Tether Launches MiniPay Integration and Open-Source Bitcoin Mining Software

TLDR

• Tether partners with Opera to add USDT and Tether Gold support to MiniPay wallet app for users in emerging markets
• MiniPay operates in 60 countries with 12.6 million activated wallets and processed 350 million transactions
• Over $153 million was sent or received through MiniPay in December, showing strong demand for dollar-based payments
• Tether releases MiningOS, an open-source Bitcoin mining operating system under Apache 2.0 License
• MiningOS scales from home setups to industrial operations without requiring expensive third-party vendor dependencies

Stablecoin issuer Tether announced two major initiatives on Monday to expand financial access and Bitcoin mining infrastructure. The company is integrating its USDT stablecoin and Tether Gold into Opera’s MiniPay wallet app. At the same time, Tether released MiningOS, an open-source operating system for Bitcoin miners.

The MiniPay integration targets users in emerging markets across Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. The wallet app is built on the Celo blockchain and requires only a mobile phone number to activate. It is available on both Android and iOS devices.

MiniPay Wallet Expansion

MiniPay currently operates in 60 countries worldwide. The platform has 12.6 million activated wallets and has processed 350 million transactions to date. The wallet saw 50% user growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, with most new users coming from emerging markets.

In December alone, more than $153 million was sent or received through the MiniPay app. The figures demonstrate growing demand for stable, dollar-based payments in mobile-first regions. Users can now access both USDT for savings and transfers and Tether Gold XAUT for inflation-resistant savings.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company’s mission is to provide simple and reliable access to stable value for people who need it most. The tokenized gold asset XAUT reached an all-time high of $5,600 in late January. This moved in tandem with spot gold markets.

XAUT has a circulating supply of 712,747 tokens. The market capitalization stands at $3.4 billion according to CoinGecko data. The real-world asset provides users with digital exposure to physical gold holdings.

While demand remains strong in emerging markets, overall stablecoin metrics show different trends. Total stablecoin market capitalization began declining in December after two years of expansion. Net stablecoin-to-exchange inflows have turned negative with more than $4 billion in outflows.

CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost noted that recent months reflect a rise in risk aversion. Later market entrants have chosen to withdraw their stablecoins from exchanges. The broader crypto market has declined 38% since reaching a total market cap peak of $4.4 trillion in October.

Open-Source Mining Software Release

Tether also announced the release of MiningOS on Monday. The open-source Bitcoin mining software is designed to work for users ranging from hobbyists to large-scale institutions. The modular and scalable operating system aims to simplify Bitcoin mining operations.

The company first announced plans for the mining OS in June of last year. Tether said the goal was to let new Bitcoin miners enter the market without relying on expensive third-party vendors. MiningOS is released under the Apache 2.0 License and is free to use, build on and improve.

The software provides a self-hosted mining architecture that communicates with other devices via an integrated peer-to-peer network. A platform accompanies the service to let miners adjust settings based on their scale and output requirements. CEO Paolo Ardoino said MiningOS can scale from a home setup to industrial grade sites across multiple geographies.

MiningOS is built on Holepunch P2P protocols. This means no centralized services, no backdoors and no third-party dependencies according to Tether. The software is designed for compatibility with a wide range of mining infrastructure.

Jack Dorsey’s Block also released an open-source Bitcoin mining stack. However, Block’s software is designed to work specifically with its own mining hardware. Tether’s approach allows for broader compatibility across different equipment types.

The MiningOS release represents Tether’s continued expansion beyond stablecoins. The company made several investments across 2025 in areas including tokenization, artificial intelligence and decentralized finance. Tether has also increased its holdings of gold and Bitcoin.

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