Metadata sync across wallets

[mvaivre]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Metadata aren't shared across wallets: address labels and colors, contact list etc.

Describe the solution you'd like
I'd like to be able to easily sync metadata between my wallets.

Describe alternatives you've considered
Manually recreating metadata... which would be a pain.

Some initial ideas
We could offer :

• A metadata file export function. The user would manually export and import the metadata file. Decentralized, but not ideal in term of UX.
• Centralised metadata server managed by Alephium. Best UX (always in sync), but centralised. However, we could provide a Docker image to allow users to run their own metadata server.
• Export / import metadata file from GDrive/iCloud (a la Argent, used for backing up private keys). UX would be improved, be this would require the user to have an account and this is a new dependency on external services.
• Payload sync through WalletConnect. As we're going to add this bridge mechanism, this could be an easy way to sync metadata across 2 wallets. But this would require manual syncing.

Feel free to add elements to this list. Looking forward to your feedback.

[lf94]

I like the first option the most, but we can iterate with cloud backup or even storing settings on the blockchain (in that order probably).

[mvaivre]

Adding the sesame team to the discussion! Welcome guys 🙌 @gilles-hemmerle @olivierb2

Both our teams would benefit from a flexible metadata storing solution, so let's brainstorm a bit.

[LeeAlephium]

I think we could offer both the file export and WalletConnect transfer. The WC transfer could have a rogue WC entity which is capturing everyone's data, so that's a concern. I wouldn't recommend it in high risk cases but for everything else we can... and I think it'd be great UX. Imagine being able to just transfer your desktop wallet to phone via a simple picture... I don't know anyone which is doing this.

[mvaivre]

This sounds good yeah! A "sync accounts" a la Whatsapp web.

[nop33]

The WC transfer could have a rogue WC entity which is capturing everyone's data, so that's a concern.

Not sure exactly how WC internally works, but we could encrypt the data using the seed. Since the seed is available on the other devices, it would be able to decrypt the data and WC knows nothing at the end.

Imagine being able to just transfer your desktop wallet to phone via a simple picture

Hm, this would require the seed to be transfered through WC, which doesn't sound like a good idea. Unless of course we have a button in the desktop wallet that creates a QR code of the mnemonic so that the mobile wallet can scan it and import it. Together with this QR code we could attach the metadata. No WalletConnect in between. This could be done completely offline. The desktop shows a QR code, you scan it with your phone, wallet gets imported and metadata copied. No internet required. We anyway expose the mnemonic to the user through the user settings, why not a QR code as well for easy transition to the mobile wallet?

Then, of course, the metadata would live in 2 different wallets and managed separately, but that's fine and expected.

[mvaivre]

Just FYI, I've been experimenting with QR codes a bit. I've been able to store quite big JSON object as a code, and scan it very easily with my phone.

We could use this kind of offline transfer of info to share metadata, and/or to ease the storing / importing of mnemonic.
I'll create some concepts around that idea.

[mvaivre]

Idea to transmit more info (metadata): successive QR codes being shown in a sequence, as Ledger does it.

[nop33]

@mvaivre now that we have the "import from desktop wallet" feature in the mobile wallet, do you think this issue is still relevant?