Opera releases Crypto Browser Project for Web3 experiences

Opera announces the release of Crypto Browser Project, its new browser available in beta version for Windows, Mac and Android, offering Web3 experiences. 

Opera’s Crypto Browser Project

Opera, one of the pro-crypto browsers, has released its Crypto Browser Project, a new web browser entirely dedicated to next-generation Web3 experiences that will make blockchain technologies understandable and easy to use. 

Opera is happy to unveil its new Crypto Browser Project, with beta versions of the new browser available for PC, Mac and mobile phones, delivering a new web experience with Web3 at its core. Learn more about what Web3 & the browser means to us: https://t.co/MHOwegeHWo pic.twitter.com/TuEYBXaXay

— Opera (@opera) January 19, 2022

“Opera is happy to unveil its new Crypto Browser Project, with beta versions of the new browser available for PC, Mac and mobile phones, delivering a new web experience with Web3 at its core. Learn more about what Web3 & the browser means to us: https://opr.as/r2gd“.

The new Opera Crypto Browser project will work with a variety of decentralized applications, or dApps, as well as more functionalities, compared to a traditional browser that has a basic web wallet add-on. 

Already available, there’s the Crypto Corner which gives access to the latest blockchain news, upcoming launches, a calendar of industry events, NFTs, cryptocurrency communities, educational content, podcasts and videos, as well as crypto prices, gas rates and market sentiment – all in one place.

Not only that, included in the project is the new native non-custodial crypto wallet that allows the user to access their cryptocurrencies or dApps directly from the browser, without installing any extensions. Also the added access to Web3 sites and dApps, will be possible directly from the address bar of the browser.

The test and the next steps

In addition to the features already available, Opera clarifies that this crypto browser is for testing, so as to progress with the next steps planned. 

At the moment, the Crypto Browser Project is available on Android, Mac and Windows. Once tested and ready, one of the next Web3 experiences that Opera intends to then add in the coming months will be Layer 2 support for growing networks. 

In its blog post, here’s how Opera describes its view of Web3:

“Thanks to the power of the strong encryption that blockchains provide, Web3 can finally provide a safe way for anyone to get involved in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies; from Decentralized Finance (DeFi) – where you are your own bank, to Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – the amazing new realm of Digital Art, and GameFi – where you can earn as you play your way through all sorts of metaverses. The Wide World of Web3 is now at your fingertips”.

The “pro and anti crypto” browsers

It was December 2018 when Opera launched its first web browser with an integrated crypto wallet based on the Ethereum Blockchain. 

Since then, it seems that the browser has been pursuing its dream of achieving Web3 support. In fact, over the years, Opera has since integrated other assets to its browser to allow users to send crypto and NFTs directly to other people or to make cryptocurrency top-ups seamless and available directly in the wallet. 

Not only that, Opera’s first web browser with an integrated crypto wallet also supports multiple blockchains like Bitcoin, Celo and Nervos and has formed new partnerships with Handshake, NEAR, Polygon and Solana.

Nothing like other “against crypto” browsers like Mozilla, maker of Firefox, which, earlier this month, suspended crypto donations in less than a week after its announcement, based on statements from one of its co-founders Jamie Zawinski calling the cryptocurrency industry a cause of environmental pollution. 

Or like browser maker Vivaldi who also comes out against the crypto sector, after its CEO Jon von Tetzchner explicitly published his idea about it, defining cryptocurrencies as a pyramid scheme.