MetaMask co‑founder Dan Finlay departs ConsenSys after a decade, flags new permissions feature
Dan Finlay, a co‑founder of MetaMask and a longtime developer at ConsenSys, announced on X that Wednesday was his “last day” at the company after roughly 10 years working on the wallet. Citing burnout and a desire to spend more time with family, Finlay wished his former colleagues well: “Wishing the team the best — they have an amazing road ahead of them.”
Finlay’s exit represents a notable leadership change for one of the most recognizable products in the Ethereum ecosystem. Launched in 2016 under ConsenSys, MetaMask grew into a go‑to wallet for desktop and mobile users, unlocking access to decentralized applications during the rise of DeFi, NFTs, and other blockchain services. Over time, MetaMask broadened beyond its Ethereum roots, adding support for additional networks — including non‑EVM chains such as Bitcoin and Tron — and branching into new product areas like prediction markets, tokenized stocks, and a Mastercard partnership that offers cashback paid in mUSD.
Shortly after announcing his departure, Finlay highlighted a major product update: Advanced Permissions, also referenced as ERC‑7715. This permissions model lets decentralized applications request narrowly scoped, reusable approvals from users so approved actions can run without requiring a fresh signature every time.
According to MetaMask’s developer documentation, Advanced Permissions unlock use cases like scheduled purchases and recurring on‑chain actions with configurable limits. For example, a user could authorize a dApp to spend “10 USDC per day” to buy ETH for a month; once set, the dApp can execute those daily purchases within the predefined limits without asking the user to sign each transaction.
The goal is to reduce friction for users who interact with apps frequently — replacing one‑off approvals with rules set in advance to enable smoother payment flows and a more consistent wallet experience. The feature has already drawn attention from industry figures: Tornado Cash co‑founder Roman Storm called the update “extremely important,” noting it brings crypto closer to what Visa and Mastercard offer with recurring payments.
Finlay’s departure comes as MetaMask continues to roll out product innovations. While he steps away, the wallet’s roadmap — including Advanced Permissions — signals ongoing efforts to make on‑chain interactions more user friendly and to expand the practical use cases for crypto payments.
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