Beyond a “Legacy” Browser: Opera Now Lets You Transact in Bitcoin and TRON
Renowned web browser, Opera, has recently announced that the platform now supports transactions in Bitcoin (BTC) and TRON (TRX) cryptocurrencies within the browser. After being the very first web browser to integrate Ethereum (ETH) along with a crypto wallet in 2018, Opera is now sternly poised to become the first major browser to enable BTC transactions natively.
According to the announcement, Opera’s 350 million users can not only send and receive BTC, ETH, and TRX directly within the mobile and desktop browser but can also use TRON DApps on their smartphones, which are available in the browser’s built-in DApps store. Experts are of the opinion that this move from Opera could be pivotal in overcoming one of the major challenges in mainstream crypto adoption—accessibility. Buying and storing cryptocurrencies, even the most popular ones, often require complicated processes and installation of new software. By introducing three major digital assets to its browser, Opera today has enabled thousands of common users to transact in cryptos right from their Android browsers.
In the words of Opera’s Crypto Head, Charles Hamel,
The browser is the most ideal option to integrate cryptocurrencies as it is the gateway to a majority of services on the internet. 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.
The crypto project for Opera initially took off in December last year when the company launched a native Crypto Wallet and Web 3 explorer integrated into its platform. It marked a major leap from one of the web’s oldest applications towards its vision of a decentralized internet built on top of a blockchain. And in April 2019, the same functionalities were incorporated into the PC browser and, followed by the Opera Touch browser on iOS in June. The seamless user interface totally abolished the need for any third-party browser extensions or wallet applications to buy, sell, or ‘HODl’ cryptos.
Also, Opera’s huge user-base will be leveraged by TRON Foundation to deliver and promote its dApps to the millions of active users spanning across 120 plus countries. Justin Sun, CEO of TRON, believes this collaboration to be a significant milestone for his firm since Opera, undoubtedly is, one of the most valued software companies in the world. He said,
They are bringing security, privacy, and dynamic crypto capabilities to millions of users. We are proud to connect the largest blockchain ecosystem with the best web browser ever built.”
Standing today, however, there are still a number of significant hurdles facing Web 3 before it can reach wider adoption. These obstacles range from common users’ understanding of new terminology to complications in acquiring and transacting cryptocurrencies. Opera’s decision to add two major blockchains to its platform definitely marks a quintessential move towards the company’s strategy to make Web 3 more inclusive and user-friendly for everyone around the world.
