Someone took Wallet, mixed it with Chromium and called it a Web3 Browser

We’re assuming you know what a Web3 means, if not — TL;DR it's an internet made out of blockchains, everything is people-owned, volunteer-ran, open-source and clunky at times. Think «Bitcoin + Facebook + Twitter».   

‍

Essentialy, in Web3 Space you need 3 out of 4 things to feel comfortable: 

1. A tool to operate your crypto on all levels, be it sending, receiving, converting, swapping, trading, minting, burning or staking;
2. A way to interact with smart-contracts and dApps without breaking the immersion, aka «don’t need to pry open the smart-contract code in order to do things». This implies you should be able to trigger or deploy a smart-contract on your own, via a web interface or a standalone tool; 
3. Toolset to make, store, share and trade NFT’s, which are a crucial part of Web3 gaming and socializing. You don’t realize it, but NFT’s are used not only for avatars, but also for Web3 in-game gear and virtual assets like a VR villa in Decentraland;
4. Ideally, a buil-in tool to scrap the on-chain data, but that’s a far fetched stretch.

‍

If you really want to go over the top and beyond — you’d need a custom-build RSS feed to track updates across your facourite chain repositories. 

‍

While VPN is not necessary in Web3, it’s useful to bypass restrictions: Opera GX and Brave come with pre-installed ones, other browsers support Browsec, NordVPN and so on. 

‍

Do you need crypto mining in your browser to feel comfortable in Web3 Space?

• Not necessarily. Browser mining is a questionable feature — you don’t know who operates the mining scripts run by browser. If in doubt — opt out of it, otherwise use WireShark to track web traffic after installation to check if you’re not a part of the botnet. 

How to make Google Chrome — or any other — a Web3 Browser? 

There are 4 ways to get a valid Web3 Browser; 

1. Use Chromium engine, basically copypaste the Google Chrome, make minor tweaks and call it a day. That’s how you get Brave, Puma or Beaker Browser, which are a reskined Google Chrome, but with Web3 specific tweaks. Good if you need something that «just works» and has the tools to explore Web3 space. 
2. Make a standalone browser based on non-Chromium tech, that works with Blockchains natively. We’re talking Status, Osiris, Metahash, and Theta Edge. On the other side of this spectrum is Firefox (and Waterfox), Tor Browser, Pale Moon and GNOME Web (also known as Epiphany). At this point you’re going to spend some time on tinkering, but it’s worthwhile: alternatives to Chrome really respect your privacy and personal data, such as search behaviour or content preferences; they don't sell your data right away if you're not ok with that. 
3. Look for alternatives to mainstream browser engines, and you’ll find Opera GX with built-in wallet, Falkon KDE Browser, Midori, Konqueror and Dooble. 
4. Download a bunch of extensions which can turn your current browser into a Web3 one (it’s actually the easiest way); There’s a number of Web3 tools to help you out: Metamask, Nifty Wallet, Tronlink Pro, MathWallet, Keplr Wallet, Liqualiy Wallet, Yoroi (for Cardano fans), Phantom, Nami, Terra Station, Polkadot.js, and even Tezos Extension. They’re all cross-browser, so you can get them on most mainstream ones free of charge. 

‍

To become the Web3 browser Edge only needs a Torus Wallet or Metamask, not the Chrome. 

‍

How to tell if your browser can support Web3? There’s 2 signs your browser should be able to do so: 

1. There’s a dedicated Extension shop — look it up, chances are high that someone already made a solution to your specific task; 
2. Your browser supports JavaScript, or allows to install TamperMonkey to run custom user scripts; 

‍

How to make your current browser into a Web3 one? Here’s 4 easy steps: 

1. Download a dedicated extension, like Nifty Wallet, Metamask or Tronlink and install it; You can find them for Chrome, Firefox or Opera, and if not – just drag and drop extension file from Chrome store into any Chromium based browser.
2. Go through installation, generate a wallet, protect it with password and backup the seed phrase;
3. Install Adblock Plus, add «EasyPrivacy», «EasyList», «Adblock Warning Removal List» and «I don’t care about Cookies» from the official subscriptions repository;
4. If you want, grab a VPN, so you can enjoy full anonymity while browsing the Web3 space;

‍

What sets Web3 Browser aside from regular — Web2 — one? On a surface level marketing teams all across the world want you to think otherwise, but Chromium-based browsers are not a «Web3 Native». True Web3 Browser has to be built with on-chain tech in mind and should be able to browse not only the Regular Web, but also the decentralized Web natively, without added extensions. That’s not an easy task, so crypto folks find their ways to get more out of less.