MetaMask Co-Founder Dan Finlay to Exit Consensys: What This Means for Crypto Wallets

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MetaMask Co-Founder Dan Finlay Announces Consensys Exit

Dan Finlay, who helped create MetaMask and has worked at Consensys for many years, is leaving the company.

Summary

  • Dan Finlay said he is leaving Consensys after helping build MetaMask over the past decade.
  • MetaMask launched Advanced Permissions, letting dApps execute approved transactions without requiring users to sign each time.
  • The new feature could support recurring crypto payments with user-set spending limits and clearer permissions.

I learned today that Ben Finlay announced on X that Wednesday was his last day at Consensys. He’d been working on their crypto wallet for around ten years, so it’s a significant change.

Finlay announced he’s stepping down to focus on his family, explaining he’s feeling burnt out after dedicating years to developing MetaMask. This change represents new leadership for one of the most popular wallets in the Ethereum world.

“Wishing the team the best — they have an amazing road ahead of them,” he wrote.

MetaMask expands beyond Ethereum

MetaMask was first released in 2016 by Consensys and quickly became a popular Ethereum wallet for both computers and phones. It played a key role in helping people use new decentralized apps and manage their digital assets as decentralized finance, NFTs, and other blockchain technologies grew in popularity.

MetaMask started as a wallet specifically for Ethereum, but it has since grown to support many other networks, even those that don’t use the same technology as Ethereum, like Bitcoin and Tron. They’ve also branched out into new services, including platforms for predicting future events, tokenized stocks, and a Mastercard payment card that rewards users with cashback in mUSD.

Shortly after announcing he was leaving, Finlay highlighted the launch of Advanced Permissions, also called ERC-7715. This new feature allows decentralized apps to ask users for specific access, enabling them to perform agreed-upon tasks without repeatedly requiring new approvals.

MetaMask allows for automated tasks like recurring payments or scheduled actions on the blockchain, with spending limits set by the user. For example, a user could approve a dApp to spend a small amount, like $10 in USDC daily, to automatically buy ETH over a month. After approval, the dApp can access that daily allowance directly from the user’s wallet, within the defined permissions.

New feature targets recurring crypto payments

The updated permissions system aims to make using apps easier and faster. Instead of requiring approval for each individual action, users can now create pre-set rules. This should allow apps to provide smoother payments and a more reliable experience within the digital wallet.

Roman Storm, a co-founder of Tornado Cash, described the recent update as “extremely important” in a post on X.

As a crypto investor, I’m really excited about something new finally happening in the space. For years, we’ve looked at Visa and Mastercard and wished we had their ability to easily set up recurring payments. It looks like crypto is finally catching up, which is a huge step forward for wider adoption.

His comment suggests a potential way MetaMask might evolve its products now that Finlay has left the company.

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2026-04-23 11:29