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Opera now supports in-browser crypto purchases with Apple Pay

The whole transaction takes about 30 seconds.

Opera has just made it a bit easier to purchase cryptocurrency. The browser -- which was the first to include a built-in crypto wallet -- is now letting users in the US and Scandinavian countries buy Bitcoin and Ethereum using a debit card or Apple Pay.

According to Charles Hamel, head of crypto at Opera browsers, the move is designed to help make blockchain technology more relevant and feasible. "In the past, obtaining cryptocurrencies was a cumbersome process that took hours or even days. When you compare it with this seamless solution, which takes less than 30 seconds, it really is a gamechanger," he said.

Cryptocurrency-focused features are increasingly becoming a unique selling point for what are typically considered "alternative" browsers to the likes of Chrome and Safari. Privacy-centric Brave, for example, is very pro-crypto.

Opera plans to introduce the crypto top-up feature in other countries soon. To be clear, in these uncertain times this is not a recommendation that you start investing in cryptocurrency, but if you're already comfortable with the hows and whys, this feature will certainly make the process more straightforward.