Foreign media reports that the CEO of the browser company Vivaldi, Jon, von, and Tetzchner, recently once again publicly criticized cryptocurrencies, targeting the rapid expansion of generative AI within browsers. This editorial report indicates that Vivaldi is still avoiding the integration of related products.
Once again criticizing cryptocurrencies
Jon von Tetzchner indicates that cryptocurrencies should have been banned at an earlier stage. The reason he gives is that such assets are used to exert excessive political influence.
The report mentioned that he has previously publicly opposed cryptocurrencies on multiple occasions, describing them as pyramid schemes disguised as currencies. He also believes that the extreme price fluctuations reduce the usability of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment, questions their practical application value, and criticizes the energy consumption associated with Bitcoin.
Vivaldi has not joined an encrypted wallet.
At the product level, Vivaldi has previously made it clear that it will not include a native encryption wallet in browsers. Jon, von, and Tetzchner believe that this could lead users to engage in high-risk activities, which are at best speculative and may involve fraud in severe cases.
This stance contrasts with Opera. Opera is a browser company co-founded by Jon, von, and Tetzchner. In recent years, it has actively promoted Web3 and encryption-related features.
Continue to avoid using the browser's built-in AI
In addition to cryptocurrencies, Jon, von, and Tetzchner have once again expressed their reserved stance towards the built-in AI assistants in browsers. The report mentioned that in August 2025, he stated that Vivaldi would not follow industry trends by transforming browsers into AI assistant entry points.
According to the company's statements at that time, Vivaldi would not integrate large language model chatbots, automatic summarization systems, or similar generative AI functions. By the end of 2025, Jon, von, and Tetzchner still claimed that internal company surveys indicated that Vivaldi users had a clear aversion to the built-in AI in browsers.
He also criticized other browser manufacturers for investing resources in AI assistants rather than improving traditional browser functions. According to Vivaldi, the company currently has over 4.2 million active users and more than 2.5 million community members.
