Opera browser, based in Norway has enabled cryptocurrency purchases on its mobile platforms to allow its US users to purchase both Bitcoin and Ethereum through the inbuilt browser crypto wallet.
For Apple iOS users, they will be able to use Apple Pay extension to purchase the same while their Android counterparts will be able to use their payment cards. This latest functionality has been made possible due to a partnership with US-based crypto-focused payments processor Wyre according to a press release published on Tuesday. The crypto users will only be able to make daily purchases up to a limit of $250.
Expectedly this is not a product targeted at large scale investors. As explained by Opera’s Head of Crypto Charles Hamel, the target audience is everyday cryptocurrency users and dApp developers.
“As our browser-based wallet is focused around the usage of cryptocurrencies on the web and using dApps, we expect the vast majority of transactions will not hit that limit,” Hamel told the media on Tuesday.
Opera is aiming to become the defacto browser for Web 3.0 users. To achieve this, the browser has enabled several features to help users use cryptocurrency and other blockchain-related applications on the browser without the need to download extensions. For one, the browser enabled a cryptocurrency wallet followed by a dApp browser that supports both Ethereum and Tron blockchains.
Crypto purchases have been a staple on the browser’s Scandinavian users for a while now which means Opera is aiming to expand its audience towards the West. The new service will also come with competitive cryptos purchase rates, according to Hamel.
As revealed, each transaction will attract a $0.30 fee plus an additional 2.9% of the value of the transaction with the maximum limit amount attracting a total of $7.55. Users will be able to purchase as little as $1 worth of crypto through the browser.
Opera has three versions of its browser – the Opera mobile browser for Android, The Opera Touch for iOS and Opera desktop browser and all of these will be able to support the new functionality.
“In the past, obtaining cryptocurrencies was a cumbersome process that took hours or even days,” Hamel commented on the purchase experience.
He touted the new service which, thanks to the seamless processes achieved by Wyre will enable purchases in less than 30 seconds. “It really is a game-changer,” he added.
A press release made available to the media on Tuesday reveals that Opera plans to roll out the same functionality to other jurisdictions “soon.”
