Metamask Wallet Extensions

The problem

Users on the Qubic blockchain needed a wallet interface as usable as Metamask, without asking them to install a separate wallet product. Every chain that is not EVM-compatible faces the same problem — the mainstream wallet experience is Metamask, and getting your chain into that experience requires a Snap. Without a Snap, non-EVM chains ask users to accept a friction curve most won't tolerate. Metamask Snaps are the intended solution but the development experience is nontrivial: the Snap sandboxing model constrains what a Snap can do; the Snaps API is still evolving; and the security model for handling keys inside a Snap requires care that generic wallet development doesn't.

Key challenges

Building a Metamask Snap is a specialist engineering domain. The Snap runs in a sandboxed environment with restricted access; key handling has to be secure inside that sandbox and inside Metamask's storage; the UX has to match Metamask conventions so users don't perceive it as a foreign product; and the whole thing has to pass Metamask's review to be published in the official registry.

What we built

AR Data built the Qubic Wallet Metamask Snap — deep integration with Metamask's Snaps API, secure key handling, transaction signing, and a UX that matches Metamask conventions so Qubic feels native to any Metamask user. The Snap handles account derivation for Qubic addresses, transaction construction, signing inside the secure enclave, and broadcast to Qubic RPCs. Every interaction (account view, transaction signing, network switch) uses the Metamask-native UI conventions so users don't perceive the Snap as a foreign product. Published on the official Metamask Snaps registry.

Our approach

1. 1

   Metamask-native UX conventions

   The Snap uses Metamask's UI primitives for every interaction. Deviating from those conventions is where Snaps feel foreign; sticking to them is how the experience becomes native.

2. 2

   Key handling inside Metamask's secure storage

   Snaps have access to Metamask's key derivation and storage primitives. Using those correctly is the difference between a secure wallet and a liability.

3. 3

   Qubic address derivation and transaction construction

   Qubic is non-EVM. Address derivation, transaction construction, and signing needed correct implementation against the Qubic spec — no shortcuts from EVM patterns.

4. 4

   Published to the official Metamask registry

   Registry review is a bar. Meeting it is what makes the Snap installable through Metamask's official UI rather than through a sideload.

Key architectural decisions

Results

• Metamask-native Qubic experience — feels like a first-class Metamask feature
• Secure key handling using Snaps API primitives
• Transaction signing UX matching Metamask conventions
• Published on the Metamask Snaps registry
• Qubic address derivation and non-EVM transaction handling

Impact

The Qubic Wallet Snap is a working demonstration that non-EVM chains can offer a Metamask-native experience with the right engineering discipline. The engagement produced the pattern any non-EVM chain can follow to reach Metamask's user base without asking users to install a foreign wallet.

Tech stack