Opera launches Crypto Browser beta that's all about the blockchain and cryptocurrency

Opera Crypto Browser
Opera Crypto Browser (Image credit: Opera)

What you need to know

  • Opera just announced the beta version of its new Crypto Browser.
  • It is a dedicated Web3 browser that's built with the decentralized internet in mind.
  • The Crypto Browser is available in beta for PC, Mac, and Android.

Opera announced a new browser today that's built around Web3 and the decentralized internet. The Crypto Browser is available in beta on PC, Mac, and Android starting today. An iOS version of Opera's new browser is also on the way. Opera highlights that its new project is a dedicated browser build for Web3. The browser features a native non-custodial crypto wallet that lets people access crypto and use decentralized apps without having to use an extension.

The term Web3 refers to a stage of web development. As the name would suggest, Web3 follows the footsteps of Web2 and Web1. Web3 is touted as more secure than previous versions of the web. The largest difference is that when building content for Web3, apps usually run on the blockchain rather than a single server. In some cases, people can earn cryptocurrency by helping host content.

An in-depth explainer by freeCodeCamp dives deep into Web3 if you want to learn more.

Web3 is built around crypto and the decentralized internet. Browsers that support Web3 have native support for decentralized applications, also known as DApps. Web3 also supports decentralized finance (DeFi). These terms are still foreign to many general browsers of the web, which is an issue Opera is trying to address. Opera explains that it wants to make blockchain technologies understandable, and its new Crypto Browser is part of that effort.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.