Web platform Opera has announced plans to launch a stablecoin wallet integrated into its mobile web browser, targeting users in Africa. The new wallet aims to increase financial access by allowing users to convert and withdraw stablecoins into local currencies through local payment methods and bank transfers. This move could also attract more interest in the Celo blockchain and open doors for Ethereum-compatible dApps.
Opera Introduces New Service “MiniPay”
On September 13, web services provider introduced MiniPay wallet integration, built on the Celo blockchain network, allowing users in Africa to send and receive stablecoins using their existing mobile phone numbers. Opera started its operations in Africa 17 years ago and currently has over 100 million users on the continent. The launch of MiniPay will begin in the coming months and will be first available in Nigeria. Jørgen Arnesen, Vice President of Mobile at Opera, stated:
“Users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have expressed concerns about high fees, unreliable service working hours, lack of transparency in transaction progress, and lack of access to mobile data.”
The new MiniPay wallet will operate with commissions below one percent and allow users to open and back up their wallets through their Google credentials. It will also integrate with local payment methods such as Airtime and MPesa, as well as traditional bank transfers, enabling users to add and withdraw stablecoins to and from their wallets in local currencies.
MiniPay Developed for Data Savings
Arnesen mentioned that they have developed Opera Mini browser specifically for Africa, providing a unique and data-saving technology that enables users to browse the internet and access information without having to spend a significant portion of their monthly income. Celo also has a strong user base in Africa, and the integration is said to open doors for more Ethereum-compatible dApps to be built for MiniPay. Arnesen also stated that when the product is launched, MiniPay will support Mento stable asset cUSD or Celo Dollar, which tracks the value of USD, in Celo.
“This way, we don’t confuse users’ minds with multiple currencies at the same time, as in a regular crypto wallet.”
In April of this year, Opera announced a new productivity artificial intelligence (AI) integration in its latest browser update. The in-browser AI feature called AI Prompt provides contextual prompts for web pages or highlighted texts to users. In December last year, Opera also launched a security tools package to protect users against malicious Web3 actors.
