Stablecoin issuer Tether has partnered with web browser company Opera to expand access to digital dollar and gold-backed assets across emerging markets via Opera’s MiniPay wallet.
The collaboration, announced Monday, will see support for Tether’s USDt and gold-backed token XAUT integrated into MiniPay, a self-custodial wallet built on the Celo blockchain. The move targets users in regions such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, where access to traditional banking and stable savings options remains limited.
Tether and Opera Expand Financial Access in Emerging Markets Through MiniPay
Read more:https://t.co/U7MzL4Vd7D
— Tether (@tether) February 2, 2026
“Tether’s mission has always been to provide simple, reliable access to stable value for people who need it most,”
CEO Paolo Ardoino said.
MiniPay is currently live in 60 countries and reports 12.6 million activated wallets, with over 350 million transactions processed so far. The app recorded a 50% surge in users during the fourth quarter, driven largely by adoption in emerging economies.
MiniPay sees rising demand for dollar and gold-backed assets
MiniPay, available on both Android and iOS, allows users to activate wallets using just a mobile phone number. In December alone, more than $153 million was sent or received through the app, highlighting growing demand for dollar-denominated payments in mobile-first regions.
Beyond USDt, the wallet also supports Tether Gold (XAUT), which is positioned as an inflation hedge. XAUT reached an all-time high of $5,600 in late January, tracking gains in the spot gold market.
According to CoinGecko, XAUT currently has a circulating supply of 712,747 tokens and a market capitalization of roughly $3.4 billion.
Stablecoin market cools despite regional growth
The MiniPay expansion comes as broader stablecoin metrics show signs of slowing. Data from CryptoQuant indicates that total stablecoin market capitalization began declining in December after nearly two years of consistent growth.
Stablecoin inflows to exchanges have also weakened. Analyst Darkfost noted that after an initial $9.6 billion drop in net inflows, brief stabilization was followed by another $4 billion in outflows.
The trend suggests rising risk aversion, with investors pulling stablecoins off exchanges amid a wider crypto downturn. Overall, the crypto market has fallen about 38% since reaching a peak valuation of $4.4 trillion in October.
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