Microsoft Is Testing a Built-In Cryptocurrency Wallet For the Edge Browser (arstechnica.com) 42
Microsoft appears to be testing a built-in cryptocurrency wallet for Edge, according to screenshots pulled from a beta build of the browser. Ars Technica reports: The feature, which the screenshots say is strictly for internal testing, was unearthed by Twitter user @thebookisclosed, who has a history of digging up present-but-disabled features in everything from new Windows 11 builds to ancient Windows Vista betas. According to the screenshots, the crypto wallet is "embedded in Edge, making it easy to use without installing any extension," and it can handle multiple types of cryptocurrency. It will also record transactions and the value of your individual currencies as they fluctuate. An "explore" tab offers news stories relevant to cryptocurrency, and an "assets" tab will let you stare lovingly at your NFTs. The wallet is "non-custodial" (also called "self-custodial"), meaning that you have sole ownership of and responsibility for the passwords and recovery keys that allow access to your funds. Microsoft won't be able to let you back in if you lose your credentials.
Remember when /. used to have story tags? (Score:3, Insightful)
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
This one would be tagged DoNotWant.
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Pepperidge Farm remembers.
This one would be tagged DoNotWant.
Another reason to not use Edge.
It's very Brave of them (Score:2)
But crypto-trinkets aren't enough to make me abandon Firefox.
security (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft has such a great history of security, I completely trust them with my crypto.
Re:security (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft has such a great history of security, I completely trust them with my crypto.
I'm sure this is a feature the ransomware industry has been requesting for quite awhile. It will be so much more convenient to pay when your crypto wallet is integrated directly into your browser. Why fix your security when you can just make it easier to pay the bad guys? Microsoft is really on the cutting edge here.
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In Microsoft Edge the ads are so fancy you pay for them. Now they can just siphon the funds from their own wallet, which you fill as you go. It's more convenient that way. Pretty soon, loot boxes. Which have small, time-based, ad-block potions. Very small. Like 5min.
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> Which have small, time-based, ad-block potions. Very small. Like 5min.
You are confusing Edge with Brave, I think.
Re: security (Score:2)
I somehow predict Microsoft will soon announced Vaultâ„¢ï¸. Don't let criminals into your Edge Wallet.... get V
Re: security (Score:4, Informative)
I have zero interest in this, but to be fair, most of their poor security reputation is based on stuff 20 years out of date. XP had a generally credible security in theory, but in practice useless due to an ecosystem of applications that basically had everyone run as admin all the time. Vista began the process of "fakeroot" style abstractions and more seamless escalations and at this point they've gotten fairly good at that model. Linux doesn't have that so much, largely because they never had to accommodate Windows 9x application expectations.
Linux has some interesting applications of namespaces beyond what windows provides, but broadly speaking, the Microsoft platform is hardened enough, but it's popularity drives attacks.
For their applications, they've done a lot to back off the risky exploit surface of scripting in documents. Office and their browser no longer run things by default.
Linux benefits from a credible security model, but benefits a lot more from being an enthusiast platform where the users are more thoughtful about their computing and more naturally are kiddish about the prospec of just running stuff.
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Microsoft has such a great history of security, I completely trust them with my crypto.
You're missing the benefit here. The sooner everyone gets scammed due to MS's poor security practices the sooner crypto dies the death it deserves.
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It’s been raining crypto-bro (Score:3)
I’ve actually got a fair bit of respect for Microsoft. Theywere evil in the 90s but they’ve been mostly well-behaved since congress drilled Bill Gates a few new ones in public. Their OS isnt perfect but its decent, despite what the extreme haters say Office is totally solid, their cloud offering is ok, and their hardware is generally really good.
What the f&*k are they doing integrating crypto into a browser? Worst. Idea. Ever.
Re:It’s been raining crypto-bro (Score:4, Informative)
I'm sure this sounded like a great idea... to someone... back a year ago, when the crypto market hadn't started melting down yet. Why they decided to still release this questionable "feature" is beyond me, though.
What the hell is the point of having a highly versatile plugin system if you end up putting a bunch of unnecessary features in the browser proper? I'm still salty over Mozilla's decision to put Pocket in the browser when it should rightly have been a plugin, just like any other extended browser functionality. Pure idiocy. Not that I had much inclination to use Edge to begin with, but questionable decisions like this hardly inspire confidence.
Re: It’s been raining crypto-bro (Score:3)
I suspect like many companies that are subject to sunk cost fallacy. By the time the crypto lost its hype, they had probably already invested effort they just couldn't bring themselves to let go of.
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Iâ(TM)ve actually got a fair bit of respect for Microsoft. Theywere evil in the 90s but theyâ(TM)ve been mostly well-behaved since congress drilled Bill Gates a few new ones in public.
They drilled Gates 0 new ones in public. He was allowed to put all of his ill-gotten gains into a foundation whose investments he solely directed, in a way in which enriched him such that he is now worth more than he was then.
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Gates actually tried to engage the congresspeople. He actually tried to have a real discussion with them. And got ripped to pieces in public. He didnt lose any money, but he was absolutely s
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Actually, I can see this kind of thing being quite useful. It would need to be backed by somebody like Visa or MasterCard, though, and would need to use an encrypted coin that was tied to standard currency in a 1-to-1 manner. Think of it as a credit card built into your browser.
FWIW, I don't think I'd trust it, but I can see it being extremely useful.
Re: It’s been raining crypto-bro (Score:2)
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Probably not to the crypto-bro. To the hacker, yes. Which is one reason I'd avoid it. But a lot of people do on-line banking, and this *could* be made just as safe and more convenient for certain use cases.
Make up your mind, Microsoft (Score:1)
Do you want the national security community to keep thinking youre serious, based on the various back-end and secure-cloud initiatives youve done... or do you want us to think youre clowns, based on the fact that you not only gave us Edge (which of course has been sandboxed to being able to access hardly anything beyond its local network -- anyone who wants to surf the real web will use Firefox or Chrome) but are now adding crypto-bloat to it, making it away from "useless" and toward "actually dangerous?"
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Microsoft hasn't changed, because they haven't had to. They have never been held accountable for their actions. None of the security types I know share your assessment of Microsoft.
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DoD is moving all their desktops to MS Malware. Nothing can go wrong there?
Does it come with cash good at a Microsoft casino? (Score:2)
Because if so, I'll begrudgingly admire their letting it all hang out.
Soon, just missing the kitchen sink. (Score:2)
A built-in crypto wallet ! Yet *another* "feature" an abundance of Edge users need. /sarcasm
"Edge -- if Microsoft invented Emacs."
Bloat (Score:2)
MS is late to the party (Score:3)
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Would it be too conspiratorial to wonder if all of the Crypto-Bro "left the party" so Microsoft could enter the game? I sure their are many Government types that would love to have the people of the world using a currency with a built in audit trail and can be remotely shut off.
What could possibly go wrong? (Score:2)
How do you know a fad is finally over for good? (Score:3)
MS jumps on it.
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To be fair they get it wrong the other way, too. They thought the internet was a fad and got in late. :-)
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Well, they tried to create their own network. Without blackjack. And hookers.
And that was pretty much the problem. Aside from them also wanting money for something that people could have for free.
So it's now an edgelord browser, really (Score:1)
Edge-users are thrilled (Score:3)
Both of them.
Perfect (Score:2)
Ooooh, a cryptocoin wallet built into a craptastic browser by a company with a genuinely dreadful security track record.
I see nothing that could possibly go wrong here. Everyone knows that all browsers are super secure, especially those from Microsoft.
Or They Could Fix Windows 11 (Score:3)
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