A simple tap on a smartphone can now link millions of people in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to the global digital dollar economy. Stablecoin issuer Tether has teamed up with web browser company Opera to bring easier access to stablecoins in emerging markets through the MiniPay wallet app. The move is already paying off for Opera. On Monday, its shares jumped nearly 18 percent after the company announced that Tether’s USDT stablecoin will be added to MiniPay.
Opera, based in Oslo, watched its stock climb from $12.42 to $14.87 after revealing the partnership, eventually closing at $14.10—still up over 13% for the day. The integration puts USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin with $186 billion in circulation, in the hands of users who have struggled to access stablecoins.
The new partnership goes beyond USDT. MiniPay added Tether Gold, letting users convert their balance into gold-backed tokens with one tap. Gold prices rose by nearly 50% in 2025, making it an attractive hedge against inflation for households in economically unstable regions. “Financial inclusion is not just about technology. It’s about building systems that work for everyday life,” said Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s CEO.
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Numbers Point to A Mainstream Shift
MiniPay is one of the world’s largest self-custodial stablecoin wallets, with about 12.6 million activated wallets and 350 million transactions processed. The platform saw 50% user growth during Q4 2025, and December 2025 brought 300,000 unique USDT buyers—up by 33% from November. Celo, the blockchain powering MiniPay, went from 825,000 to 5 million users in 12 months—a 506% jump that made it the fastest-growing native USDT chain.
“Integrating USDT directly into MiniPay turns smartphone reach into real financial access,” said Jørgen Arnesen, Opera’s Executive Vice President of Mobile. “Millions of users are holding, sending, and saving in digital dollars for the first time.”
