Today leading web browser firm Opera announced it has added in-browser support for Bitcoin (BTC) and TRON (TRX) cryptocurrencies. It will be the first major browser to allow transactions in BTC natively, after being the first to integrate Ethereum and a crypto wallet in late 2018.
One of the crucial boundaries in blockchain-based currency becoming mainstream is accessibility. This is especially true of Bitcoin, the first and most popular cryptocurrency. Buying and storing it can require complicated processes and the need for new software. Opera today has enabled the user to transact in BTC in its Android browser.
As Charles Hamel, Head of Crypto at Opera browsers, put it: “The browser is the ideal candidate for integrating cryptocurrencies as it is the gateway to so many things in the user’s life. Content, shopping, financial transactions, social media – adding the ability to upload & download value for all of these use cases is very powerful. Opera is the only browser with this capability.”
Opera first integrated blockchain in December last year, as announced by Hamel, when the Android version was updated to support Ethereum-based decentralized apps (DApps) and payments.
Back then, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin commented: “It’s a significant step for one of the world’s leading browsers to add an Ethereum-based crypto wallet and Dapp explorer, and speaks to Opera’s innovative roots and commitment to embracing next generation technology.”
Aiming to be at the forefront of Web 3, the decentralized web, the firm extended Ethereum blockchain functionality to Opera for PC in April. It further added VPN support and synced with the Android wallet, so users could store keys and identify themselves safely from their smartphone. As of June, Ethereum could be used in the iOS version.
Now, the most widely used cryptocurrency can be sent and received in Opera for Android. The firm claims it’s just as easy to send Bitcoin as an image. The TRON blockchain is mostly used for DApps, which can also now be accessed in-browser. Furthermore, Ethereum and Bitcoin can be sent to pay for goods or services through an e-commerce website.
“We believe that opening our browser to more blockchains, including Bitcoin, is the logical next step to making our solution more relevant to anyone who has a Bitcoin crypto wallet and would like to do things with their cryptocurrencies beyond just keeping them in an account,” added Hamel.
