Market News

MetaMask Users Frustrated as AWS Outage Disrupts Crypto Services

On a challenging day for the cryptocurrency industry, many users of MetaMask reported seeing zero balances due to an ongoing AWS outage.

The disruption primarily affected services that rely on Infura, a critical data provider that connects applications to blockchain data.

Platforms like Coinbase and OpenSea struggled to maintain functionality, particularly for users on the East Coast.

Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network backed by Coinbase, also faced operational issues stemming from the AWS outage, impacting transaction speed and reliability.

Despite claims of a resolution, AWS-related problems returned, leading to inconsistencies in transaction processing on various networks.

While frustrations grew among users reliant on supposed decentralized services, the incident underscored the reliance on centralized providers like Amazon Web Services.

Interestingly, as these issues unfolded, Ethereum gas fees dropped to nearly historic lows, going below 0.1 gwei, a stark contrast to previous rates.

This unusual turn provided a small silver lining for those who could still execute on-chain transactions amid the chaos.

As the day progressed, many crypto platforms remained unable to recover fully, leaving users eager for long-term solutions.

The events prompted conversations around the vulnerabilities within the crypto ecosystem, highlighting the continued dependence on centralized infrastructure despite decentralization ideals.