Opera Launches Beta ‘Labs’ Version of Built-In Crypto Wallet for Desktop Browser

Opera is launching today a “Labs” beta edition of its desktop web browser with built-in crypto wallet functionality, according to an exclusive blog post shared with Cointelegraph Monday, September 24.

Opera first announced it would be integrating a built-in crypto wallet for its desktop browser in early August, and “Labs” is today open for private beta testers.

According to the blog post, the new edition will enable users to authenticate Web 3.0 and decentralized application (DApp) transactions made on their computer using their Android phone. “Labs” is therefore fully interoperable with the mobile crypto wallet that Opera first launched as part of its beta Opera for Android in July earlier this year.

Opera has emphasized that users are not required to setup a new wallet and can continue to securely store their wallet keys on the hardware of their phone. The paired mobile-desktop system will also take advantage of the phone’s system lock to secure transactions using fingerprint confirmations for both token transfers and DApp interactions.

As with the mobile app, the desktop client supports digital collectibles — non-fungible digital “things,” such as CryptoKitties or baseball cards — that users have been able to send directly between Opera crypto wallets as of September 7.

In July, electronics giant HTC reported that it would be releasing a smartphone, the HTC Exodus, containing a both cryptocurrency wallet and CryptoKitties later in 2018.

As previously reported, Opera’s interoperable mobile-desktop wallet works by enabling users to connect their desktop browser to their existing crypto wallet-enabled mobile app by scanning a QR code — a system that Opera has been using to synchronize desktop-mobile apps for several years, as for example, with its Whatsapp web client.

Opera’s web and mobile browsers have notably included anti-cryptojacking software as of January this year. In August, web browser Firefox announced it will being blocking cryptojacking malware in future versions of its web browser as well.