Microsoft reportedly testing Web3 wallet functionality with Edge browser

Microsoft is reportedly working on a Web 3 wallet that will handle cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

Microsoft has reportedly added code that would integrate a non-custodial crypto wallet into the company’s default Edge browser, according to screenshots posted on Twitter by Albacore, a pseudonymous software researcher from central Europe.

The screenshots Albacore provided show a cryptocurrency wallet’s user interface, as well as a news feed, a decentralized application explorer, and the ability to purchase cryptocurrencies via Coinbase and MoonPay.

The UI of the wallet also states “visit other marketplaces to find your first NFT; as you expand your collection of NFTs, we’ll group them here.”

Albacore speculates that Microsoft’s entry into the cryptocurrency wallet market may be an effort to compete with Brave Browser, Opera’s main rival and a privacy-focused browser that also supports Web3 technologies.

As part of new updates to its Bing search engine and Edge browser, Microsoft announced on February 7 the integration of artificial intelligence-powered search engines and conversation via OpenAI’s ChatGPT.