MetaMask

MetaMask is the world's most widely used non-custodial Web3 wallet, and as of May 2025 it supports Solana natively alongside Ethereum and other EVM chains — making it one of the few wallets capable of spanning the full multichain landscape from a single interface.

What it is

MetaMask is a self-custody browser extension and mobile wallet that lets users store digital assets, interact with decentralized applications, and transact across multiple blockchains without surrendering control of private keys to a third party. Founded in 2016 by Aaron Davis and Dan Finlay under ConsenSys — the Ethereum-focused software firm built by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin — MetaMask grew into the dominant gateway wallet for Web3, accumulating over 100 million downloads.

For most of its history MetaMask was an Ethereum-first wallet. Solana users could access it through third-party Snaps, which are add-ons that extend MetaMask's functionality to non-EVM chains, but native support arrived on May 27–28, 2025, when MetaMask shipped Solana integration directly into its browser extension. Solana became the first non-EVM network to receive this treatment.

How the Solana integration works

MetaMask restructured its internal account architecture to make native Solana possible. Under the new multichain model (Extension v13.5, Mobile v7.57), a single account holds addresses for all supported networks simultaneously — one EVM address, one Solana address, and one Bitcoin address — each derived from the same BIP-44 seed phrase. The same Secret Recovery Phrase that previously controlled only Ethereum addresses now controls Solana accounts as well, with keys derived using the ED25519 elliptic-curve algorithm that Solana requires.

On the RPC layer, MetaMask routes Solana requests through Infura — ConsenSys's Web3 infrastructure provider — rather than relying on user-configured endpoints by default. Developers integrating MetaMask for Solana use the Wallet Standard compliance layer, making MetaMask compatible with Solana's Wallet Adapter and React Framework Kit without additional configuration. MetaMask's developer documentation explicitly covers the multichain Solana and EVM ecosystems, with Embedded Wallets and Connect SDK both supporting Solana account connections.

Solana features

From the browser extension, MetaMask users can send and receive SOL and SPL tokens, swap Solana-based tokens through the wallet's built-in aggregator, bridge assets cross-chain, buy SOL via fiat on-ramps, and connect to Solana dApps without switching to a separate wallet. MetaMask also simulates transactions before the user signs, showing projected outcomes, and integrates Blockaid's security layer. Blockaid checks every transaction against a database of fraudulent dApps and flags malicious domains in real time — a protection already deployed for Ethereum in 2023 and extended to Solana at the time of the native launch.

In July 2025, MetaMask added SOL staking through a partnership with Figment, accessible through portfolio.metamask.io. Figment is a Solana genesis validator with more than $15 billion in staked assets under management across over 700 institutional clients. The integration targets approximately 7–9% staking APY with no minimum amount, uses Jito MEV optimization for yield efficiency, and requires roughly 48 hours for unstaking to clear. Figment holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications.

MetaMask Snaps and the pre-native era

Before May 2025, Solana access via MetaMask required a Snap. The Solflare Snap — published by the Solflare wallet team — allowed MetaMask to generate ED25519-derived Solana addresses, sign transactions, hold SOL and SPL tokens, and connect to Solana dApps. MetaMask's own snap-solana-wallet repository, developed in parallel under an open-source license, is now embedded as a dependency inside the main extension codebase rather than requiring user installation. Any Snap using key management permissions was required to pass a third-party security audit before MetaMask would allowlist it, with approved auditors including OtterSec, Cure53, Hacken, and Kudelski Security.

Security

MetaMask's HackerOne bug bounty program covers the Solana integration. Phishing detection was updated to flag malicious Solana-targeting domains alongside its existing Ethereum coverage. The wallet has been independently cited as the most secure wallet in an assessment by Coinspect. No standalone third-party audit of the May 2025 native Solana integration has been published separately, though the underlying Snap codebase went through the auditing requirements described above.

Team and history

Aaron Davis and Dan Finlay co-founded MetaMask in 2016 within ConsenSys. The wallet's recognizable low-polygon fox mascot was Davis's concept, designed to evoke self-custody and independence from institutional control. In February 2025, the SEC and ConsenSys reached an agreement ending enforcement actions against MetaMask, removing regulatory uncertainty ahead of the Solana launch. Dan Finlay departed ConsenSys in April 2026 after more than a decade with the project.

Broader multichain direction

MetaMask framed the Solana launch explicitly as "just the start," with Bitcoin support planned for Q3 2025 and additional non-EVM networks announced as forthcoming. Beyond basic custody, MetaMask has expanded into financial products: a Money Account product built on Monad offers yield on mUSD stablecoins, a MetaMask Card enables crypto spending with up to 3% cashback, and an Agent Wallet product provides programmatic wallet access for AI-driven workflows. These additions position MetaMask as a broader financial interface rather than a single-chain gateway — and Solana, as the first non-EVM chain integrated natively, sits at the center of that multichain expansion.