The Norwegian company behind an all-in-one dedicated web3 (crypto) browser with a built-in crypto wallet says it is adding support for a number of blockchain ecosystems, including Polygon, StarkEx and Solana.

Opera (NASDAQ:OPRA) launched its Opera Crypto Browser in public beta in January. It had offered an earlier crypto browser back in 2018, but this one features built-in dApp support, a non-custodial crypto wallet and a web3 startpage.

“Ever since we started in the Web3 space in 2018, we’ve been sealing partnerships with the most popular and cutting edge blockchains and web3 domain name providers in order to accelerate crypto’s evolution from proof of concept towards mass adoption,” said Jorgen Arnesen, executive vice president for mobile at Opera.

“Ultimately, Web3 is on its way to becoming a mainstream web technology and users won’t need to know they’re interacting with it. They need to get a superior user experience and a true benefit.”

Many crypto users interact with web3 apps using Metamask, the Chrome browser plugin. But to use anything other than mainnet Ethereum — where transactions can be quite expensive — Metamask needs to be configured manually, a multi-step process.

“The average web user may still be hesitant to dabble with Web3, but with the integration of Solana, Polygon, and others in our mobile browser, they can now access these technologies from the safety and familiarity of the browser that provides them with a dedicated Web3 experience,” Arnesen said.

 

Polygon highlighted

The other blockchains being integrated into the browser are Axie Infinity’s Ronin blockchain and IXO. It had already linked up with Ethereum, Bitcoin, Celo, Nervos and the Starkware-powered DeFi solution DeversiFi.

Opera mentioned the Ethereum scaling solution Polygon specifically as a key strategy to onboard millions of users to web3. Polygon is fast, scalable, ultra-low-cost and environmentally friendly, Opera said.

The browser includes a direct fiat-to-crypto on-ramp that lets users purchase Polygon’s MATIC tokens while bypassing mainnet Ethereum, as well as make peer-to-peer transfers on Polygon.

“After another year of explosive growth, Web3 is on the verge of going mainstream. However, to attract mainstream audiences, Web3 needs a Web2 makeover — both in terms of user interface and user experience. That’s where Opera excels. Our Crypto Browser Project makes access to the decentralized web as smooth and enjoyable as Opera users already enjoy with Web2,” said Susie Batt, crypto ecosystem lead at Opera.

“By integrating Polygon, we are removing the last road-block of high gas fees and slow transaction speeds and opening our community of users up to Polygon’s thriving ecosystem of dApps.”

Polygon’s VP of growth, Arjun Kalsy, said that the project and Opera share a common goal of mass adoption of “Block technology.”

“The speed at which Opera is moving to make Web3 accessible is incredible,” he said.

 

Opera stats

Overall Opera has five different browsers, including one for gamers and Opera Mini, a minimalist browser.

Globally, Opera’s browsers have a 2.2 per cent market share, according to Statcounter. That makes Opera the sixth most popular browser, just behind Samsung Internet.

Opera currently has a Crypto Browser for Windows, Mac and Android, with an iOS version coming within a few weeks.

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