Evgeny Yurtaev, CEO of Zerion, discusses challenges of building Web3 wallets, improving user experience while maintaining security, seed phrase storage, protecting users and potential attack vectors, supported blockchains and seamless bridging, MPC, and business models for Web3 wallets.
Zerion aims to provide a seamless and user-friendly web3 wallet experience by supporting various chains and prioritizing the security of user funds through non-custodial storage and seed phrase backup options.
Xerion explores monetization models beyond trading fees, such as premium subscriptions and API services, and sees potential in owning their own layer 2 network or receiving revenue shares from applications or chains.
Deep dives
Xeirion: A Web3 Wallet for Crypto Enthusiasts
Xeirion is a well-known web3 wallet founded by Evgeny Yotev. The wallet aims to provide a seamless and user-friendly experience for crypto enthusiasts. Xeirion supports various chains, including Ethereum and layer 2 solutions, and has seen a rise in adoption of layer 2 networks such as Polygon, Optimism, and Arbitrum. The wallet offers features such as portfolio tracking, decentralized application (DApp) browsing, and transaction simulation. Xeirion also plans to release extensions for web users and prioritizes the security of user funds through non-custodial wallet storage and seed phrase backup options.
Monetization Challenges for Wallets
Monetizing wallets has been a challenging task within the crypto ecosystem. While trading fees have been a successful revenue stream for wallets like MetaMask, there is a growing shift towards non-trading activities within the wallet space, such as DeFi interactions, governance participation, and NFT minting. Xeirion has explored various monetization models, including premium subscriptions and API services. Additionally, the team sees potential in future revenue generation by owning their own layer 2 network or receiving revenue shares from applications or chains.
The Future of Wallets: Account Abstraction and User Experience
Account abstraction and user experience are crucial factors in shaping the future of wallets. Xeirion has researched and explored the potential of both multi-party computation (MPC) and account abstraction. While MPC offers benefits such as increased security, account abstraction provides more flexibility for UX improvements and recovery options. As Ethereum evolves, Xeirion envisions a future where wallets seamlessly abstract away gas fees and offer a user-friendly experience without compromising security. This may involve partnerships with chains or layer 2 networks to enable revenue generation through transaction fees.
Embracing Upchain and Web3 Native Use Cases
Xeirion is excited about the emergence of upchain solutions and web3 native use cases. The scalability of layer 2 networks has opened doors to applications beyond DeFi, enabling social use cases like artist-fan interactions and decentralized publishing platforms. Xeirion aims to support and explore these novel use cases, leveraging the capabilities of more scalable networks. By embracing web3 native experiences and encouraging adoption of layer 2 networks, Xeirion strives to contribute to the growth and development of the decentralized ecosystem.
One of the best known memes in crypto is: 'Not your keys, not your coins'. This usually resurfaces whenever a (custodial) centralised exchange is hacked or goes bust altogether. Although Web3 provides the infrastructure for self custody, this often shares the fate of Pandora. Self-custody requires increased security measures, from both end-users, as well as application developers. Web3 wallets are the interface between users and decentralised applications deployed on blockchains. While Metamask still maintains the largest market share, a multitude of wallets have emerged, promising additional features and a better UX.
We were joined by Evgeny Yurtaev, co-founder & CEO of Zerion, to discuss the challenges of building a Web3 wallet and how Zerion aims to improve user experience, while still maintaining security.