Opera and Lemon Just Turned Argentina and Brazil Into a USDT Payment Zone

• Opera’s MiniPay now lets 10M users spend USDT directly via local QR codes in Argentina and Brazil.

• Lemon Wallet transforms into a crypto app store, allowing usage of dApps without managing private keys.

The Opera web browser has activated a feature within its stablecoin wallet, MiniPay, that permits the use of tether (USDT) for commercial transactions in Argentina and Brazil. This development was officially announced during the Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires. The tool, named “Pay like a local,” is now operational for a user base exceeding 10 million people.

The proposal connects user balances in digital dollars with the most widely used payment systems in the region. For Brazil, the integration works with PIX, while for Argentina it uses Mercado Pago. MiniPay enables the scanning of local QR codes and direct payment with USDT, removing intermediate steps like using centralized exchanges or manual fund conversion.

The infrastructure enabling this payment experience is managed by Noah, a specialized firm that handles the instant conversion of USDT to local currency.

Julia Szyndzielorz, Global Director of Communications at Opera, stated that this function moves digital assets toward concrete utility, distancing them from purely financial applications.

Although the payment functionality via PIX QR codes is not immediately available, the company confirmed its inclusion in an upcoming update. The expansion of “Pay like a local” will not be limited to South America; its arrival in new international markets is anticipated in the coming months.

Lemon Cash Introduces a Crypto Application Platform in Argentina

The Lemon exchange presented the launch of Mini-Apps at the same Buenos Aires conference. This new feature modifies the functionality of its wallet, transforming it into a platform for hosting and using crypto asset applications. According a statement distributed to media, the initiative positions Lemon as a type of application store specialized in cryptocurrencies.

Mini-Apps allows users to create and operate with cryptocurrency applications directly from the Lemon wallet. This system avoids the need to install complementary software or manage private keys externally. Users can access a specific tab, select an application, and conduct operations using the available balances in their wallet, whether in pesos, digital dollars, bitcoin (BTC), or other digital assets.

Marcelo Cavazzoli, founder and CEO of Lemon, expressed that with this move the company transcends the category of a simple application. Cavazzoli described the evolution as an “open platform to develop the future of the internet,” opening its infrastructure for the Argentine population to access global financial products. 

The stated goal is for Lemon to cease being solely a space for payments, savings, or investments, and to become an environment where third parties can build services based on blockchain technology.

Lemon’s announcement is part of Devconnect 2025, an Ethereum community gathering that brought together thousands of developers and entrepreneurs in the Argentine capital.