Meta Deploys Crypto Payments Pilot Through WhatsApp in the US

US users of the forthcoming Meta’s (formerly Facebook) cryptocurrency wallet Novi would be able to send and receive funds via the social media network’s messaging app, WhatsApp.

The pilot program has been launched to a limited number of people in the country, according to Stephane Kasriel, Novi’s CEO.

WhatsApp’s Crypto Integration

Screenshots unveiled by Novi’s CEO show that transactions would be supported in a money-sending interface already in place within the app through the pilot. In fact, users could choose the number of funds they’re willing to send and confirm or not the transaction straight from the app.

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

Kasriel noted that the payment feature wouldn’t change the current privacy policies of WhatsApp whatsoever. In an initial stage, Novi will be available in the United States and Guatemala, where pilots are coming along the way, as users could arrange transactions with USDP (Pax dollars).

Overall, Meta is bolstering its plans to launch a crypto wallet amid regulatory concerns on the halted Diem currency, which was expected to be launched by the company founded by tech entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg.

Novi’s CEO Reaction to the News

The crypto plans of Facebook were first announced in 2019, which was part of the Libra Association. Pax Dollar, the official crypto used in the transactions with Novi, is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar issued by Paxos.

On the other hand, Kasriel is the incoming new head of Novi. “We often hear that people use WhatsApp to coordinate sending money to loved ones, and Novi enables people to do that securely, instantly, and with no fees. Payments will appear directly in people’s chat. We’re still very early in the Novi pilot journey, so we made the decision to test this new entry point in one country to start and will look to extend it once we’ve heard from people what they think of this new experience,” Novi’s CEO commented.