Metamask announced the multi-chain revolution at the end of October, an account managing EVM+Solana full assets.

Metamask will launch multi-chain account functionality at the end of October, allowing users to easily trade tokens between EVM and non-EVM networks while tracking all assets. Previously, addresses on EVM and non-EVM chains were managed separately and could not be viewed together. Metamask's multi-chain account simplifies Wallet management, allowing users to view all assets across EVM and non-EVM chains in one account.

Metamask Multi-chain Account Solution to Address Management Confusion

(Source: Metamask Official Website)

Metamask was originally an Ethereum Wallet, but it now supports many networks such as Solana and Sei, and will support more networks in the future. However, as the number of supported blockchains increases, users face the problem of address management confusion. Before the launch of multi-chain accounts, users needed to manage addresses on EVM and non-EVM chains across different accounts, which made asset tracking extremely complicated.

For example, when users hold assets from EVM chains like Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, as well as Tokens on the Solana chain, they have to switch between different accounts or networks in Metamask to view their complete asset portfolio. This decentralized management not only increases the number of operational steps but also raises the risk of making mistakes. Users might select the wrong network when transferring funds or forget that there are still assets on a certain on-chain.

Metamask multi-chain accounts solve this pain point through a unified account architecture. Multi-chain accounts make cross-network asset management seamless and secure, realizing the vision of “one account, multiple chains.” Users no longer need to worry about switching networks, as each process in Metamask will prompt users to select the relevant network, and all asset balances are now aggregated across all networks, providing a unified asset view.

This improvement is especially important for DeFi users. Decentralized finance applications are often deployed across multiple chains, requiring users to perform liquidity mining, staking, and trading on different chains. The Metamask multi-chain account makes such cross-chain operations more intuitive, allowing users to manage all their DeFi positions within the same interface without the need to switch between multiple accounts or Wallets.

How to convert existing account to multi-chain account

For existing Metamask users, the most concerning question is: What will happen to my existing account on Metamask? The design of Metamask ensures a smooth transition process, allowing users to enjoy new features without any manual operation. All EVM accounts will retain their names and addresses, meaning users will not lose any existing assets or historical records.

Each EVM address will be grouped into a multi-chain account and paired with its corresponding Solana address. The pairing rules are as follows: if the user already has a Solana address, it will be paired with the EVM address to form a multi-chain account. If not, the system will create a new Solana address for the user. This automatic pairing mechanism ensures that each multi-chain account has both EVM and Solana capabilities.

Account Matching Logic:

More EVM Addresses than Solana: New Solana addresses will be created for pairing, ensuring that each EVM address has a corresponding Solana address.

Solana addresses exceed EVM: New EVM addresses will be created paired with additional Solana addresses, ensuring all assets are included in multi-chain account management.

When an EVM address is paired with a Solana address to form a multi-chain account, the multi-chain account will retain the name of the EVM account that previously only contained that EVM address. This design maintains a familiar account naming system for users, reducing the learning curve for the transition. The Solana address will be displayed alongside each EVM address within the multi-chain account in the Metamask Wallet, allowing users to simply select a multi-chain account to view all paired addresses.

Accounts are now grouped into multiple networks, which may merge previously independent addresses. Users can still view each address they own within their multi-chain account, and no assets or addresses will disappear. This transparent conversion process ensures that users maintain complete control over their assets.

Three Core Functions of Multi-Chain Accounts

The design of Metamask multi-chain accounts revolves around three core functions, each addressing the actual needs of users. The first core function is a unified account across different network addresses. Users no longer need to remember their different addresses on Ethereum, Solana, or other chains; they only need to manage one multi-chain account. This unified view significantly simplifies the complexity of asset management.

The second core function is easy cross-chain navigation, unifying the exchange and bridging experience. Cross-chain bridging is often one of the most painful operations for DeFi users, as it involves multiple steps and different interfaces. Metamask's multi-chain account integrates the bridging functionality into a unified interface, allowing users to complete asset transfers from Ethereum to Solana within the same account, without leaving Metamask or using third-party bridging services.

The third core feature is a clearer organization of digital assets. Multi-chain accounts automatically summarize users' asset balances across all supported chains, providing an overview view. Users can immediately see their total asset value without manually calculating their holdings on each chain. This clear organization makes asset allocation and portfolio management more intuitive.

Metamask currently supports EVM networks such as Ethereum, Linea, Arbitrum, Base, and Solana. It will soon support Bitcoin, Tron, and Monad. The addition of Bitcoin is particularly strategic because it is the largest asset by market capitalization in the crypto market. When users can manage Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana assets simultaneously in Metamask, it will truly become a “multi-functional Wallet.”

Hardware Wallets and Security Considerations

It is worth noting that Solana does not yet support hardware wallets. This means that users' hardware accounts will only support EVM and will not be grouped into multi-chain accounts. For users who place a high value on security, this is a limitation that needs to be considered. Hardware wallets such as Ledger and Trezor provide the security of cold storage, storing private keys in offline devices to protect against online attack threats.

However, the Solana ecosystem has relatively limited support for hardware Wallets, which is a common challenge faced by the entire Solana ecosystem and not an issue unique to Metamask. As the Solana ecosystem matures and support from hardware Wallet manufacturers improves, this limitation may be lifted in the future. Until then, users with hardware Wallets will need to continue managing EVM and Solana assets separately.

From a security perspective, the design of Metamask's multi-chain account does not compromise security standards. Private keys and addresses on each chain are still generated and managed independently, and the multi-chain account only provides a unified view at the user interface level. This means that even if a private key on a certain chain is leaked, assets on other chains will not be affected. This architectural design maintains security isolation while providing convenience.

Distinction between Wallet, Account, and Address Concepts

To help users understand the new architecture, Metamask clearly defines three core concepts. A Wallet is a container for storing accounts and assets, and users can have multiple Wallets in the Metamask application by importing a mnemonic (SRP) or adding a hardware Wallet. An account is a holder that groups addresses from different chains. An address is a public identifier used to send and receive Tokens on a specific network.

This three-layer architecture provides the perfect balance of flexibility and organization. Users can create multiple Wallets for different purposes (such as daily use Wallets and long-term storage Wallets), each Wallet can have multiple on-chain accounts (such as DeFi accounts and NFT accounts), and each on-chain account contains addresses on multiple chains.

Whether users are newcomers seeking an easy entry or OGs needing simplified account management, multi-chain accounts make Metamask simpler and smoother than ever. For newcomers, multi-chain accounts lower the learning threshold; they do not need to understand the technical differences between different chains and can focus solely on asset management. For experienced users, multi-chain accounts enhance operational efficiency and reduce repetitive tasks.

Multi-chain accounts will go live at the end of October. Please update Metamask to the latest version to experience the latest features. Users just need to open Metamask, and the system will automatically prompt for an update, making the entire process seamless and secure.