t have anything else to share at this time.”

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