Binance

Popular web browser Opera has announced an integration that will allow users to transact and make payments in bitcoin directly through its Android browser.

The new features are the finalization of a beta announced on July 10, 2019, which first allowed users to send and receive bitcoin (as well as TRON) from its Crypto Wallet product, a cryptocurrency wallet built into the Android version of Opera.

Before that beta release, the Crypto Wallet within Opera’s Android browser only provided support for ether and other ERC-20 tokens. The addition of bitcoin better positions the browser to gain a foothold in a rapidly growing Web 3.0 market.

Users will interact with the Bitcoin blockchain through the built-in Opera Crypto Wallet, essentially making it possible for Android users to transfer and receive bitcoin directly from the browser.

Beyond enabling bitcoin transfers, Opera’s Android wallet supports bitcoin payments for goods and services. Opera users who have a bitcoin credit/debit card associated with their funds can also connect it with the wallet and use it for bill settlement.

The bitcoin wallet for Android users is designed to synchronize with the Opera browser Reborn 3 for desktops, ensuring users can enjoy a consistent experience across platforms. Opera launched its desktop browser with a built-in crypto wallet in April 2019.

Bitcoin on Android First, Then Beyond?

“The browser is the ideal candidate for integrating cryptocurrencies as it is the gateway to so many things in the user’s life,” said Charles Hamel, the head of crypto at Opera

“Content, shopping, financial transactions, social media — adding the ability to upload and download value for all of these use cases is very powerful. Opera is the only browser with this capability.”

While this update only applies to Opera’s Crypto Wallet for Android users, Opera has a history of rolling out products for Android users as a precursor to doing the same for iOS users, so it is likely that bitcoin functionality will be coming to iOS as well.