Overview
- By the end of 2026, Consensys Software Inc. will bifurcate its consumer and institutional operations.
- The current entity will be rebranded as MetaMask, with Joe Lubin as its chairman and CEO.
- A newly established Consensys will oversee the Ethereum protocol and institutional infrastructure, including Linea.
Consensys Software Inc. is set to divide its consumer and institutional divisions, with the existing company adopting the MetaMask name, recognized for its cryptocurrency wallet. A new Consensys will take charge of Ethereum protocols and institutional blockchain infrastructure, as announced on Wednesday.
Joe Lubin, co-founder of Consensys, will lead MetaMask as chairman and CEO. The new Consensys will be headed by CEO Mike Kriak and President David Cunningham, with Lubin serving as executive chairman. (Note: Consensys is among the investors in Dastan, the parent company of Decrypt.)
Myriad: What will be Ethereum's next price movement? Share your prediction.The two companies will function independently, delineating MetaMask’s consumer finance operations from Consensys’ Ethereum protocols and institutional blockchain infrastructure, with the separation anticipated to finalize by the end of 2026.
"MetaMask has evolved from our foundational work into the world's leading self-custodial wallet, and it is now transitioning into something more significant: a platform where users can not only hold assets but also manage their finances in various forms," Lubin stated. "Taking on this role full-time signifies that consumer finance warrants the same level of attention and ambition that we dedicated to the development of Ethereum itself."
Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for MetaMask as it becomes an independent entity.
Consensys Software Inc., which is behind MetaMask, is rebranding to focus entirely on the consumer platform, while the protocols and institutional infrastructure businesses, including Linea, are transforming into a…
— MetaMask 🦊 (@MetaMask) September 9, 2026
According to the company, MetaMask has surpassed 100 million downloads across approximately 190 nations and has processed trillions of dollars in total transaction volume.
The wallet has gone beyond mere crypto storage and trading. In June, MetaMask introduced Money Account, a self-custody feature that merges stablecoin yield, payments, and trading into one balance. MetaMask's Senior Director of Product, Johann Bornman, mentioned to Decrypt that the company aims to create a "neo-banking experience."
Furthermore, MetaMask has expanded its offerings beyond Ethereum. In December, it incorporated Bitcoin support, allowing users to manage Bitcoin alongside assets from Ethereum and other supported networks.
This expansion followed the 2025 launch of MetaMask's mUSD stablecoin on Ethereum and the Layer-2 blockchain network Linea, with plans to utilize the token for payments via the MetaMask debit card.
The newly established Consensys will continue to develop Linea, its Ethereum layer-2 network, along with Besu, an Ethereum execution client designed for permissioned blockchain networks, and Teku, an Ethereum consensus client. The focus will be on blockchain infrastructure for banks, asset managers, payment providers, and other financial entities.
"Moving forward, the two companies will continue to build within the same ecosystem, each tailored to meet the unique demands of their respective markets," Lubin added.