MetaMask Faces SSD Overload: Consensys Promises a Swift Solution

Blockchain company Consensys, the powerhouse behind MetaMask, has announced they’re on the point of launching a fix for his or her MetaMask browser extension. This update comes after users complained in regards to the extension’s penchant for filling up their solid-state drives (SSDs) with a whole lot of gigabytes of knowledge each day, potentially reducing their lifespan.

Disk Activity Drama Unfolds

In an exclusive chat with Cointelegraph, a representative from Consensys acknowledged that some MetaMask users have experienced unusually high disk activity. One particular user, often called ripper31337, highlighted the problem on June 24 through a GitHub bug report. They noted that fresh installations of MetaMask on browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Opera led to continuous background data writing, even when the extension wasn’t actively getting used.

According to ripper31337, this “abnormal disk writing” happened at a staggering pace of 5 megabytes per second, summing as much as 500 gigabytes each day. If left unchecked, this might accumulate to a whopping 25 terabytes over three months.

SSD Lifespan at Risk?

Typically, SSDs are built to last anywhere between five and ten years. However, excessive data writing could drastically shorten their life expectancy. Recognizing the urgency, Consensys swiftly responded by stating that a fix is on its way. They noted that while browser extension wallets often write data to disk, the extent of activity reported was removed from normal.

“The issue mainly affects users with unusually large state,” a spokesperson explained. Consensys is actively working on strategies to scale back the dimensions and frequency of those data writes.

Lingering Issues and User Frustration

Though ripper31337’s report was made in June, one other user, “Quanquan,” had already raised similar concerns back on May 9. They noticed that their Chrome browser on MacOS wrote an astonishing 100 gigabytes of knowledge in a single day with MetaMask enabled. Disabling the extension looked as if it would alleviate the issue.

More recently, on July 17, PopCatMAGA on GitHub reported that the problem persists, lamenting that it had reduced their SSD’s lifespan by half. “This is unacceptable,” they vented, urging for a fix.

Consensys’ Commitment to Resolution

In response to ongoing complaints, a MetaMask team member assured users that they’re diligently working on a treatment. The community is eagerly anticipating this fix, hoping to place the SSD saga to rest once and for all.