Whatsapp is testing an in-app crypto payments feature

The pilot is being tested by U.S. users before going global. No fees or commissions are charged.

Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp announced the test launch of a new feature allowing payment in cryptocurrency directly from the app.

Available only to a limited group of US users, the new pilot allows users to instantly send and receive U.S. Pax Dollar (USPD), a regulated stablecoin directly pegged to the American national currency. The feature is free of charge, no commission is withheld from exchanges and there are no limits specified to the number of transactions or the amount of transactions.

The service is designed to offer a way to send money to friends and family easily and with lower fees than traditional methods. The payments functionality will be available directly inside the chat view, just like sending an attachment. The feature is accessible by pressing the related icon and selecting “Payment” from the menu that appears.

The new feature is powered by the Novi digital wallet, launched this October by WhatsApp's own parent company (and former Facebook) Meta, with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase acting as its custody partner.

Once thoroughly tested to deliver the highest reliability, it is expected that the service will be extended to other countries all around the world.