Source: WhatsApp
WhatsApp, a free, multiplatform, messaging application, launches its new pilot that enables a finite number of US residents to send and receive money via chat using cryptocurrency. The trial is powered by Meta’s digital wallet Novi which launched a few weeks ago. Payments are made using Pax Dollars (USDP), a stablecoin supplied by Paxos, another regulated blockchain infrastructure platform.
The announcement was post on Twitter Thursday, December 9 by Stephane Kasriel. Novi’s designated head, and later retweeted by WhatsApp’s Will Cathcart.
“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,” Kasriel wrote. Quickly followed by Cathcart stating, “New in the US: use your @Novi digital wallet to send and receive money right within a @WhatsApp chat. People use WA to coordinate sending money to loved ones, and now Novi will help them do that securely, instantly and with no fees.”
According to the Novi website, sending and receiving money takes place instantly without ever leaving your chat box. Accessing the feature is easy for any device, done by clicking the paperclip icon on Android and the + icon on iOS. And then selecting the “Payment” button on the appearing menu afterwards.
Novi and WhatsApp claim that this feature helps reduce fees with no fees for sending. And receiving money and no fees to keep balance in a Novi account detail. There is also no limit on how often you can send payments. Novi also noted an assurance for users that all transactions are secure. Any unauthorize transactions are to be fully refunde to the user’s Novi balance.
Originally
the Novi pilot was suppose to be available in the US and Guatemala. However, the pilot program is still not available in Guatemala as of now. But they can access the trial through the standalone Novi app.
The new pilot doesn’t even affect WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. It is available in both English and Spanish.
