Not long ago I was fantasizing about a browser for us crypto enthusiasts. It would have all the tools integrated and it was made by a coiner for a coiner. Got to have dreams. Well, just recently an ad for Opera's Crypto Browser caught my eye and I just had to download it and see what's so "crypto" about it.
Experience the world’s first Web3 browser, with additional privacy and security. Get access to Web3 DApps, a native non-custodial crypto wallet, and powerful Opera features.
Ok. This was the first thing I read on the official page and to me, it sounds like it's written for people who have just heard that Web3 is the next big thing and want to buy their first NFT.
By doing a bit more research, I began to think that this could be an honest push to introduce defi to the masses and perhaps make it less intimidating for beginners. Here's a quote from a blog by the Opera Crypto Ecosystem lead, Susie Batt:
If we are to take Web3 beyond great ideas, we need to craft products that embrace both crypto enthusiasts who understand the space and those who are only starting and want to explore it.
Nothing wrong with that. It seems that the project has been launched first in 2018 and relaunched in January 2022 and is now in the beta stage.
Closer Look
So after downloading and installing it I opened the browser and noticed that I'm on the starting page called Crypto Corner. There are market values of different crypto currencies moving slowly from right to left. By clicking the settings button next to them I can customize which currencies there are displayed. Added HIVE. Easy and fast.
When I start scrolling down the page I can check out the latest news. Elon is there of course. Then there are links to some of the biggest crypto news services, podcasts, and Youtube videos. Scrolling down more to the calendars section which includes upcoming airdrops, events(mostly AMAs), and TG, Discord, and Reddit communities. After that, there are the most known NFT marketplaces. At the bottom of the page, you can explore DAOs and watch educational videos.
Sidebar
On the left is the sidebar which is totally customizable. I chose to add Discord, Whatsapp, Telegram and Twitter. I kinda like the setting where they are all next to each other and they open up in smaller windows, not full screen.
There is also a player which you can choose to play music from Apple Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal or Youtube Music. Cool thing is that it is also located on the sidebar... I always accidentally close the tab from where my 80s retro synthwave playlist is playing.
Screen Capture Tool
One other thing that I found might come in handy for especially content creators is the integrated screen capture tool which you can find in the right corner of the search tab. To me, it seems much more intuitive compared to a basic print screen option. You can still move and scale the area after taking the picture. You can also make a meme out of your picture right before saving... if that's your thing.
Uploading pictures is also made pretty user-friendly. I used to waste time searching for some of the recent screenshots in the jungle that is my desktop. Opera CB shows your clipboard and downloaded pictures in a clear latest first order.
Ape Board
I updated the browser while writing this and noticed that the Ape Board logo appeared on the sidebar. Just by copying your Metamask address to Ape Board, you can see your whole portfolio across the chains plus history and analytics. This is also nicely opening up in the small window. I'm beginning to like this browser more and more!
Pinboards
This can also be found on the sidebar and is like a scrapbook/notebook type of solution. You can add pictures, notes, and links from where ever you are surfing. From the snapshot tool I mentioned earlier, you can also send pictures to pinboards for later use. If I will get comfortable using this feature I think it will at least help to keep my messy desktop cleaner.
Performance, Privacy & Security
Opera has its own extensions too but Chrome ones seem to work fine. I installed Hive Keychain and tested Crypto Browser with PeakD, LeoFinance, and Splinterlands. PeakD and LeoFinance pages and posts were loading faster than with Brave, however, I have been having some issues with Brave speed so it could be just at my end. Splinterlands battles had some twitching even though all the elements loaded easily. Perhaps something to do with the refresh rate.
For privacy and security, Crypto Browser has ad- and tracker blockers and a free VPN which you can toggle on or off on the search bar.
Just like Brave, Crypto Browser has its own integrated crypto wallet. I didn't create one because Metamask and Hive Keychain are enough for me. It seems to support Ethereum, BNB, and Polygon networks among others.
Final Thoughts
To answer the question of how "crypto" this browser is, yeah, it's pretty crypto. There have obviously been developers approaching this from the crypto enthusiast's perspective. When I was writing this post and at the same time getting to know Crypto Browsers' features, I came to the conclusion that because of some of its agile features it is actually pretty damn good for content creators!
I'm not abandoning Brave but instead I think I'll use them side by side in the future. After such a short test I cannot say much about the overall performance but if there aren't any major issues, I will definitely be using this one for my content creation.
Thank you for reading!
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