Opera has proposed amending its commercial agreement with the Celo ecosystem to receive 160 million CELO tokens in lieu of the US dollar–denominated quarterly cash payments it currently gets. The change would require approval from Celo’s on-chain governance community before it can take effect.
If the proposal is approved, Opera would tie its compensation more directly to Celo’s network performance and become one of the largest institutional holders of CELO. Celo is an Ethereum-aligned, mobile-first protocol that emphasizes payments and stablecoin transfers in emerging markets; it transitioned from an independent layer-1 to an Ethereum layer-2 last year.
Opera said the token-based arrangement reflects its belief in the long-term value of the Celo ecosystem. The two companies have worked together since 2021, when Opera integrated Celo-native stablecoins into its browser wallet. Their collaboration has increasingly focused on MiniPay, Opera’s self-custodial wallet built on Celo. Opera reports MiniPay has grown to about 14 million users and concentrates on stablecoin payments in emerging markets; in November MiniPay added integrations with Latin American real-time payment rails such as PIX and Mercado Pago.
Other blockchain-native firms similarly hold protocol tokens connected to the services they provide. For example, ConsenSys has exposure to Ether through infrastructure like MetaMask, and Blockstream maintains Bitcoin holdings while building products around the network.
Opera’s deeper tie to Celo comes as the company reports solid financial performance. In February Opera reported fourth-quarter revenue of $177.2 million, up 22% year‑over‑year, and adjusted earnings of $41.9 million, representing about a 24% margin. Full-year revenue was $614.8 million with adjusted earnings of $142.5 million. The company also announced a $300 million share repurchase program. Opera’s Nasdaq-listed shares have risen more than 21% over the past month, trading near $15 per share and valuing the company at roughly $1.3 billion.
The proposed token payment would shift Opera’s exposure to the upside and downside of CELO’s market value and network health, aligning incentives but also increasing crypto price and protocol risk for the company. Any change would only proceed after Celo’s governance process and community vote.
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