Brave launches free in-browser crypto wallet, with mobile support to come

Brave, the popular privacy-forward alt-browser, is now offering to streamline your digital life even further. Earlier this week, the company announced the introduction of Brave Wallet, a cryptocurrency storage system built into the desktop version of the browser itself, allowing users to utilize Web3 decentralized apps (dApps) without the need for additional plugins or extensions. Brave also promises that a mobile version of the wallet is coming in the near future.

“Unlike most crypto wallets, the Brave Wallet does not require extensions; it’s browser-native, reducing security risks and reliance on extra CPU and memory,” Brave’s designers explained in the blog post from Wednesday. Although browser extension crypto wallets are among the most popular means of storing funds, Brave’s native wallet purportedly decreases the chance of phishing and asset theft.

... And yes, it can store all your Bored Ape NFTs.

A host of other features — Brave Wallet also offers a number of other features designed to set it apart from the countless online crypto storage options out there. According to Brave’s blog, users will also be able to view live and historical market graphs via CoinGecko, price match for providers with built-in swap functionality, send / receive assets, buy fiat currency through Wyre, and import / export wallets through MetaMask, Brave’s pre-existing Crypto Wallets extension, and hardware wallets like Trezor or Ledger.

A track record to back it up — Brave is a relative newcomer within the browser market, but it’s already done a pretty great job of positioning itself as a go-to rival for established, privacy-minded options like Mozilla. Over the summer, Brave launched its own search engine alternative to Google, while nearly a year ago it offered users a newsreader that wouldn’t track their every move (what a concept!).

Brave Wallet sounds like another step in the right direction for the company. It still has a way to go before it can truly compete with the big names, but at this rate, it certainly seems like it has a chance.