Opera rolls out its Ethereum-based desktop browser (but only to testers)

Following up on its promise from August, Opera is finally rolling out a desktop version of its specialized browser with a built-in cryptocurrency wallet – but only to a select group of beta testers.

Among other things, the browser lets you handle your funds on the Ethereum blockchain and natively browse decentralized apps (dApps) on its network. The company is calling the crypto-equipped browser Opera Labs to distinguish it from its flagship offering.

While regular users will have to wait for the official release, those with early access can now pair their desktop wallet with the one on the Opera mobile browser for Android. This means that anytime you want to sign a transaction or a message on Ethereum, your phone device will prompt you to confirm with your fingerprint.

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Opera says that the associated wallet private keys are stored on the “hardware of your mobile phone and are never transmitted.” This is a fairly secure way of storing cryptocurrency, but there are better ways to keep your funds safe than a smartphone.

As we noted in our previous coverage, Labs currently supports Ethereum-based currencies and applications. A spokesperson for Opera told Hard Fork the company is certainly interested in expanding its crypto-features to other blockchain networks, but stopped short of revealing any further details.

Opera told Hard Fork approved testers can expect to receive invitations to the Labs desktop version anytime now. And for the rest: you will have to wait a little longer.

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