Minipay, a dollar stablecoins wallet built inside Opera Mini browser, has surpassed over 1 million users across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya since its launch, according to an announcement made by Celo, the blockchain network it’s built on.

The wallet, launched last September, Minipay makes cross-border payment easier and more affordable for individuals across Africa by allowing them to send and receive stablecoins with their mobile phone numbers. By leveraging the over 150 million users in the Opera Mini browser who patronize the app for its data-saving capabilities and ability to run smoothly on low-end phones the continent is famous for, it’s making crypto accessible to the regular African. The Minipay app famously features a free data mode which will allow users with little mobile data or low latency to make transactions offline. This ease of access and lack of complexity can be attributed to its early success on the continent.

“With an easy onboarding process using Google credentials, MiniPay ensures that every user experiences prompt digital asset transfers and a smooth introduction to Web3 transactions. In contrast, many non-custodial wallets require users to be crypto-savvy. The most common reason people lose their digital assets is the complexities around key management – forgetting the secret recovery phrase and passwords,” a press release on the wallet’s launch reads.

Last November, MiniPay integrated Cashramp's API to allow its users to seamlessly convert stablecoins to their local currency, facilitating smooth cross-border transactions within minutes.

Stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency whose values are typically tied or pegged to the US dollar, are popular in Africa because they are seen as an efficient way to make payments. Stablecoin’s appeal on the continent revolves around facilitating low transaction fees; providing the ability to send money across jurisdictions for commercial trade, shoring up USD liquidity, and hedging against devalued currencies.

Minipay has expressed interest in building a decentralized ecosystem that will see the company introduce new dApp integrations & rollouts and plans to expand to new regions soon.