Microsoft wants to integrate a cryptocurrency wallet with the Edge browser

Anticipating a revival of public interest in the topic of cryptocurrencies, Microsoft is developing a cryptocurrency wallet that it will integrate with the Edge browser.

Soon, Microsoft Edge users will also have a crypto wallet to use for virtual currency payments. Until now, cryptocurrency enthusiasts have had to rely on external solutions, with Microsoft saying that integrating such a service with the Edge browser will make non-bank transactions more secure.

According to sources cited by The Verge, Microsoft has been testing a cryptocurrency wallet integrated with a non-public version of Edge for months now. Although the cryptocurrency market has entered a period of decline, marked by a drop in interest expressed by the general public, the company is not giving up on the service, which it plans to officially unveil in the coming months.

If it comes to fruition, the new crypto wallet will add to the growing baggage of features Microsoft hopes to use to make the Edge browser more attractive to rival Chrome, even at the risk of sacrificing some of the speed and simplicity that has established it as a hallmark. Given the still very low popularity of cryptocurrencies outside of hobbyist circles, who trade them for profit using dedicated exchanges, it remains to be seen whether Google follows the direction Microsoft is showing.

Also from sources we learn that Microsoft will promote the ability to buy cryptocurrencies from partner platforms like Coinbase and MoonPay, to be kept in the Edge wallet and used for purchases. Among the features on offer will be the ability to connect decentralised apps to the wallet function, i.e. collecting and storing NFTs. Recall that Meta recently announced the removal of support for NFTs from all of its platforms.