Web3 Mini Programs? Analyzing MetaMask Snaps

MetaMask Snaps is a visionary project. Stripped of its idealistic exterior, we can view it as a mini-program in the Web3 world, or more fashionably referred to as a dApplet.

For developers, especially domestic developers, this concept should be quite familiar. In recent years, terms like "ecosystem creation" and "super App" have frequently emerged, as large tech companies attempt to make the internet environment more closed-off, in order to shift from service providers to standard setters.

Now, this trend seems to have started to spread into the Web3 space.

Although Snaps has been around for nearly a year, the concept was proposed at least four years ago, yet ordinary users still know very little about it. Even cryptocurrency enthusiasts who use MetaMask every day may be completely unaware of MetaMask Snaps. However, when explained as "similar to mini-programs," developer friends usually show a knowing smile.

This situation reminds me of the circumstances when WeChat Mini Programs were first launched. Due to the unclear entry points for functions, the usage was initially very low. It wasn't until the entry point was moved to the dropdown position on the homepage that usage began to increase significantly. If MetaMask wants to build an ecosystem, how to attract users into the ecosystem may become an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

Since the birth of mini-programs, they have been a topic of continuous controversy in the internet industry. Front-end engineers generally believe that they are merely commercial tools for large companies to monopolize traffic and block ecosystems, contributing little to technological development. How much value can Web3's Snaps bring to the community? Browsing the documentation provided by MetaMask, it increasingly feels that future Snap developers may face numerous restrictions.

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

Currently, there are no dedicated developers for Snaps, but there are quite a few mini-program developers in Web2. Their general view on 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 various restrictions lead developers to encounter many strange pitfalls before they can gain experience.

In the Web3 space, for security and other considerations, Snaps may face similar situations. It runs in an isolated security context, using "Secure ECMAScript", which effectively imposes some restrictions on JavaScript APIs, such as preventing access to 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 permissions from the user during installation. Available permissions include lifecycle, transactions, signatures, CRON, etc.

Compared to the thriving Web3 ecosystem, the number of available Snaps is quite limited. MetaMask categorizes them into several types.

Snaps type

MetaMask's official website categorizes Snaps into 4 types:

Account Management

This type of Snaps mainly enhances the security of private keys through MPC technology.

MPC technology can automatically split the private key into multiple parts, which are stored separately, and only recombined when a transaction signature is needed, never generating the complete private key throughout the process, maximizing the protection of private key security.

Currently, there are only 3 account management Snaps: Capsule, Silent Shard, and Safeheron.

• Capsule uses the device PassKey, recovery password, and 2FA to jointly maintain the key. If one of them is lost, it can be recovered through the other two.
• Silent Shard and Safeheron are implemented by installing the App on multiple devices.

The appeal of this type of Snaps is limited; according to official data, both the quantity and installation rate are not high.

Interoperability

This type of Snaps mainly provides compatibility with non-EVM networks, including well-known public chains such as Solana, Cosmos, Near, and Sui. Currently, this type occupies more than half of the Snaps ecosystem.

Notifications and Chat

Although this type of Snaps has potential, the number of users willing to send messages via blockchain is still small.

Security

This type of Snaps has a high demand, especially in the context of insufficient warnings against phishing transactions from MetaMask. Trading, as the most common high-risk operation in the cryptocurrency and blockchain fields, allows developers to provide users with richer trading information through the transaction insights feature offered by Snaps, offering analysis and insights to minimize asset loss.

MetaMask Snaps provides permissions related to transaction insights and signature insights. Once the Snap obtains permissions, it can read the raw data during user-initiated transactions or signatures, analyze it, and display more security explanations to the user.

thinking

MetaMask is trying to expand its domain to other chain platforms through Snaps, but it remains uncertain how far it can go. Referring to the experience of mini-programs in the Web2 domain, rudimentary mini-program services often cannot compare with Apps, and the follow-up of new features is slow, even guiding users to their own Apps. With the explosive growth of mini-programs, more Apps have also launched their own mini-program platforms, each striving to consolidate its own advantages, making the entire Web world more "centralized".

If Snaps develops well, there may be more wallets following suit. In this case, Web3 developers may need to develop different versions of "Snaps" for each wallet, which will undoubtedly put immense pressure on them. However, if each vendor creates their own "Snaps" ecosystem, it is almost equivalent to having no unique ecosystem. This also seems to echo their "decentralized" label.

In the future, various "Snaps-like" platforms may emerge, with huge differences, and developers will need to spend a lot of effort on compatibility. When the situation becomes unbearable, a Snaps Standard may appear, accompanied by various "SIPs" for community discussion, presenting a thriving scene...

Regardless, MetaMask Snaps is at least a product built by a group of passionate developers aimed at solving real problems, rather than a financial scam.

However, for most of MetaMask's current users, Snaps is not yet a necessary feature. MetaMask may need to invest more effort in how to promote it more effectively.