Significant changes have taken place in the MetaMask cryptocurrency wallet – the project is moving from working on the principle of open source to a new multi-level license to distribute its software. Nothing will change for ordinary users, but commercial organizations with 10 thousand or more clients will have to agree with MetaMask about some details of their activities. However, there is nothing to worry about here either.
Напомним, MetaMask — одно из самых популярных приложений среди поклонников экосистемы Эфириума. Оно является расширением для браузера , которое выполняет функции кошелька для ETH и других токенов на блокчейне Эфириума. Получается, что с помощью Метамаска можно банально отправлять криптовалюту на нужные адреса, а также взаимодействовать с децентрализованными приложениями и DeFi-протоколами.
Note that now MetaMask is especially popular because of the boom in the decentralized finance niche, because it makes it possible to work with them. For example, to exchange ether and other coins for ERC20 tokens , extension users can visit the Uniswap platform and quickly carry out the so-called swap. Note that you do not need to register or confirm your identity with documents for this. Everything happens in a decentralized manner.
What has changed in MetaMask
Recall that before that, the MetaMask team used a license from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which allows third-party developers to use the project code for free at their discretion. The head of the development department Jacob Kantel explained the situation:
Nothing has changed for users, decentralized app developers or community forks. Our new license is still more affordable than other wallets. Projects using [MetaMask] forks for commercial purposes will simply need to sign an agreement with us.
One Twitter user voiced his frustration with the new developer policy. He believes that the project team could find more acceptable sources of funding .
Wow. I am very disappointed with this. Don't get me wrong, you guys totally deserve the money, but there must be better ways to do it.
oh wow. Extremely disappointed to see this. Don't get me wrong – you guys totally deserve $ but there's got to be better ways than this.
– sqrl ⟠ (@omynuts) August 21, 2020
In turn, Kantel noted that the project developers should be able to compete with startups that use the MetaMask code. He also assured that the wallet will remain free for the average user anyway.
I emphasize that we will continue to publish open source libraries and will strive to remain open source and free for users. We need to be able to compete with projects that are built on top of us in the web3 technology stack and compete with us with our own code.
Please know that we will continue to publish open source libraries, are committed to remaining public, and free for users. We have to be able to compete against projects that exist upstream of us in the web3 tech stack, and are competing against us with our own code. pic.twitter.com/TdHD55DK4z
– Jacob Cantele ⟠ 🦊 (@jacobcantele) August 21, 2020
Здесь речь идёт о проектах, которые форкают проект MetaMask — то есть используют его код для запуска собственного проекта — и зарабатывают на этом. Компания хочет положить этому конец, поэтому теперь другим командам нужно будет подписывать соглашения с разработчиками. Делает это не из-за зависти или чего-то подобного, а исключительно для возможности подольше продержаться на рынке.
As Kantel emphasized, an example of an agreement with MetaMask would be a commitment not to fork or remove the company's referral codes so that it can survive as a project. That is, the creators of MetaMask are not planning money from other developers. They will simply ask you not to delete their own referral links, on which the company earns.
According to MetaMask lead developer Dan Finlay, the team can no longer allow relatively large organizations to enjoy the fruits of their labor for free.
While open source software solves critical problems, equitable compensation for maintaining these public goods remains a serious question, with many uses for various sustainable development efforts, from donations to grants or copyleft .
Заядлым фанатам децентрализации и свободы это может не понравиться, однако мы считаем, что в MetaMask сделали правильный шаг. Дополнительное финансирование позволит проекту привлечь больше талантливых разработчиков, что улучшит качество продукта. Вдобавок такой вариант будет более честным, ведь изначально именно девелоперы MetaMask создали готовое приложение, которым пользуются другие проекты. Удалять из него источник доходов первоначальных разработчиков попросту неправильно.
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