Browser maker Opera’s MiniPay, a stablecoin wallet built on the Celo blockchain, has rolled out a new feature allowing users to spend stablecoins directly at shops and services in Argentina and Brazil through a feature dubbed “Pay like a local.”
The update, announced during the Ethereum Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires, connects dollar-denominated USDT balances to Latin America’s two largest payment systems, PIX in Brazil and Mercado Pago in Argentina. It’s now available for the wallet’s over 10 million users.
The integration is designed to make crypto usable for daily spending. Instead of converting USDT manually or relying on centralized exchanges, users can scan local QR codes and pay from their MiniPay wallet.
Support for PIX payments via QR code is set to be rolled out in the future, Opera’s Director of Global Comms Julia Szyndzielorz told CoinDesk.
Noah, the infrastructure provider behind the feature, handles instant conversion behind the scenes, so merchants receive their local currency — Argentine pesos or Brazilian reais — without needing to touch crypto.
The move reflects a focused shift in crypto’s direction, away from speculation and toward real-world utility, Szyndzielorz said. PIX, which handles more payments than cards in Brazil, is used by over 76% of the population. Mercado Pago reaches nearly 70% of the Argentine market. Speaking to CoinDesk, Opera’s Szyndzielorz said “Pay like a local” will be expanding into other markets in the future.
To support the expansion, MiniPay is partnering with El Dorado, AlfredPay and Paytrie to provide on- and off-ramps across Latin America and Canada.