Opera browser debuts stablecoin wallet MiniPay in Africa

Opera’s new in-browser, non-custodial wallet runs on the Celo blockchain and targets the platform’s user base in Africa for P2P stablecoin transactions.

The web platform Opera revealed its plans to launch a non-custodial stablecoin wallet integrated into its mobile web browser which will be made available to its user base in Africa. 

On Sept. 13, the web services provider introduced the MiniPay wallet integration, built on the Celo blockchain, that allows users in Africa to send or receive stablecoins by using their already existing mobile numbers.

Exciting news live from @dappcon_berlin‘s mainstage! cc: @RegenRene @jorgenarnesen @afishinparis Charles Hamel & Rosette Belesi.

It’s finally here! We’ve partnered with global web innovator @Opera to launch @MiniPay––a first-of-its-kind stablecoin wallet built on Celo to onboard… pic.twitter.com/sEUp0yCKQe

— Celo (@CeloOrg) September 13, 2023

Opera began its operations in Africa 17 years prior and now has over 100 million users on the continent. The launch of MiniPay will begin in the coming months and first start in Nigeria.

Jørgen Arnesen, the executive vice president for mobile at Opera, commented that:

“Users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have indicated lingering concerns about high fees, unreliable service uptimes, a lack of transparency around transaction progress and a lack of access to mobile data.”

The new MiniPay wallet will operate with sub-cent fees, and onboard and backup wallets through users’ Google credentials. 

It also has integrated with local payment methods including Airtime and MPesa, along with traditional bank transfers to allow its users to add and withdraw stablecoins from the wallet into the local currency.

Arnesen told Cointelegraph that specifically for Africa they developed the Opera Mini browser as a “unique, data-saving technology that allows users to surf the web and gain access to information without having to expend a major part of their monthly income.”

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Celo also has a strong user base in Africa and says the integration “opens the door” for more Ethereum-compatible dApps to be built for MiniPay.

Arnesen also mentioned that as the product launches, MiniPay will support Mento stable asset cUSD or Celo Dollar, which tracks the value of USD, on Celo. 

“This way, we are not confusing users with multiple currencies at a time, as would be the case in a regular crypto wallet. “

In April of this year, Opera announced a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) integration into its then-latest browser update. The in-browser AI feature, called AI Prompt, gives users “contextual prompts” for web pages or highlighted text. 

Last December, it launched a suite of security tools with the aim to protect users against “malicious Web3 actors.”

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