Microsoft Reportedly Testing Edge Browser Web3 Wallet Integration

According to reports, Microsoft is working to incorporate a Web3 wallet that is compatible with crypto and nonfungible tokens (NFT) into its Edge web browser.

Software documenter and sporadic information leaker Albacore published a series of alleged Edge user interface (UI) photos depicting the early phases of the company’s new Web3 wallet in a thread on Twitter on March 17.

Albacore expressed pessimism, saying, “A crypto wallet is not really sure how to feel about this kind of thing being baked into the default browser. This is the latest in the gauntlet of questionable forthcoming Microsoft Edge features.

The first image is of the Edge wallet’s introduction page, on which Microsoft appears to have written: “We urge you to test our first Web3 wallet and provide candid feedback along the way.”

If confirmed, it would appear that the wallet would not be held in custody and that Microsoft would not have access to user passwords or recovery keys. It would also indicate that the wallet would be “integrated in Edge” rather than being a standalone browser extension.

The accompanying graphics demonstrate the capacity to send, swap, and acquire cryptocurrency assets, with Web3 infrastructure company MoonPay and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase being shown as integrated “platforms that allow you purchase and deposit cryptocurrency to your wallet.”

Browse various marketplaces to locate your first NFT; as you assemble your collection, we’ll arrange them here, according to the UI’s description of NFTs.

Microsoft may take this action as part of a recent push to considerably expand Edge’s offers and functionalities. Edge has traditionally lagged behind rivals like Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari in terms of popularity.