Opera, a popular web browser with a built-in adblocker and VPN, has added support for Bitcoin and Tron blockchains for its cryptocurrency wallet application, the company announced on its blog on Wednesday.
The company said the beta version of the Opera browser for Android [version 53] allows users to send and receive bitcoin and tron (both TRX and TRC10 tokens) and enables webpages to make transactions using bitcoin.
Hitherto, the Opera Crypto Wallet had only supported the Ethereum blockchain and ERC ether tokens.
By adding bitcoin and tron, Opera said in a press release on Wednesday, it would help ready the company to fulfil its Web 3 ambitions.
Getting Web 3 Ready
Web 3 aims to be a fully decentralized version of the internet running on blockchain technology. Matteo Gianpietro Zago, partner at Griffith Ventures and chairman of the Internet of Blockchain Foundation, describes web 3 in a post on Medium:
On the surface, the learning curve from 2.0 to 3.0 will be gentle. But behind the scenes, the framework connecting users with digital services are markedly different. Transactions are signed and verified manually, to prevent platforms from siphoning away personal information without due cause. Web users will opt in rather than trying — and often failing — to opt out.
Opera says on its blog post that in December 2018 it was the first major browser to include a native Crypto Wallet and web 3 explorer. It adds:
These new features let people make transactions and interact with the blockchain-based internet of the future, also known as Web 3.
Adding Bitcoin and Tron
The decision to add two major blockchain, Opera says marks a further step in its strategy to make web 3 more inclusive and user-friendly to people around the world.
Opera’s Crypto Wallet is only supported on devices with Android 6.0 or higher.
