Long a big fan of and a believer in the great value of competition in the marketplace, I recently found out about Rabby Wallet, a worthy competitor to MetaMask. For your own consideration of using it, I would like to share my experience with you!
In the eyes of many, long the "champ" wallet extension, MetaMask is a wallet I personally avoided using as long as I could. The UI leaves a lot to be desired IMHO. And over time?
Well ... It doesn't seem to be a high priority to ever make it any better ... With its support of my mission-critical Ledger, along with just about every DeFi site I would ever consider using, "resistance was futile" ...
Still, given its preeminent position, what would it take to "knock out" the Champ? Does Rabby wallet have what it takes?
- If an issue, don't let the somewhat whimsical name put you off or fool you! While "whimsical" to me, the name Rabby is likely an asset for attracting the younger generations ... 😉
Let's take a closer look ... 🧐
Quick Overview
Rabby makes no pretense about its objective. It wants to become your "go to" wallet and replace MetaMask.
As you are about to read, they have already made an outstanding start in reaching their objective.
In starting in to even considering Rabby myself, I thought "wait!" I don't ever recall seeing Rabby in the list of wallets listed, when you want to connect to a DeFi website. Right?
Well, of course, Rabby would have the same question. And they handled in a very straightforward manner:
You just click on MetaMask and Rabby responds! Wait a minute!? Why doesn't MetaMask respond? Right ... This is one important issue of which you want to be aware right away. Having both wallets active at the same time is problematic. "Best practice" is to only have one or the other active at any given time.
What? How do I do that @roleerob? Pretty simple. You go to the "Manage extensions" page on your web browser:
It is that simple!
- While you can also remove any extension, it is highly recommended that you do not do that. You will find instances where you'll want to temporarily switch MetaMask back "on," to accomplish certain tasks ...
Backing up just a bit, for a little broader overview, Rabby is intentionally linked to DeBank. I found reference to it myself, while following up on a LeoFinance discord chat I read where @pjansen mentioned DeBank. With time and favorable impressions from the interaction, I decided to check it out. 👍
By design, Rabby is an invaluable add-on to the use of the DeBank website:
By itself, you are likely to quickly find DeBank to be a "can't live without" website, given all it offers. Particularly, of course, if you are in any way involved or interested in all of the many DeFi platforms. As this is written (see illustration above), it offers you a "Portfolio" view summarizing an incredible 657 protocols on 14 different EVM-based blockchains. As you will learn in this post, Rabby is designed to be an invaluable aide to using this website to its fullest potential
Rabby is a Chrome browser extension (see links below, in "Additional Resources"), just like MetaMask. I personally do all in my power to keep Google at "arm's length," so pleased to report it works just fine on my preferred browser, Brave! 👍👍
Before providing you a closer look into what Rabby offers you, dear reader, I will ask you if you have ever heard of Rabby before? I had not and, once learning how impressive it is, wondered why that is the case?! 🤷♂️
I have no idea, but one of the primary reasons I am investing my time in writing this post is to do my small part to change that, for as many people as I can! 🙂👍🚀
Executing a Transaction
The whole point of having these wallets is to execute transactions with your crypto assets. Rabby has not only got nicer versions of what MetaMask offers, but ...
features which
MetaMask simply
does not have!
MetaMask simply
does not have!
Take a close look at these images above. First, we see a very clean interface, but with a lot of beneficial info for us to consider, before executing any given transaction:
- The total value change expected, from executing the transaction!
- The estimated cost of the transaction, along with the estimated time for completion.
- A multi-part ("behind the curtain") check for any known risks to you, before you execute the transaction!
As with MetaMask, Rabby comes us with a recommended gas setting. Depending upon the blockchain on which you are transacting, you will learn by experience how comfortable you are with this recommendation. It is very simple to change, if you are not comfortable, as illustrated above.
- The illustration, linked to a CubFinance transaction, is on BSC. I know from experience that a gas setting of 5 has literally almost never failed. The difference in value between 5 and Rabby's recommendation of 1 is not more important to me than just the "peace of mind" that the transaction is going to be executed without fail.
