The web platform Opera announced its plans to launch a non-custodial stablecoin wallet integrated into its mobile web browser, which will be 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 using their 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 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, starting in Nigeria.
Jørgen Arnesen, the executive vice president for mobile at Opera, said:
“Users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have expressed concerns about high fees, unreliable service uptimes, lack of transparency regarding transaction progress, and limited access to mobile data.”
The new MiniPay wallet will have sub-cent fees and allow users to onboard and backup wallets using their Google credentials.
It will also integrate with local payment methods such as Airtime and MPesa, along with traditional bank transfers, to enable users to add and withdraw stablecoins from the wallet in the local currency.
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Celo also has a strong user base in Africa and states that the integration “opens the door” for more Ethereum-compatible dApps to be built for MiniPay.
Cointelegraph reached out to both companies for further comments on the development.
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, provides users with “contextual prompts” for web pages or highlighted text.
Last December, Opera launched a suite of security tools aimed at protecting users against “malicious Web3 actors.”
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