Opera Launches its Crypto Browser

Opera today unveiled its Crypto Browser Project, with beta versions of the new web browser immediately available for PC, Mac, and mobile phones, delivering a new web experience with Web3 at its core.

The company originally launched the first web browser with an integrated cryptocurrency wallet and basic Web3 support back in 2018, but today’s beta release of the Crypto Browser Project marks the beginning of a new journey.

Lead, Crypto Ecosystem at Opera, Susie Batt in a web post wrote, “With today’s step, we are providing our users and the industry with a dedicated Web3 browser, backed by a strong product team and with the aim of accelerating the evolution of the next generation of the Web.

The Opera Crypto Browser Project is about more than just surfing traditional websites through a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s specifically designed to work with a variety of decentralized apps, or dApps, as well as provide deeper functionality than a traditional browser that has a basic web wallet add-on. This is possible thanks to a wide array of built-in, web3 focused features, as well as the inherent speed that Chromium already offers the suite of Opera browsers.

For starters, the Crypto Corner gives you access to the latest blockchain news, upcoming airdrops, an industry events calendar, NFTs, crypto communities, educational content, podcasts, and videos as well as crypto prices, gas fees, and market sentiment – all in one spot. 

The browser also includes a new native non-custodial crypto wallet which allows you to access your crypto or sign in to dApps directly from the browser, without installing any extensions. This provides additional security as both the browser and the wallet, which will be released as open-source soon, have been developed by the same trusted teams in Sweden and Poland. You’ll also enjoy Opera’s free, no-log browser VPN, native ad-blocker, and tracker blocker, but with the added access to Web3 websites and dApps – directly from the browser’s address bar!

“This experience will only get better as we progress towards the official launch of our browser in the coming months and as we add more features including Layer 2 support for growing networks,” Batt noted.

In setting up the Crypto Browser Project, Opera is also pursuing an inclusive, multi-chain strategy and embracing as many dApp and domain name partnerships as possible with the aim of making the use of crypto and Web3 seamless for its users.

The company has partnered with Polygon, Solana, Nervos, Celo, Unstoppable Domains, Handshake, and ENS, and is working on even more partnerships – with the goal of not focusing on one blockchain or token, but rather of working in a truly collaborative way that reflects the spirit of the Web3 community.

“Our ultimate goal is to integrate these blockchains and decentralized domain naming systems into our crypto browsers, allowing you to enjoy them all,” Batt added. 

How to get started

To try out Web3, you first have to download the Opera Crypto Browser on Android, Windows, or Mac (iOS coming soon). You can then create your Opera wallet or use an existing wallet if you already have one (the restore function).