Opera’s ambition
30 March 2022, Opera made an announcement that it will add support for 8 blockchain ecosystems: Polygon, Solana, Bitcoin, StarkEx, Ronin, Celo, Nervos, IXO. This new integration with a focus on layer-2 blockchains is “a key strategy in Opera’s mission to remain chain agnostic and seamlessly onboard millions to Web3 and to do so in an environmentally-conscious way.”, according to a blog post on its official website.
Among these 8 ecosystems, Polygon was chosen for its lower fees while “still leveraging Ethereum’s robust decentralization and security.”
It just takes a few buttons for Opera users to access numerous decentralized applications of top blockchains in the world. With Polygon’s support, they can access over 7,000 Dapps. Solana, on the other hand, will integrate top NFT marketplaces and decentralized exchanges such as Radium.
According to Jorgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera, the average internet user may be skeptical of Web3 technology, “but with the integration of Solana, Polygon, and others in our mobile browser that can now access these technologies from the safety and familiarity of the browser that provides them with a dedicated Web3 experience.”
The long-term benefits
In the long run, the integrations should have a big impact on the whole ecosystem. Opera has more than 200 million mobile users, which makes it a big player in the ecosystem. Exposure to Web3 could lead to a big rise in cryptocurrency use.
When the crypto market was slowing due to Bitcoin’s decline in value in 2018, Opera surprised everyone by being the first web browser to be integrated with a cryptocurrency wallet. It continued to launch another project, called Crypto Browser Project, providing users with Dapp support and a comprehensive crypto experience.
Solana and Polygon both experienced a rise in value following the announcement. SOL gained 4% over the last day and 25% in the week and Polygon is now being traded at $1.67.opera-to-add-support-for-8-blockchain-ecosystems