Opera's mobile browser, Opera Mini, is upgrading its cryptocurrency wallet MiniPay to include two of the world's most popular stablecoins - Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC.
Users can switch between USD Coin and cUSD with minimal fees. The process uses a simple drag-and-drop motion.
Jørgen Arnesen, Opera's executive vice president of Mobile, explained the feature. "It abstracts assets swapping in Web3," he said. "Users can effortlessly swap between all 3 stablecoins."
Just to remind you, MiniPay was launched in September 2023 inside Opera Mini browser and run on the Celo blockchain. It uses Mento's cUSD, pegged to the US dollar. A kind of an own stablecoin, to be precise.
The wallet initially targeted African markets. Opera said from the beginning that the browser wallet aimed to facilitate stablecoin transfers using mobile numbers.
Arnesen discussed the rationale behind this focus. "We recognized the significant potential of blockchain-enabled peer-to-peer solutions within the continent," he stated.
He noted common concerns among consumers. These included high fees, unreliable services, and lack of transparency in local payment options. All of that is supposed to be overcome by Opera's wallet built in the popular browser.
MiniPay has also launched a Discover Page for decentralized applications (DApps). It organizes native DApps, providing direct access to various tools.
Since its launch, MiniPay has seen rapid growth. It has over three million wallet activations across several African countries.
Arnesen highlighted Africa's potential for digital asset adoption. He cited its young population and widespread smartphone use.
Opera Mini is the most downloaded mobile browser in Africa. It boasts nearly 100 million users.
