Tether Expands USD₮ Access to Millions via Opera’s MiniPay Wallet

Tether has expanded support for USD₮ and Tether Gold within MiniPay, Opera’s self-custodial wallet built on the Celo blockchain. The integration now serves over 12.6 million activated wallets across emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Tether and Opera Expand Financial Access in Emerging Markets Through MiniPay

Read more:https://t.co/U7MzL4Vd7D

— Tether (@tether) February 2, 2026

The stablecoin giant, which commands a market capitalization exceeding $186 billion, reported significant growth metrics for its MiniPay partnership. As of December 2025, the wallet platform processed more than 350 million transactions with 3.64 million estimated on-chain users.

MiniPay experienced 50% growth in on-chain users during Q4 2025 alone. The platform now holds 7 million phone-verified USD₮ wallets, with 300,000 unique buyers recorded in December—a 33% month-over-month increase.

Meanwhile, Tether has quietly assembled one of the world’s largest gold reserves outside traditional financial institutions. The company now controls approximately 140 tons of bullion worth $23 billion at current market prices.

MiniPay Drives Stablecoin Adoption in Mobile-First Regions

Celo emerged as the fastest-growing native USD₮ chain over the past year. User growth surged 506%, climbing from 825,000 to 5 million users within 12 months.

MiniPay users initiated more than $96 million in stablecoin transfers during December 2025. The platform also processed over 3.5 million peer-to-peer payments that month.

Users added more than $49 million in cash to their MiniPay wallets through local partners. These partners include Fonbank, Partna, Daimo, Cashramp, Binance, and Bybit.

Across all integrations, more than $153 million moved through MiniPay in December. The figures underscore growing demand for dollar-based payments in mobile-first economies.

Tether’s mission has always been to provide simple, reliable access to stable value for people who need it most

said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera, noted that the integration turns smartphone reach into real financial access. “Millions of users are now holding, sending, and saving in digital dollars seamlessly, often for the first time,” he stated.

In addition to USD₮, MiniPay supports Tether Gold through XAUt0. The token represents ownership of physical gold stored in secure vaults.

Gold prices rose nearly 50% in 2025, reaching a record $5,200 per ounce. XAUt0 provides households an accessible and inflation-resistant savings alternative.

Users can convert part of their balance into XAUt0 with a single tap. The feature maintains liquidity while preserving value against currency fluctuations.

Tether Gold remains one of the most established tokenized real-world assets available. It provides a transparent, on-chain bridge between traditional value stores and the digital economy.

Tether Becomes Major Global Gold Holder

CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed Tether’s aggressive gold accumulation strategy in a Bloomberg interview. The company purchased more than 70 tons of gold throughout the previous year.

We are soon becoming basically one of the biggest, let’s say, gold central banks in the world

Ardoino stated.

🚨 LATEST: TETHER HOLDS 140+ TONS OF GOLD WORTH $23B, THE LARGEST KNOWN PRIVATE STOCKPILE, STORED IN A NUCLEAR BUNKER. pic.twitter.com/l9whpdKqLC

— Coinwaft (@coinwaft) January 28, 2026

Tether’s gold reserves now surpass holdings reported by the three largest exchange-traded funds combined. This positions the company as the largest known treasury holder outside central banks, ETFs, and private banks.

The dual expansion into mobile stablecoin access and physical gold reserves reflects Tether’s broader strategy. The company continues building infrastructure connecting traditional value stores with emerging digital payment systems.

Following this growth trajectory, Tether’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accessibility expands real-world stablecoin use. The partnership with Opera delivers practical financial tools to millions beyond the traditional banking system.