In a major step forward for the NEAR Protocol’s (NEAR) vision of Chain Abstraction—seamless interoperability across all blockchains—Ethereum users are now able to freely interact with NEAR applications using MetaMask, Phantom, or other ETH wallets. This NEAR Wallet Selector integration for Ethereum wallets was built by Aurora Labs.

NEAR will now have direct exposure to the Ethereum community, further reducing the friction of users having to create NEAR wallets before interacting with NEAR/multichain apps. All Ethereum users—and this is particularly relevant to DeFi users—now have access to the benefits of Chain Signatures and Chain Abstraction apps, with no new wallets or assets needed. Developers and teams can directly embed the Ethereum wallet selector in their apps, allowing users to sign in using MetaMask or the ETH wallet of their choice.

NEAR co-founder and CEO Illia Polosukhin comments: “Enabling all Ethereum wallets, including MetaMask, to sign in on NEAR apps closes another gap in achieving Chain Abstraction. ETH users are now able to explore experiences on NEAR and other chains without needing to switch wallets. This is a big step forward for simpler onboarding and defragmenting liquidity and access for DeFi users, bringing all of Web3 closer to achieving the Chain Abstraction vision.”

Aurora Labs is the project behind Aurora, a network of Virtual Chains that combines NEAR’s scalability with powerful infrastructure for the easy deployment of preconfigured blockchains.

“By integrating Ethereum wallets into NEAR’s ecosystem,” said Aurora Labs’ CEO Alex Shevchenko, “we streamline access and enhance the developer experience. Developers can now build apps that seamlessly serve both NEAR and Ethereum users, simplifying onboarding and expanding liquidity channels. This is a crucial step toward a unified Web3 where users and capital move freely across ecosystems.”