Published on juli 5, 2024, 12:30 am
Image source: Fox News
```json [ { "TLDR": "Opera Mini's MiniPay app has reached three million users, integrating USDT and USDC stablecoins for asset swapping within its wallet through a feature called Pockets. The app aims to simplify asset swapping in Web3 with minimal fees, no hidden charges, and a drag-and-drop mechanism. It has experienced significant growth in Africa, offering self-custodial services and access to decentralized applications (DApps)." } ] ```
Since its inception in September 2023, Opera Mini’s MiniPay app has garnered an impressive three million users. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the realm of cryptocurrencies.
Opera, a prominent technology conglomerate, is enhancing its cryptocurrency wallet within the Opera Mini mobile browser by integrating the two largest stablecoins in the market – Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC. The MiniPay wallet, which is based on stablecoins and offers self-custodial services, is introducing a new feature called Pockets. This innovation allows for seamless one-click swaps between the Celo dollar (cUSD) and the newly integrated stablecoins.
With Pockets, users of MiniPay can effortlessly transition between USD Coin (USDC), Tether (USDT), and cUSD with minimal fees and no hidden charges. This functionality streamlines asset swapping in Web3 by facilitating easy transitions through a drag-and-drop mechanism.
Jørgen Arnesen, the executive vice president of Mobile at Opera, emphasized that this feature simplifies the process of swapping assets within Web3, enabling users to switch between all three stablecoins efficiently without concerns about gas fees.
MiniPay was launched on the Celo blockchain in September 2023, utilizing Mento’s stablecoin cUSD pegged to the US dollar. Initially introduced in Africa, MiniPay aimed to assist local communities in sending and receiving stablecoins via mobile numbers. Concerns over high transaction fees, unreliable service uptimes, lack of transparency in transactions, and expensive mobile data costs prompted this initiative.
In addition to Pockets, MiniPay unveiled a Discover Page featuring decentralized applications (DApps) integrated into the wallet. This page organizes various native DApps to provide users with direct access to tools such as Universal Basic Income protocols, savings applications, and games.
Since its launch, MiniPay has experienced remarkable growth with over three million wallet activations across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa – establishing itself as one of the fastest-growing digital wallets on the African continent.
Arnesen highlighted Africa’s status as a mobile-centric region with a youthful population and widespread smartphone adoption. Currently dominating as the most downloaded mobile browser in Africa with nearly 100 million users indicates Opera Mini’s popularity within this market segment.
Africa emerges as an area of increasing interest in cryptocurrency adoption due to its young demographic profile and rapid population expansion. Notably, countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Ghana showcased substantial Bitcoin adoption rates in 2023 according to BitcoinAfrica.io data analysis.
This evolution underlines Africa’s growing influence in driving digital asset adoption globally as it showcases immense potential for further development within cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology sectors.
Original article posted by Fox News
