Web3 Browser Brave Integrates Cardano Blockchain Into Its Native and Standalone Wallets

Update (May 13, 1:00 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add third-party commentary from Robert Roose.

Web3 and privacy-focused web browser Brave Browser has integrated the Cardano blockchain into its native and standalone wallets.

According to a May 12 announcement, the integration stems from a partnership between Brave Browser and Cardano development firm Input Output. Together, the two firms “will integrate Cardano into the Brave Wallet, enabling Cardano blockchain access and token management.” Brendan Eich, co-founder and CEO of Brave and the Basic Attention Token (BAT), said:

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Input Output and welcome Cardano to the Brave ecosystem. At Brave, we prioritize maximizing user choice and providing tools to engage with decentralized ecosystems.”

Eich said that this allows users to choose how they want to interact with the platforms they use.

With this integration, users of the Web3 browser and standalone wallet will gain direct access to Cardano’s blockchain without leaving the interfaces.

Brave had not responded to Cointelegraph’s request for comment by publication.

Robert Roose, founder of Cardano interoperability protocol Mynth, told Cointelegraph that “this is a fantastic moment” for the ecosystem. AHe saidBrave Browser support is “a huge step” toward making Cardano “more widespread and interoperable.

Roose also said that Cardano decentralized applications (DApps) are now “within easy reach” through the Brave Browser. He highlighted:

“This integration will enable users to seamlessly connect to Cardano dApps and fully participate in the vibrant ecosystem.”

Brave browser keeps expanding

Brave already supports the Ethereum and Solana blockchains. The announcement explicitly cites Midnight (NIGHT) as an ecosystem that would benefit from the support:

“The integration will also enable support for privacy-focused tokens and DApps on the Cardano blockchain, such as Midnight, which aims to bring privacy-preserving DeFi and Web3 services to a broader audience.”

Midnight is a privacy-focused Cardano sidechain. Input Output CEO Charles Hoskinson recently suggested that the network could also enable free transactions for non-fungible token (NFT) ticket holders.

Hoskinson explained that users would be given NFTs on sign-up, which would then give them the right to a certain number of transactions per day. This, he explained, would allow for use cases resembling those of the Web2 model:

“If you want to use it more, you can buy more tokens. It’s like any other subscription service.”

Mynth’s Roose said that Midnight “extends what Cardano can do,” and this was why his firm partnered with the protocol. He explained that “Mynth brings privacy-focused, interoperable crosschain swaps to the table, and Midnight brings private smart-contract interaction.”

Together, the two protocols allow Cardano users to enjoy heightened privacy levels. Roose said that more is to come, with projects bringing zero-knowledge proof-based solutions to the network as well.

The first collaboration in a long-term partnership

The announcement hints at more developments from the newly formed partnership between Brave Browser and Input Output. The post notes that the collaboration “sets the stage for future innovation around engagement with Cardano’s governance and Midnight.”

Eran Barak, the CEO of Midnight, told Cointelegraph in February that transparency, one of blockchain’s biggest selling points, also hinders widespread adoption and applications in fields like business and medicine. He said metadata allows individuals to be identified and tracked, hindering blockchain adoption.

The development of Midnight follows the team behind the Cardano ecosystem announcing a software toolkit allowing developers to deploy custom-built sidechains in early 2023.