Wallets Through (web3) History - The evolution of how we ...

The article traces how crypto wallets evolved from Bitcoin Core's command-line software in 2009 to custodial exchanges, browser extensions like MetaMask in 2016, multi-signature wallets, and smart wallets, and it concludes that wallets should be rethought beyond the current metaphor. It notes that Mt. Gox handled 70% of Bitcoin transactions by 2014 before collapsing and that users later recovered about $8 billion worth of coins. It also says MetaMask opened access to Web3, NFTs and DeFi, while smart wallets such as Safe and Argent let users recover accounts through guardians instead of seed phrases.