From static pages to a dynamic web3 presence

Consensys, the company behind the self-custodial MetaMask wallet and other web3 tools like Linea and Infura, has moved MetaMask.io to a Next.js and Vercel architecture. The shift addresses the growing demands of a site that needed to keep pace with rapid development across the blockchain ecosystem.

MetaMask.io previously relied on Static Site Generation (SSG) hosted on GitHub Pages. That setup worked in the early days but became a bottleneck as the product expanded. Deployments slowed, supporting dynamic content such as API events proved difficult, and the CMS couldn't keep up with internal development velocity. Even minor updates required manual intervention.

The decision to standardize on Vercel wasn't made in a vacuum. Consensys had already seen positive results using Vercel for other MetaMask projects, including MetaMask Learn. Extending that approach to the main site—using Next.js with Server-Side Rendering (SSR)—was the logical next step.

Rebuilding for reliability and scale

The migration targeted operational reliability first, ensuring the site could handle traffic spikes during product launches without issue. The new stack combines three primary components:

  • Next.js handles the frontend with dynamic rendering, giving the team granular control over performance and how content is served.

  • Contentful serves as the CMS, allowing non-developers to update content quickly without sacrificing flexibility.

  • Vercel manages CI/CD, hosting, global content delivery, and observability, so the team can deploy and monitor the site with limited infrastructure overhead.

The rollout followed a canary strategy: traffic was gradually increased from 1% to 100% over four hours. The process required no rollbacks, and the team saw gains across performance, reliability, and SEO.

How the architecture works today

MetaMask.io now runs on Vercel's edge network for static asset delivery, while Vercel Functions handle dynamic endpoints. Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) and smart caching enable richer content experiences and live data—such as token prices—that weren't feasible with the previous SSG setup.

The platform change also improved collaboration. Engineering, design, and content teams can iterate together using preview URLs with inline commenting and concurrent builds, reducing friction during QA and speeding up the review cycle.

"We've seen real improvements—not just in Core Web Vitals, but in how fast teams can ship. The dev experience is smoother, our infra is more resilient, and site performance has improved."

Nazan Kurt, Product and Engineering Manager for Web at Consensys

Measurable outcomes

The performance gains were immediate. Uptime improved, deployments became faster, and SEO results improved, with Speed Insights confirming the progress. Internally, teams across product, marketing, and design report faster workflows and more effective contributions.

With infrastructure no longer a constraint, Consensys can shift focus to building new features and scaling its web3 offerings rather than managing the platform underneath.