Tether and Opera Expand Financial Access Through MiniPay

Tether and Opera expanded support for USD₮ and Tether Gold within MiniPay, Opera’s self-custodial wallet built on the Celo blockchain. 

The companies stated the update is improving stable, dollar‑denominated access to value and savings for millions of users across emerging markets. 

USD₮, with a market capitalization of more than $186 billion, remains the most widely used digital dollar. Its integration into MiniPay allows users to send, receive, and hold USD₮ with a tap.

Opera reported that MiniPay has become one of the largest self‑custodial stablecoin wallets globally. 

As of late 2025, the wallet had more than 12.6 million activated accounts, 350 million transactions, and an estimated 3.64 million on‑chain users. 

In Q4 2025 alone, MiniPay saw 50% growth in on‑chain users, driven by rising USD₮ adoption across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

MiniPay also reached 7 million phone‑verified USD₮ wallets, with 300,000 unique USD₮ buyers in December, up 33% month over month. Celo became the fastest‑growing native USD₮ chain over the past year, rising from 825,000 to 5 million users.

In December 2025, MiniPay users initiated more than 96 million USD₮ in transfers and more than 3.5 million peer‑to‑peer payments. 

Users added more than $49 million in cash to MiniPay through local partners including Fonbank, Partna, Daimo, Cashramp, Binance, and Bybit, connecting regional markets to Tether’s liquidity network. 

Across all integrations, more than $153 million in USD₮ was sent or received through MiniPay during December.

“Tether’s mission has always been to provide simple, reliable access to stable value for people who need it most,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. 

“By supporting USD₮ and XAUt0 in MiniPay, we’re helping create tools that make digital assets genuinely useful, whether for sending money, saving in dollars, or protecting value in gold. Financial inclusion is not just about technology; it’s about building systems that work for everyday life.”

“Integrating USD₮ directly into MiniPay turns smartphone reach into real financial access,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera. 

“Millions of users are now holding, sending, and saving in digital dollars seamlessly, often for the first time. MiniPay brings stable, on‑chain money to the people who need it most.”

MiniPay also supports Tether Gold through XAUt0, a token representing ownership of physical gold. 

Users can convert balances into XAUt0 with a tap, maintaining liquidity while accessing a traditional store of value.

The companies said the expansion reflects continued demand for stable, digital dollar infrastructure across mobile‑first markets. 

The integration of USD₮ and XAUt0 into MiniPay adds additional options for users seeking access to dollar‑denominated balances and asset‑backed tokens within a self‑custodial environment.