Goodbye, squabbles over browser extension wallets and hello, seamless user experience. With the approval of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 6963, the crypto community is all set for a revolutionised wallet ecosystem. Released by WalletConnect, heavily involved in the development of the standard, EIP-6963 aims to sort out the confusion and unpredictability surrounding browser extension wallets, and by extension, it’s nudging web3 user experience (UX) up several notches.
One of the chief problems that EIP-6963 resolves is the mayhem that ensues when you’ve got multiple browser extension wallets installed. Picture this: you want to interact with a decentralised application (dApp), and suddenly, you’re stuck. You find yourself juggling between multiple wallets, struggling to make your chosen one open. It’s a mess. This chaos was primarily due to the lack of a standard protocol for discovering when a browser wallet was already installed on a user’s system.
Before EIP-6963, there existed EIP-1193 that established a standard, albeit limited, for connecting different types of wallets like mobile, hardware, and browser-based ones. However, this didn’t include a way to detect multiple installed browser wallets. As a result, if you had two or more such wallets installed, it would turn into a winner-takes-all scenario, leaving the user with no say in which wallet gets selected when connecting to a dApp.
So, what does EIP-6963 really do to mend this? It introduces an alternative discovery mechanism that lets apps detect multiple injected wallet providers. No more wrestling for control. This new standard opens up a secure channel of communication that allows multiple wallets to make themselves known to dApps and other web-based applications.
What’s more, this isn’t just about eliminating conflicts. EIP-6963 also allows wallets to provide additional information like the wallet’s name, logo, UUID, and RDNS. That means, when you use a dApp, it can automatically display the name and logo of your wallet, adding a layer of personalisation and making the entire UX more intuitive and streamlined.
The approval of EIP-6963 is a momentous occasion for the blockchain community and is a strong step towards mainstream adoption of web3 technology. Having been tested by 16 wallets and libraries like wagmi, it’s a collective victory. A slew of early adopters like Enkrypt and Zerion have already hit production with their support, and more heavy hitters like Brave and MetaMask are in the testing phase.
Why does this matter? Well, the seamless experience facilitated by EIP-6963 is likely to encourage more users to explore the world of dApps and decentralised services. More users mean more innovation, which, in a space as young as crypto, is of paramount importance. Let’s not forget; a great user experience isn’t just a nicety. It’s a necessity, especially when we’re talking about driving mainstream adoption of web3 technologies.
All said and done, EIP-6963 isn’t just solving a technical glitch; it’s fixing a roadblock in the user experience, making the web3 world a lot more welcoming. As they say, the devil is in the details, and in sorting out this particular detail, EIP-6963 has made the crypto highway a smoother ride for everyone involved. So, here’s to fewer bumps, less confusion, and a more harmonious relationship with our digital wallets.