Tether and Opera Partner to Expand USDT and Tether Gold Access Through MiniPay Wallet

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-02-03Last updated on 2026-02-03

Abstract

Tether has partnered with Opera to integrate its stablecoin USDT and tokenized gold product, Tether Gold (XAUT), into Opera's self-custody MiniPay wallet. This integration allows users in mobile-first regions to send, receive, and hold USDT, as well as convert balances into gold-backed XAUT to protect savings against inflation. The MiniPay wallet, built on the Celo blockchain, already had over 7 million active USDT wallets by December 2025, facilitating significant peer-to-peer transaction volumes. Following the announcement, Opera's stock surged 18% intraday. Tether's CEO emphasized the goal of making stable money accessible for everyday use, while Opera highlighted the growing adoption of digital dollars.

Tether has partnered with Opera to expand its Stablecoin USDT and its tokenized gold XAUT through Opera’s Mini wallet. After this announcement, the Opera’s stock has sharply risen to 18%.

With the new integration, Mini users can now send, receive, and hold USDT. They can also convert part of their balance into Tether Gold, which allows people to save digital dollars and protect the value using gold during high inflation. Tether said this helps people who need stable money for everyday use.

What is Minipay Wallet

Minipay is the self-custody wallet built by Opera. It runs on the Celo blockchain and is designed for a mobile-first region. By December 2025, over 7 million phone-verified USDT wallets were active, and the users processed more than 96 million USDT transfers in one month. Over 3.5 million peer-to-peer payments were completed. The Firm has introduced the Pockets features where the users can swap between USDT, USDC AND cUSD easily.

Users can now protect savings from inflation and have an alternative to holding only local currency with this update. They get access to gold without needing banks. Tether said that this option is especially useful in countries where people struggle to protect the value of their savings.

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, said that the goal is to make stable money simple and useful for people to send money and save in dollars. Jorgen Arnesen, EVP of mobile at Opera, said that millions of people are now using digital dollars for the first time. After the announcement, the Opera stock rose 18% intraday and closed the day up 3.5%.

Highlighted Crypto News:

Trump Says He Was Not Involved in $500M Abu Dhabi WLFI Deal

TagsMinipayOperaTetherUSDT

Related Questions

QWhat is the main purpose of the partnership between Tether and Opera?

AThe partnership aims to expand access to Tether's stablecoin USDT and tokenized gold XAUT through Opera's MiniPay wallet, allowing users to send, receive, hold, and convert between these digital assets.

QWhich blockchain does the MiniPay wallet operate on?

AMiniPay wallet runs on the Celo blockchain and is designed for mobile-first regions.

QWhat significant financial impact did Opera experience after this partnership announcement?

AOpera's stock sharply rose 18% intraday and closed the day up 3.5% following the partnership announcement.

QHow does Tether Gold (XAUT) help users according to the article?

ATether Gold allows people to save digital dollars and protect the value of their savings using gold during periods of high inflation, providing an alternative to holding only local currency.

QWhat are some key usage statistics mentioned for MiniPay wallet?

ABy December 2025, over 7 million phone-verified USDT wallets were active, users processed more than 96 million USDT transfers in one month, and over 3.5 million peer-to-peer payments were completed.

Related Reads

Global Stock Market's Storm Center: South Korea's Stock Market De-leveraging Is Largely Complete

Storm's Eye: South Korean Market De-leveraging Nears Completion The recent sharp correction in South Korean equities, with the KOSPI index dropping 32% from its June high, has been a key trigger for global tech stock volatility. The core driver was not a fundamental shift but a forced de-leveraging process within the market's unique structure, which is now largely complete. Two main leverage channels amplified the sell-off: 1. **Leveraged ETFs:** Their size, proportionally four times larger than in the U.S., peaked near $50 billion. Their mandatory daily rebalancing mechanism created a vicious cycle of "price drop → forced selling → further drop." Approximately 75% of this excess has been unwound, shrinking to $26 billion, with regulatory curbs now blocking new inflows. 2. **Hedge Fund Leverage:** Using swaps to magnify exposure, hedge funds saw their net long positioning fall by over 50% from peak levels. The most intense phase of this institutional de-leveraging is over. In contrast, **retail margin debt** poses minimal systemic risk. At 0.5% of market cap, it is far lower than in the U.S. or China, lacks automatic triggers, and is concentrated in smaller stocks. The conclusion: the high-leverage structures most prone to "chain-reaction selling" have been substantially cleared. The market is transitioning from a liquidity-driven crash to one priced more on fundamentals. The article argues that the AI trend—centered on Korean memory chips—remains intact. This episode represents a painful but necessary clearing of crowded trades, not the end of the AI revolution. For investors, the key question is conviction in the long-term AI direction; if the trend is real, current volatility is a cost of entry, not a terminal risk.

链捕手1h ago

Global Stock Market's Storm Center: South Korea's Stock Market De-leveraging Is Largely Complete

链捕手1h ago

The Eternal Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payment Has No First Principle

"The Enduring Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payments Lack a First Principle" Stripe is reportedly attempting to acquire PayPal, marking a significant shift reminiscent of PayPal's merger with the original X.com 30 years ago. The article analyzes Stripe's strategic challenges and the broader payments industry landscape. Despite its initial success with a developer-friendly API model, Stripe missed its optimal IPO window during the pandemic and has since seen its valuation decline. Its attempts to expand through acquisitions and new ventures, particularly in stablecoins (like its OUSD project) and Agent-focused payments (ACP/MPP protocols), have faced headwinds. The author argues that the payment industry remains highly fragmented and is ultimately an adjunct to the traditional banking system. This structure limits the potential for any single player, including Stripe, to achieve complete dominance. While stablecoins and the future rise of autonomous Agent economies present potential growth avenues, they are not yet mainstream and still require integration with the existing financial system. For now, Agent-based transactions are largely used for speculative "volume boosting" rather than substantive business applications. Stripe's current move to acquire PayPal is seen as an attempt to bolster its weak consumer-facing (C-side) business after its stablecoin-focused strategies faltered. Meanwhile, PayPal is described as structurally outdated, unable to revive itself through new products like Venmo or PYUSD. The future of payments may lie not in payments themselves but in value-added services like more efficient settlement networks. The author suggests that companies like Stripe and Circle, which are building their own blockchains (Tempo, Arc) and stablecoins, are positioning themselves to eventually profit from high-efficiency settlement systems. These new networks could potentially bypass some traditional banking layers. In conclusion, the article posits that third-party payment is a perpetually fragmented battlefield where scale alone cannot ensure victory. Players must find new models, focusing on efficiency to compete with the entrenched banking system. Stripe's acquisition of PayPal represents a bet on this uncertain future.

链捕手1h ago

The Eternal Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payment Has No First Principle

链捕手1h ago

Trading

Spot
活动图片