MiniPay, a stablecoin wallet built on Celo by the agentic AI and browser company Opera, is connecting USDT (Tether) to real-time payment systems in Latin America. The “Pay like a local” feature, powered by Noah, enables users to pay directly to local shops through Mercado Pago and PIX using their stablecoin balances.
Opera announced the update during the Ethereum Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it is now available for the MiniPay wallet’s over 10 million users. The Noah-powered “Pay like a local” feature connects to the users’ MiniPay balances through Mercado Pago in Argentina and PIX in Brazil.
In Argentina, Mercado Pago’s digital wallet has over 72 million active users and a 68% market share in the country’s payment ecosystem. In Brazil, the dominant financial “operating system” PIX is used by 76% of the population and processes 80% more transactions than credit and debit cards combined.
By connecting to both, Opera says MiniPay is providing a bridge for digital dollar holders and travelers to pay like locals in economies where foreign cards often fail. Opera is using the new feature to enable instant utility for crypto users in these markets.
Spark says this is about unlocking true spending power
Murray Spark, the Head of Commerce at MiniPay, said his company is turning a stablecoin into a powerful and reliable tool for local spending. He added that this is about unlocking true spending power and delivering the smooth payment experience that travelers in the region want. Spark emphasized that the new feature will bridge MiniPay users’ stablecoin balances to the payment infrastructure that is central to Latin America’s commerce.
Spark said that with the new feature, users will initiate transfers in MiniPay, see the quoted amount in USD, and MiniPay will handle the conversion and disbursement in local currencies (Brazilian Real or Argentine Peso) through the Noah integration. He further noted that MiniPay helps avoid card rejections, hidden fees, and unfavorable exchange rates. It also delivers a fast, transparent, and predictable way to spend stablecoin balances locally.
Spark also said MiniPay will now enable users to send and receive USDT with sub-cent fees, no gas management, and a phone number-linked experience. All these new real-time payment methods were rolled out during Devconnect, enabling a majority of crypto users attending the conference to make local payments.
MiniPay plans expansion with El Dorado and Alfred integrations
MiniPay also plans to integrate El Dorado, a P2P on- and off-ramp partner in the region. El Dorado helps users convert local fiat currency into USDT in minutes. It also facilitates instant money transfers and transparent pricing across six countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
Opera also stated that Alfred will complement this footprint with compliant liquidity and cash-in/cash-out options across Latin America. Meanwhile, Paytrie, a Canadian MSB registered with FINTRAC, links Canada into the network to enable low-cost cross-border transfers between Canada, the U.S., and Latin America.
Opera claims MiniPay is expanding its on- and off-ramp coverage in Latin America by onboarding the two additional ramp partners. The multi-ramp approach will provide users with consistent options to transfer value between local currencies and stablecoins across LATAM.
Julia Syzndzielorz, Opera’s Director of Global Comms, also said support for PIX payments via QR code is set to be rolled out in the near future. The integration is designed to allow users to scan local QR codes and pay from their MiniPay wallets, instead of converting to USDT manually or relying on centralized exchanges (CEXs). Syzndzielorz pointed out that her company’s latest moves reflect a focused shift in the direction of crypto, away from speculation and toward real-world utility.
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Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/operas-minipay-mainstream-stablecoin/
