Tether has significantly expanded its reach in emerging markets by integrating its USDT stablecoin and gold-backed XAUt token into Opera's MiniPay wallet, which operates on the Celo blockchain. The announcement triggered an 18% surge in Opera's share price, reaching a high of $14.75, as investors reacted to the strategic move and the wallet's impressive growth metrics.
The integration allows users of the self-custodial MiniPay wallet, embedded within Opera's mobile browser, to seamlessly store, send, and receive both dollar-pegged USDT and gold-backed XAUt0. This provides a critical financial tool for users in regions with limited banking access or unstable local currencies.
MiniPay has demonstrated substantial real-world adoption, boasting 12.6 million activated wallets and having processed over 350 million transactions in total. In December 2025 alone, the wallet facilitated more than $153 million in transaction volume. The platform recorded over 3.5 million peer-to-peer payments that month, with users initiating more than $96 million in USDT transfers.
User growth is accelerating, with MiniPay seeing a 50% quarter-over-quarter increase in on-chain users in Q4 2025. The wallet now has over 7 million phone-verified USDT wallets. In December, approximately 300,000 individuals purchased USDT through MiniPay, marking a 33% increase from the previous month.
The Celo blockchain has emerged as a major beneficiary, becoming the fastest-growing native network for USDT. Its user base for USDT exploded from roughly 825,000 to 5 million over the past year—a 506% increase. On-chain data estimates 3.64 million active users specifically on Celo via MiniPay.
Opera has integrated with local payment partners like Fonbank, Partna, Daimo, Cashramp, Binance, and Bybit to enable smooth fiat-to-crypto conversions. In December, users added more than $49 million in cash to MiniPay through these channels. The primary regions driving this growth are Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, including Nigeria, Kenya, the Philippines, and Brazil.
The addition of Tether Gold (XAUt) provides a savings and inflation-hedging option, with the token backed by physical gold stored in Swiss vaults. This comes at a time when gold prices have risen significantly, offering an alternative store of value. Tether's broader financial strength underpins this expansion, with the company recently reporting over $10 billion in net profit for 2025 and USDT's circulating supply reaching approximately $186 billion, backed largely by U.S. Treasury holdings.
