A Built-In Ethereum Wallet Just Got Added to Opera's Browser

Opera has announced the public release of its "Web 3-ready" Android web browser, which notably sports a built-in cryptocurrency wallet.

Previously available in beta, Opera for Android supports ethereum's ether and other tokens using the network's ERC-20 standard.

"Until now using cryptocurrencies online and accessing Web 3 required special apps or extensions, making it difficult for people to even try it out. Our new browser removes that friction," Charles Hamel, the product manager of Opera Crypto, said in a statement.

The firm opted to support ethereum because it has the "Largest community of developers building dapps and has gathered a lot of momentum behind it," according to Opera.

Opera's crypto wallet integrates the ethereum Web3 API, facilitating interactions with dapps.

Hamel said that, during the beta stage, Opera had received feedback from developers wanting to ensure their dapps works as intended in the browser.

As a result, "We have better stability and better dapp compatibility," he said, adding that the wallet is "Much more secure than a browser extension."

With the Android browser now available on the Google Play store, Opera plans add similar updates to its full desktop browser for Windows, Mac and Linux some time in 2019, while a developer version is already available for testing.

In October, Opera announced a partnership with blockchain advisory and financial services firm Ledger Capital to further explore blockchain technology.

At the time, the two companies said they were seeking new applications and use cases for blockchain, as well as "Growth opportunities" for the tech within Opera products.