A Norwegian company named Opera is releasing a browser-based Ethereum wallet for use on Android smartphones. Known as Opera Crypto, the cryptocurrency wallet is being shown to interested users via a private beta release. (The sign-up is on Opera’s website).
About Opera
In 2015, Opera released its first Android browser in an attempt to grow its user base. It now holds a 4.5 percent market share in the mobile browser market. While relatively small, Opera boasts 322 million users worldwide across all its platforms. The company is increasingly getting involved in the cryptosphere, having included anti-cryptojacking software in their web and mobile browsers. And being “open source,” it’s one of the few browsers that can embed a crypto wallet (outside of Chrome).
Ease of Use
Cryptocurrency fans will be excited to discover that the wallet is exceptionally user-friendly. Smartphone users need only tap a QR generating button to send or receive cryptocurrency. Its wallet also enables users to purchase goods directly from online stores via its integration with Coinbase (the browser’s currency converter supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin). As Opera Crypto’s product manager Charles Hamel has stated, “Our hope is that this will accelerate the transition of cryptocurrencies from speculation and investment to being used for actual payments and transactions in our users’ daily lives.”
Finally, the wallet does not require any additional app or extension to operate. Instead, Android secures the wallet’s holdings with its system lock, eliminating the need to retain a lengthy passphrases. All of which promotes ease of use and will thus serve as a boon to merchants and content creators.
Dapp-Friendly
Developers will also appreciate Opera Crypto’s capability to deploy the Ethereum Web3 API. The API can communicate with remote Ethereum network nodes and thus supports tokens and crypto-collectibles (the app presently supports ETH, ERC-20 tokens and ERC-721 collectibles).
So it’s relatively easy for users to interact with ethereum-based dapps. Indeed, Opera Crypto displays a shortcut to several dapps within its browser, including Crypto Racing League and CryptoGoods.
Boost to Web 3.0
Opera Crypto is also helping to implement Web 3.0. The latter term denotes what is expected to be a decentralized internet built upon the ethereum blockchain. Already, WeFund and other dapps are being created in anticipation of Web 3.0. Opera Crypto’s new user-friendly browser, built-in crypto wallet, and access to multiple dapps lead the way in this respect. More importantly, such technology lowers the entry barrier for neophyte crypto users.
As Charles Hamel explains, “We believe the web of today will be the interface to the decentralized web of tomorrow…By becoming the first major browser to open up to Web 3.0, we would like to contribute to making the internet of the future more accessible.”
Being on a smartphone, Opera Crypto will enable cryptocurrencies to become more mainstream in the near future. It will also set the stage for the future use of crypto. Ethereum users have much to look forward to.
