Opera now lets users buy crypto from mobile browser

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Opera is the latest company to take crypto to the mainstream, following the announcement the firm will include the functionality to buy cryptocurrency alongside its wallet service on Android.

The firm has been notably bullish on cryptocurrency, having integrated a crypto app within its PC and mobile browsers in late 2018. Now, following a partnership with EU-based Safello, Android users will be able to buy crypto like ETH through their smartphone browsers.

The features have been rolled out to users in Denmark, Norway and Sweden initially. However, with Safello’s global reach, plans are in the works to take the scheme to a wider audience internationally.

You can now top up your #crypto wallet in Opera for Android in less than 60 seconds. Now available with @SafelloAB in Sweden, Norway & Denmark. Be the first to try it in beta: https://t.co/LAp7W08Krk#cryptoforall #web3 #OperaCrypto pic.twitter.com/ae04E4tKS4

— Opera (@opera) February 6, 2019

Users in each of the supported countries can already download and install the Opera app from the Play Store to test out the functionality for themselves.

Opera crypto lead Charles Hamel said the functionality would make it easier for Android users to buy and sell cryptocurrency directly from their device.

“We think that the next important phase for crypto will come from usage and that for it to reach wider adoption, it has to be easy to buy and easy to use. We believe that the browser will be the entry point for these use cases. Thanks to our partnership with Safello, we are taking one more step towards this vision,” Hamel said, according to Tech Radar.

With Android handsets dominating the smartphone landscape, Opera’s decision to support crypto is a step in the right direction. For the time being, users will only have access to ETH, which will limit the functionality considerably for everyday users.

But at a time when more merchants and consumers than ever are waking up to the benefits of crypto payments, it’s likely Opera will eventually onboard support for a broader range of cryptocurrencies.

As the cryptocurrency that remains truest to Satoshi’s white paper vision, Bitcoin SV (BSV) would be a prime contender for inclusion. Unlike ETH, BSV is actually designed to handle payments at scale, with fast processing times, low fees, and the capacity to support global mainstream adoption.

No doubt Opera will be looking at integrating cryptocurrencies more suited to payments in the near future. With more people choosing BSV every day, it remains the only obvious choice.