- Celo will be the first chain for USA₮ expansion following Ethereum deployment, bringing the stablecoin to the leading USD₮ transport layer
- Self Protocol to launch a stablecoin distribution faucet, using Google Cloud, with USA₮ on Celo for users verified with Self’s proof-of-human and identity solution
- Celo Governance process to enable USA₮ & XAUt0 (Tether Gold) as gas currencies, further supporting XAUt0’s rapid adoption, now exceeding 85,000 holders
- Opera MiniPay will support USA₮, expanding Opera’s strategic partnership with Tether to further scale fintech’s fastest-growing wallet, built exclusively on Celo
USA₮, the dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, N., today announced its forthcoming deployment on Celo, the Ethereum Layer 2 built for the real world with the leading programmable rails for global finance.
This launch makes Celo the first network outside of Ethereum to support native USA₮, bringing the digital dollar directly to the network that has become the world’s leading transport layer for USD₮, with over 4.23 million weekly active users (WAUs).
Celo has emerged as the #1 global network for everyday stablecoin payments, with USD₮ users growing 506% in the past year. MiniPay, the self-custodial stablecoin wallet built by Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA) exclusively on Celo, has onboarded over 14 million global users, collectively processing over 420 million transactions on the Celo blockchain. USA₮’s deployment enables future integrations via MiniPay and across the vibrant Celo ecosystem, from payment platforms to blue-chip DeFi protocols including Morpho, Aave, Velodrome, and Uniswap.
USA₮ is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., the first federally chartered digital asset bank in the United States, and is backed by reserves custodied by Cantor Fitzgerald and designed to meet the standards of the GENIUS Act.
Joining as a Day One launch partner of USA₮ on Celo, Self will leverage the power of Google Cloud’s faucet infrastructure and Web3 portal to power a first-of-its-kind mainnet faucet distributing USA₮ for verified real humans using Self’s zero-knowledge proof-of-humanity technology — this marks the first time a U.S. dollar stablecoin has been distributed through a privacy-preserving identity layer at the protocol level.
The integration extends a collaboration that went live in production in January 2026, when Google Cloud embedded Self’s ZK proof-of-humanity into its Celo Sepolia testnet faucet to ensure developer resources go to real people rather than bots. The USA₮ mainnet faucet is the next chapter: the same architecture.
To claim USA₮ from the faucet, users verify aspects of their identity privately through the Self app using their government-issued biometric passport or national ID. Self confirms users’ humanity and characteristics, including clearance against the OFAC sanctions list, without transmitting any raw personal data to any third party. Verified users connect a Celo-compatible wallet and receive USA₮ directly to their address.
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USA₮’s arrival on Celo marks a new chapter in a close strategic partnership that has been expanding for two years. Native USD₮ first launched on Celo in 2024. XAUt0 was then deployed in September 2025 and has since grown to more than 85,000 unique holders on the network, more than any other chain globally.
“We’re excited to bring USA₮ to Celo, to make fast, low-cost payments and trusted assets accessible to millions of mobile-first users around the world,” said Rene Reinsberg, co-founder of Celo and CEO of Self. “Deploying the first federally regulated stablecoin on Celo is a powerful next step in driving global adoption of stablecoins and real-world assets at scale, and we’re proud to bring it to life with Opera MiniPay and Google Cloud.”
“USA₮ is designed to operate in environments where digital dollars are already being used at scale,” said Bo Hines, CEO of Tether USA₮. “Expanding to Celo, with infrastructure supported by Google Cloud, allows us to deliver regulated digital dollars in a way that is practical and accessible in an onchain economy. Our focus is on making USA₮ usable in real-world financial activity, where speed, cost, and reliability directly impact how people move and manage money.”
“MiniPay was built on Celo to bring digital money to mobile users everywhere, and USA₮ expands what we can offer our growing user base,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile, Opera. “Supporting USA₮ is a natural extension of our partnership with Tether and Celo, and our shared goal of making trusted digital dollars accessible to everyday users, whether they are sending money home, saving securely, or transacting for the first time.”
Celo’s purpose-built architecture pioneered fee abstraction, enabling ERC-20 token usage as accepted gas currencies to streamline transactions and simplify onboarding new entrants to crypto. This infrastructure is fundamental to the success of real-world applications like MiniPay, with nearly 50% of all Celo users paying gas fees with USD₮. Following USA₮’s launch, Celo Core Co. will begin the governance process to enable the asset as gas, in addition to a proposal to accept XAUt0 as gas currency.
The launch of USA₮ on Celo will mark a significant growth milestone, expanding the federally-regulated stablecoin to the leading global financial network trusted by over 700,000 users daily.
For more information, visit USA₮ and Celo.
About USA₮
USA₮ is a U.S.-regulated dollar-backed stablecoin that Tether, the global leader in stablecoin technology, is supporting. Purpose-built to serve the U.S. market and support American regulatory standards, USA₮ is the foundational rail for the next generation of American commerce, trade, and finance.
Tether’s support for USA₮ underscores its commitment to driving U.S. dominance and leadership in the evolving digital asset economy. As part of the broader Tether ecosystem, USA₮ will set a new benchmark in the U.S. for utility-driven stablecoins designed to deliver long-term value, strong governance, and real-world applications.
Tether Operations, S.A. de C.V. is not the issuer of USA₮. The issuer of USA₮ is Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A.
About Celo
Celo is an Ethereum Layer-2 and mobile-first blockchain network built for the real world and designed for fast, low-cost payments worldwide. The Celo ecosystem consists of a decentralized, proof-of-stake blockchain technology stack, the CELO native token, USDC and USDT (both enabled as gas currencies), several Mento stable assets (USDm, EURm, REALm, XOFm), and popular infrastructure including Morpho, Aave, Uniswap V3, Curve, Velodrome, and Chainlink. Launched on Earth Day in 2020, the open-source Celo mainnet supports a rich ecosystem of projects (1,000+) contributing to Celo’s global mission of prosperity for all. For more about Celo, visit https://celo.org/.
About MiniPay
MiniPay is a non-custodial stablecoin wallet built on the Celo blockchain and designed to make digital finance accessible, affordable, and user-friendly — especially across emerging markets. MiniPay is offered by Blueboard Limited, an Opera company. Opera is publicly listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol OPRA. Learn more at investor.opera.com.