Like what you see illustrated above, my initial experiences with Rabby very quickly confirmed to me that it was my new "go to" wallet, as much as possible. There was just too much to like about the design and functionality of Rabby to ever "go back."
These details of executing a transaction are just the beginning. Many more "goodies" to follow!
Deeper Dive ...
With the relatively brief overview of this impressive wallet and executing all-important transactions covered above, let's take a "deeper dive" into some of Rabby's features:
From this opening screen, you quickly find it is quite interactive. You can do the following simply by clicking on it:
- Address Selector.
- Chain Management.
- "Auto" open DeBank to a "Portfolio" view of the wallet address in #1. Change the address in Rabby and the "synch" with DeBank changes this "portfolio" view to the new address automatically! 👍
- Open Send dialog screens to move assets between addresses, in your Contact list.
- Open Transaction history, with a very nice added feature to what we are all accustomed!
- "Auto" open the website linked to the selected icon, for your desired DeFi platform (placed here, once it has been connected ...).
As a nice added touch to #6, we see the website to which you are currently connected at the bottom! 😉 Also, as you can see, we are able to "star" our favorites! 🦁🚀
Let's look into each of these features a little bit more:
1 - Address Selector
We start with making sure we have the right address in focus:
Just scroll down and click on the address you want in focus and that's it! Much nicer than the comparatively "kludgy" way you have to select a different address in MetaMask, amirite? And, if you want to add a new address, click on the "Manage addresses" hyperlink at the bottom and it is very straightforward from there.
Note the icon's below each address. Rabby "knows" about any portfolio (presumably via its close link to DeBank) details you may have on each EVM-based blockchain and so displays each one of them in this view!
Not too bad huh! 👍 Well, check out this next section and how Rabby handles "chain management!" 👍👍
2 - Settings and Chain Management
Having "fought" for years with MetaMask's approach to this all-important feature of your wallet, I was immediately "wowed" by this feature. By itself, I knew that I was not going back to MetaMask, unless I had no alternative.
No more trying to find all of the intricate details to set up a new blockchain node. Rabby has you covered! 👍 Okay (pessimists / skeptics), but do they "keep up" @roleerob? Well, a very recent post by @revisesociology on the Cronos blockchain details what most of us are well acquainted with - how to manually and tediously set up MetaMask for accessing it. 🤔
Did I mention Rabby has you covered! Cronos is at the bottom (you have to scroll down, as it is not visible in the initial view) of the list, as it is the most recent entry. They are staying on top of the "latest, greatest!" 👍👍
3 - Launch DeBank
This is the only section of this post without any illustrations. By design. First, I will transparently and openly say I prefer to keep my affairs private and it is almost impossible to show what DeBank does with obfuscating most of it.
More importantly, this post is not really about DeBank, although I personally think you will not want to be without its impressive benefits. Particularly if you ware in anyway involved with DeFi (think CubFinance! And "soon," its Polygon "cousin!") And to get the "full effect," you will want to check it out yourself and have your own portfolio displayed for your viewing pleasure! Just type in your desired address and voilà!
As illustrated in the first image above, to open DeBank you simply click on the ">" to the right of your selected address. Not only that (they have thought of just about everything ...), if you change to a new address in Rabby, the "portfolio" view in DeBank automatically changes to it, as they are in "synch!"
With the use of Rabby, you'll never have to type an address into DeBank again!
4 - Send Function
A fairly common (for me, at least) function is the need to send some of your assets to another address. How does Rabby handle this?
The screen captures above illustrate the nicely laid out Send functionality of Rabby. If the address to which you want to send an asset is a common one, it is very simple to add it to your Rabby Contact List, as illustrated.
I don't know how this could be any easier.
5 - Transaction History Feature
Most of us are familiar with transaction history views and I won't be touching on that here, as Rabby, of course, provides you a list of your transaction history, for whichever address you have in focus (see #1 above).
But ... What if you have a pending transaction and you wish you knew what was going on "in there?" Particularly with a large (for you) sum at stake? Rabby, once again, has got you covered!
