Opera Spins Off Stablecoin Wallet MiniPay as Standalone App in Africa

Opera, the Norwegian tech company known for its browser and early investment in Nigerian fintech giant OPay, is deepening its fintech play in Africa with the launch of MiniPay—a standalone stablecoin wallet aimed at simplifying digital money transfers across the continent.

Previously embedded in the Opera Mini browser, MiniPay has now broken off into its own lightweight app, available on iOS and Android, and is already showing strong traction in key markets like Nigeria and Kenya.

MiniPay Hits the Ground Running

The app, quietly launched on the Google Play Store in December 2024, has surpassed 500,000 downloads, reflecting demand for easy-to-use, low-cost crypto solutions. MiniPay supports popular dollar-pegged stablecoins such as USDT, USDC, and cUSD, with peer-to-peer transfer fees under $0.01—a critical selling point in regions with high transaction costs.

According to Opera, the wallet has amassed 7 million users, many of whom were first onboarded via Opera Mini. That foundation is fueling rapid growth as the standalone version aims to cater to Africa’s growing appetite for stable, inflation-resistant digital currencies.

Opera’s Fintech Footprint in Africa Deepens

This isn’t Opera’s first foray into African fintech. The company still holds a 9.4% stake in OPay, one of Nigeria’s leading digital finance platforms, with its share valued at $258 million as of 2024. With MiniPay, Opera is leveraging its regional experience to tap into the continent’s accelerating crypto adoption, particularly the rise of stablecoins.

Opera is not alone. Fellow African fintechs Flutterwave and Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa) have also joined the stablecoin race, recently announcing partnerships with Circle Payment Network, the infrastructure behind USDC.

Regulatory Clouds on the Horizon

As stablecoin usage grows, so does regulatory scrutiny. Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now classifies crypto assets as securities, though it has left stablecoin oversight to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for now. This signals that players like Opera may face new policy shifts as adoption scales.

While MiniPay currently operates independently of OPay, Opera hinted at the possibility of deeper integration down the line. Given OPay’s position as a trusted financial services platform, it could become a natural onramp or offramp partner as stablecoins edge closer to the mainstream.