Stablecoin issuer Tether and browser maker Opera have teamed up to broaden access to dollar-linked digital assets in emerging markets through Opera’s MiniPay wallet.
Tether said it is adding support for USDT (USDt) and Tether Gold (XAUT) in MiniPay, Opera’s self-custodial wallet built on the Celo blockchain. The move targets users in regions such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, helping people access dollar-denominated stablecoins for savings and transfers.
“Tether’s mission has always been to provide simple, reliable access to stable value for people who need it most,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said.
Opera reports MiniPay is available in 60 countries, with 12.6 million activated wallets and 350 million transactions processed. The wallet saw 50% user growth in Q4, driven mainly by adoption in emerging markets.
MiniPay’s mobile app for Android and iOS requires only a phone number to activate. Across integrations, more than $153 million was sent or received through MiniPay in December, highlighting demand for stable, dollar-based payments in mobile-first regions.
In addition to USDT, MiniPay supports Tether’s tokenized gold, XAUT, positioned as an inflation-resistant savings option. XAUT reached an all-time high near $5,600 in late January alongside spot gold. CoinGecko data shows a circulating supply of about 712,747 XAUT and a market capitalization near $3.4 billion.
Despite regional demand, overall stablecoin market capitalization and exchange flows have weakened amid a broader crypto downturn. CryptoQuant reported that after two years of expansion, total stablecoin market cap began falling in December. Analyst Darkfost noted net stablecoin-to-exchange inflows “have been largely wiped out,” describing an initial sharp decline of $9.6 billion followed by more than $4 billion in outflows.
“Recent months clearly reflect a rise in risk aversion, or even capitulation among later entrants, who have chosen to withdraw their stablecoins from exchanges,” the report said.
Crypto markets overall have dropped roughly 38% from their October peak when total market capitalization reached about $4.4 trillion.
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