MetaMask now has more than 10 million monthly active users, with nearly 20% coming from the Philippines. The cryptocurrency wallet has emerged as the leading choice for storing digital assets.
The new numbers on MetaMask’s user base represent a 19x growth compared to July 2020, and positions MetaMask as the leading non-custodial wallet by users globally. MetaMask is both a mobile app and browser extension that functions as a cryptocurrency wallet for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain and any Ethereum-compatible network like Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism.
MetaMask was first created in September 2016 and has been a central catalyst in the adoption of decentralized applications on Ethereum. The launch of the mobile version in September 2020 has played a crucial role in rapidly bringing new users from global markets such as not only the Philippines, but also Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brazil.
The Philippines has emerged as the home of the world’s most active MetaMask users, thanks largely to NFT-based online video games like Axie Infinity where players can earn cryptocurrency tokens.
As of August 2021, the top 15 countries using MetaMask aside from the Philippines, including the United States, Vietnam, United Kingdom, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Germany, France, Canada, and Spain.
With the Philippines, Vietnam, China, India, and Indonesia rounding out the top 5 Asian countries, Asia has emerged as the number one region in terms of users’ growth. Asia is then followed by Europe and North America.
“Decentralized Finance” (DeFi) services like MetaMask are addressing the limits of “Traditional Finance” (TradFi) such as: substantial geographical barriers around the movement of capital, extensive paperwork, tons of intermediaries, lack of transparency, and high fees. It is challenging the existing TradFi policies that sometimes exclude minorities and low-income earners. The early and massive adoption of crypto in emerging markets is an example of how DeFi is solving TradFi market inefficiencies.
Non-Custodial Wallets vs Custodial Wallets
Until recently, custodial wallets were leading the democratization of access to crypto assets. The main uses were focused on trading different cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, through a wallet where the private keys are held by a third party: the custodian.
This means third-party custodians operate with full control over user funds while users only have to give permission to send or receive payments. Like a bank, but digital.
MetaMask is different. It is now the leading non-custodial wallet that allows users from all over the world to hold and own their private key, giving them full control of their funds.
There is no need to trust a third party to secure your funds and return them if you want to trade or send them somewhere else. MetaMask allows users to be their own bank and take control over their own finances in a private and secure way.
To celebrate this milestone, MetaMask will be hosting a party in Decentraland on September 2nd. Details can be found here.
