WhatsApp is getting crypto payments
WhatsApp is rolling out a pilot programme to users in the US that will allow them to send and receive funds through Novi from within a chat using cryptocurrency. Stephane Kasriel, the head of Novi, announced the pilot programme on Wednesday, 8 November. Novi, Meta’s digital wallet, launched in the US and Guatemala in October
WhatsApp is getting crypto payments
WhatsApp is rolling out a pilot programme to users in the US that will allow them to send and receive funds through Novi from within a chat using cryptocurrency.
Stephane Kasriel, the head of Novi, announced the pilot programme on Wednesday, 8 November.
Novi, Meta’s digital wallet, launched in the US and Guatemala in October 2021 and uses USDP — a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar issued by Paxos — to transfer funds.
Users in Guatemala will not be part of the integration with WhatsApp chats, but they can join the trial from the standalone Novi app, according to WABetaInfo.
There's a new way to try the @Novi digital wallet. Starting today, a limited number of people in the US will be able to send and receive money using Novi on @WhatsApp, making sending money to family and friends as easy as sending a message. ???????? pic.twitter.com/dGz3lejri7
— Stephane Kasriel (@skasriel) December 8, 2021
Novi’s website indicates that payments in WhatsApp will work similarly to the messaging service’s attachment feature. Users will need to tap the paperclip icon in Android or the + icon in iOS and select “Payment”.
The payment service charges no fees for sending or receiving money or transferring your Novi balance to your bank account, and has no limits for how frequently you can send funds.
Payments are also transferred immediately, and Novi’s implementation in WhatsApp does not impact the messaging service’s end-to-end encryption.
Main Image: cryptowatch
