The frontend challenge

[digitaldonkey]

In order to reach a broader audience we need a frontend solution which:

• Support all major browsers on desktop and mobile
• TX signer supporting major wallets / identity providers
• Does not depend on a centralized service
• Fallback for users who don't have a wallet (Metamask Mascara?)
• Standards for interactions for users
  • Learn to chose right network / unlocked account only once
• Standards for Developers
  • Write once implement all
  • Not forced to use any particular front-end tech

Let's aggregate research on this here.

[digitaldonkey]

Metamask Mascara / mascara_wrapper

• Currently integrated in Drupal Ethereum, but it has some issues (see [github page]
  (https://github.com/digitaldonkey/mascara_wrapper))
• It is currently unclear if the Metamask team will continue the project

Status: Pending future updates

[digitaldonkey]

walletconnect

• promising project more research required https://walletconnect.org/

[digitaldonkey]

portis.io

• Video, describing the problem
• Phone based solution. Most probably SAAS
• https://portis.io
• More research required

[digitaldonkey]

There is a lot of discussion around signing TX via QR code. Currently people discussing about potential standards.

parity-signer

• https://github.com/paritytech/parity-signer
• Up cycle old smart phones into hardware wallets

[digitaldonkey]

Currently working on a new Dapp lauchner for the TX signers.

[digitaldonkey]

Slowly getting some basics.

Creating a Web-component with a minimal load footprint, which serves as a web3 launcher.

https://github.com/digitaldonkey/web3ready

[digitaldonkey]

(this will also fix the security issues as it will replace the Mascara wrapper component.

[proofoftom]

The screenshots for web3ready look awesome! With that said, can't one connect to MetaMask via their Ledger or Trezor? Although, I guess the arguable benefit is to remove the dependency of MetaMask, I'm not sure I understand the positive gain of doing such.

[digitaldonkey]

@TommyCox
Thanks, but the design is stolen from balance manager's open source repo.

With that said, can't one connect to MetaMask via their Ledger or Trezor?
Yes. I think in the meantime that is possible.

Although, I guess the arguable benefit is to remove the dependency of MetaMask, I'm not sure I understand the positive gain of doing such.

Basically Metamask has not much browser support nor does it work on mobile. Basically only chrome base browsers can use Metamask Extension.
This library aims on supporting all major browsers at some point.

[jeffanthony]

In order to resurrect this project for Drupal 10+ I'd like to begin closing some of these issues. A handful of years have passed and the horizon is now clearer. Metamask, the brand name, doesn't matter: there are many wallets which can sign Ethereum transactions and I dare presume anyone can install and use some wallet on any device and for any browser.