One common misconception is that MetaMask is simply a convenient browser button for sending tokens and signing transactions. That view treats it like a lightweight UI accessory and misses what actually makes MetaMask important: it is a local key manager, an on‑page identity broker, and a protocol translator between websites (dApps) and the Ethereum network. Once you unpack those roles you start to see where the extension helps, where it creates risk, and what trade-offs users and developers face […]