Opera browser broke into the IPFS ecosystem with 360 million users
The world's first Web 3-ready browser introduces seamless support for the distributed web with IPFS support.
Opera was the first browser to introduce Web3 functionality and a built-in crypto wallet in its mobile and computer browsers.
The Norwegian company has now added some new features that take the blockchain browsing experience to the next level. It is reported that Opera currently has 360 million users worldwide.
Users of Opera for Android get a glimpse into the future: After rolling out seamless crypto wallet top-ups to Scandinavia and the US, Opera is now expanding it to the rest of the EU, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Switzerland.
Opera users can now also support access to future distributed networks through the IPFS protocol, which makes us rethink the way we access data online.
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Removing Barriers to Mainstream Cryptocurrency Adoption
Opera was the first browser to introduce Web3 functionality and a built-in crypto wallet in its mobile and computer browsers.
The Norwegian company has now added some new features that take the blockchain browsing experience to the next level. It is reported that Opera currently has 360 million users worldwide.
Users of Opera for Android get a glimpse into the future: After rolling out seamless crypto wallet top-ups to Scandinavia and the US, Opera is now expanding it to the rest of the EU, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Switzerland.
Opera users can now also support access to future distributed networks through the IPFS protocol, which makes us rethink the way we access data online.
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Go from zero to encrypted in less than 30 seconds
Wyre's solution on Apple devices (available in Opera Touch for iOS) works with Apple Pay, allowing accounts to be topped up in less than 30 seconds. In Opera for Android, you can easily use cards like Revolut directly in the browser.
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Simplify sending and receiving with personal .crypto addresses
Opera will also work with Unstoppable Domains, an Ethereum-based blockchain naming system.
Blockchain domains are similar to .com or .org domains, with the main difference being that they are stored on a decentralized public ledger (Ethereum). Registering a .com or .org domain allows people to easily access web addresses without having to type long IP addresses. A .crypto domain or wallet address works in much the same way to provide this experience on the blockchain. In practice, this means that having a .crypto domain name simplifies wallet addresses.
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Decentralized Cloudless Storage
Web 3 is not just about enabling dApps or value transfer on the web, it is about rethinking the way we access data online. IPFS is one of the important new Web 3 protocols making this possible.
IPFS is a protocol that allows you to store data on the web without being dependent on a single server or a specific cloud service. How does it work? Instead of asking the network for the address/location of the file, the browser can ask the network for the file using a cryptographic hash (which is unique to the file).
IPFS then takes care of delivering the file to the browser wherever it is stored. Each network node stores only what it is interested in, along with some indexing information that helps determine which node is storing what.
When looking for a file to view or download, one asks the network to find a node that stores the content behind a given filename. However, there is no need to remember the hash, as each file can be found by a human-readable name using a decentralized naming system such as Unstoppable Domains or the Ethereum Name System (ENS).
This means files and websites can be stored and accessed in a decentralized and secure manner without relying on a single server, similar to BitTorrent's truly cloudless form of storage. Opera has partnered with Protocol Labs, a major player behind the development of the IPFS protocol, to integrate this experience into Opera for Android.
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The browser of choice for millions
The Opera browser for Android is the leading challenger browser and the choice of millions of people around the world who prefer Opera to the simpler default browser. In the second half of 2019, the browser saw a 40% year-over-year increase in the number of global monthly active users.
The Opera browser for Android also has over 3 million reviews registered in Google Play, giving it an average rating of 4.6 stars.
In countries like Germany, Android's Opera browser recently took the No. 1 spot in the social and communication apps category, according to the 2020 State of Mobile report from AppAnnie.
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About Opera
Founded in Norway in 1995, Opera provides browser and AI-driven content delivery solutions to 360 million people around the world. On Dec. 13, it launched its first blockchain-enabled browser. Opera is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol OPRA and the ticker symbol OPRA.
Opera for Android is available for download from the Google Play Store.
