Popular web browser Opera Mini has launched a new dollar Stablecoins wallet called Minipay. Built into the Opera Mini browser, Minipay, a blockchain-based wallet built on the Celo blockchain, will enable fast transfers with low fees. Minipay intends to make it easier and more affordable for individuals across Africa to acquire and send or receive stablecoins, by simply using their mobile phone numbers.

Opera Mini, boasting over 150 million active users, is popular in Africa due to its data-saving capabilities and ability to run smoothly on low to mid-end phones-which are especially famous on the continent.

Minipay’s wallet will automatically store user funds in a value tied to the U.S. dollar, allowing them to send their local currency to recipient wallets for a transaction fee of less than ₦1. The Minipay app will also feature a free data mode which will allow users with little mobile data or low latency to make transactions offline. By allowing users to sign up with their Google accounts and link user wallets to their phone numbers, Opera said it intends to deliver a seamless Web2 to Web3 journey for millions of Africans.

“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,” said Opera in a press release on its official website.

According to Opera, the creators of Opera Mini, by leveraging the unique benefits of Celo’s mobile-first infrastructure, it’s setting a new standard in the consumer-grade wallet experience, starting with rapid and seamless P2P stablecoin payments.

A partnership with leaders in the payment industry supporting g local payment methods such as Airtime, MPesa, Bank Transfer, or Cards, Opera reveals, gives Minipay its simplicity. Opera describes MiniPay as a non-custodial wallet, which doesn’t touch any traditional banking rails but relies on local partners so users can add and withdraw stablecoins from their wallet into their local currency.

With a large ecosystem of users on the Opera Mini browser app and Celo’s technology, which is acclaimed for its fast and transparent transactions, the duo pledges allegiance to improving financial inclusion on the continent.

“We are thrilled to unveil MiniPay, a cutting-edge partnership between Opera and the Celo Foundation that addresses existing concerns around how payments are made in the region. Users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have indicated that there are lingering concerns about high fees, unreliable service uptimes, a lack of transparency around transaction progress, and a lack of access to mobile data. This partnership therefore represents a pivotal moment in the world of digital finance, with the ability to send, receive, and ultimately earn money in a permissionless way,” said Opera’s executive vice president (EVP) Mobile, Jørgen Arnesen.

It's worthy of note that this isn't Opera's first foray into mobile payment, it incubated and invested in Opay, one of Nigeria's largest mobile payment platforms.

Launching first in Nigeria, Minipay will be available to Opera Mini users across Africa within the coming months, Opera said in the press release.