Web3 World’s "Mini Programs": Exploring MetaMask Snaps

MetaMask Snaps is a project with great ideals. Stripped of its idealistic facade, it is actually more like a mini-program in the Web3 world, or it can be referred to as a dApplet.

For developers, especially those in China, this concept is not unfamiliar. In recent years, terms like "ecosystem building" and "super App" have frequently emerged, as large internet companies strive to create closed ecosystems to shift from service providers to standard setters. Now, this trend seems to be spreading to the Web3 space.

As of June 2024, despite Snaps having existed for almost a year and the concept being proposed at least 4 years ago, the average user still knows very little about it. Even cryptocurrency enthusiasts who use MetaMask every day may be completely unaware of MetaMask Snaps. However, when it is explained as "similar to mini-programs," developers often reveal a knowing smile.

This situation reminds one of the scenario when WeChat Mini Programs were first launched. Due to the unclear access to features, the initial usage was very low. It was only after relocating the access point to a dropdown position on the homepage that usage began to increase significantly. If MetaMask wants to build an ecosystem, how to attract users to enter the ecosystem may become an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

Since the birth of mini-programs, they have been controversial. Front-end engineers generally believe that they are merely a commercial tool for internet giants to monopolize traffic and block ecosystems, contributing little to technological development. It remains to be seen how much Snaps in Web3 can contribute to the community. Browsing the documents provided by MetaMask, it is not difficult to find that future Snap developers may face numerous restrictions.

Since the public beta of Snaps was launched by MetaMask, nearly a year has passed. However, the number of available Snaps listed on its official website is not many, with only a total of 68 as of June 2024. It is worth noting that the concept of Snaps was proposed by the official as early as around 2020, so Web3 companies and developers have actually had a considerable amount of time to understand it.

Currently, there haven't been any dedicated developers for Snaps, but there are quite a few mini-program developers in Web2. The general perception of mini-programs is that the development experience is poor. Although mini-program development uses the front-end ecosystem, it is a stripped-down version, and vendors restrict what developers can do for various reasons. The technical capabilities and documentation quality of different vendors vary greatly, leading developers to have to navigate various strange pitfalls before they can be considered "experienced."

In the Web3 space, considering factors such as security, Snaps is likely to face similar situations. It operates in an isolated security context, using "secure ECMAScript," which effectively imposes some restrictions on the JavaScript API, such as not being able to access the DOM, Node.js, browser plugin APIs, etc.

Due to security considerations, a basic Snaps has limited functionality. Most features require obtaining the corresponding permissions first, so Snaps need to request relevant permissions from the user during installation. The available permissions include lifecycle, transaction, signature, CRON, etc.

Compared to the thriving Web3 ecosystem, the number of available Snaps is relatively small, and MetaMask categorizes them into several types.

Snaps type

According to the classification on the MetaMask official website, Snaps are roughly divided into 4 types:

Account Management

This type of Snaps mainly enhances the security of private keys through MPC technology. Compared to traditional methods of storing private keys, MPC technology can automatically split the private key into multiple parts, which are stored in different locations, and only recombined when a transaction signature is needed, while the complete private key is never generated throughout the process, maximizing the protection of the private key's security.

Currently, there are only 3 account management Snaps: Capsule, Silent Shard, and Safeheron. They employ different methods to achieve secure management of private keys.

Interoperability

This type of Snaps primarily provides compatibility with non-EVM networks, including Solana, Cosmos, Near, Sui, etc. Currently, this type of Snaps is the most numerous, accounting for more than half of the entire ecosystem.

Notifications and Chat

Although this type of Snaps has its characteristics, there are still few users willing to send messages through the blockchain among the many current communication applications.

Security

The demand for security-related Snaps is quite high, especially in situations where MetaMask's warnings about phishing transactions are insufficient. These types of Snaps can provide users with richer transaction information and analysis, helping to avoid asset loss. Currently, security-related Snaps account for about 20% of the total.

MetaMask Snaps provides relevant permissions that allow Snaps to read the raw data when a user initiates a transaction or signature, analyze it, and present a more detailed security explanation to the user.

Future Outlook

MetaMask is trying to expand its domain to other chain platforms through Snaps, but how far it can ultimately go remains uncertain. Referring to the experience of mini-programs in the Web2 field, the rudimentary versions of mini-programs often struggle to compete with native apps, and the follow-up of new features is often lagging.

If Snaps develops well, more wallets may follow suit. In this case, Web3 developers may need to develop corresponding versions of "Snaps" for each wallet, which will undoubtedly increase development difficulty. However, if all manufacturers create their own "Snaps" ecosystems, it may lead to a lack of truly unique ecosystems.

In the future, various "Snaps-like" platforms may emerge, with significant differences between them, requiring developers to expend considerable effort to adapt to each platform. Ultimately, a Snaps Standard may arise, along with various "SIPs" for community discussion, forming a thriving ecosystem.

Nevertheless, MetaMask Snaps is ultimately a product built by a group of passionate developers aimed at solving real problems, rather than a financial scam. For most users of MetaMask, Snaps may not yet be an essential feature, and MetaMask still needs to do more work in terms of promotion.