By clicking on a pending transaction, Rabby allows you to see in "real time" exactly what is going on with your transaction. Note that you see how many transactions are ahead of you for execution. This info is provided real time, i.e. it is continuously updating, so you can watch the "countdown" to when yours will be completed!
And, if you get "nervous" about how this is going, you can click on the screen and up your gas allocated to getting your transaction "across the line."
- I know this from experience, as I have tried repeatedly to figure out how to execute "somewhat" less expensive transactions on ETH. I have watched, when setting a lower gas value, to how the number of transactions ahead of me actually increases, when you haven't set your gas high enough, as higher "priced" transactions keep "cutting in front" of yours.
How cool is this feature! 👍🙂👍
6 - Open Desired DeFi Platform
How are you at organization? Are you one of those (like me) who hasn't "met" an organization aide he didn't like. I don't think you can have too many ...
Rather than you having to first manually open a web browser bookmark to the website of interest to you and then make sure MetaMask is connected to it, Rabby has them "built in!" 👍
Simply click on the desired DeFi platform of interest to you and Rabby "auto" opens it in a new tab on your browser. AND, of course, Rabby is both "auto" connected to it, after ensuring the focus of Rabby is on the app's corresponding EVM-based blockchain! Wow ...
As illustrated above, note that Rabby shows you the URL linked to each app. Just in case you haven't used it for awhile and not sure you can remember what the icon represents. There is an invisible selection square around each app and this info appears, once you hove over it.
And you also see a little icon, in the upper right of each app, showing the blockchain icon linked to them!
Rabby has really thought of just about everything!
Okay, a bit more info than an "intro," but I want to leave you, dear reader, with a good idea of how impressive I think this wallet is, for the average user. Particularly those interested in "jumping in" to the world of the amazing DeFi opportunities on all of the steadily increasing number of EVM-based blockchains.
Additional Resources
If you want to "dig a little deeper" into Rabby, while seriously considering adopting it for your own use, here is a list of resources:
- Rabby wallet website. Contains Discord (upper right) server invite link, to stay on top of all the latest developments / request new features.
- Rabby wallet link to the Chrome Web store.
- Rabby Release Announcement on 26 July 2021.
Note that last item, dear reader. Rabby's "launch" announcement was barely 5 months ago! Ask yourself how long MetaMask has been around? 🙄 By contrast, think about where Rabby may be even on its 1st anniversary! 💥
Closing
It is exciting to me that DeBank has obviously elected (from their own experience with the limitations of using it?) to invest "time and treasure" to build an alternative to MetaMask. How are they doing so far?
It seems rather obvious in places this effort is still in its relatively early days. That said, it has already shown me DeBank "has what it takes" to uhhh ... "knock out" ... the Champ! I love the way it has been built to integrate nicely with main DeBank website.
This "combo" has a great deal to offer anyone seriously committing time and money to the remarkable opportunities in the DeFi world. This wallet is literally barely a 5 months old.
The "coup de grâce?" As someone with some programming experience, when using some crypto apps, I have often wondered if the developers actually "eat their own cooking?" Yes, as a retired Business Systems Analyst, I fully understand the concept of MVP, but ... C'mon man!! 🙄🤷♂️
By contrast to MetaMask, Rabby has the "feel" of some very fine craftmanship in its coding. I do not believe you will be disappointed.
I’d love to hear any feedback you may be inspired to provide.
Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build up our Hive Communities and add increasing value to our Hive blockchain! 👍 😊
Respectfully,
Blogger @roleerob
Hive "Dolphin" 🐬, LeoFinance "Whale" 🐋, & Man Cave "Dragon" 🐉
P.S. I am not a financial adviser. Please consider this post as financial information and / or opinion only. Please perform your own due diligence, in whatever manner seems best to you, if you have found it to be beneficial.
P.P.S. Hmmm. ~ 3,171 words. 🙃 Well ... According to the latest great "stats" post by @dalz, I should be in great shape in 7 days ... 😉
"Thanksgiving Eve" in America, Thursday, 25 November 2021!
🌲 No trees were harmed in the publishing of this post! 🌲
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