Meta News | WhatsApp introduces digital wallet, US dollar stablecoin USDP, VR platform opens to US and Canadian citizens

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has made new moves in the metaverse and payment space. Its digital wallet, Novi, has launched a pilot program on the messaging app WhatsApp. Additionally, the virtual world platform, Horizon Worlds, which was previously in a testing phase, is now officially open to adults in the United States and Canada.

Novi Digital Wallet

Previously, Facebook's payment division, Facebook Financial (F2), launched a small-scale pilot program for Novi in the United States and Guatemala at the end of October, providing participating users with instant and free fund transfers.

Novi is collaborating with Coinbase and the USD stablecoin issuer Paxos Standard, using the stablecoin "USDP Pax Dollar," which was renamed on August 24 this year.

Further testing will now be conducted through WhatsApp. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, emphasized that they will not abandon the long-developed digital currency Diem and still plan to launch the stablecoin "Diem" once regulatory approval is obtained.

Stephane Kasriel, head of Novi, tweeted that some U.S. users can send and receive funds through Novi on WhatsApp, making transfers and remittances as easy as sending messages.

There will be no additional fees for sending and receiving funds, and there are no limits on the number of transfers. Stephane Kasriel emphasized that integrating Novi will not change the end-to-end encryption feature of WhatsApp.

Horizon Worlds

In early October, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, launched a $10 million creator fund for Horizon Worlds, which is still in the testing phase, to encourage users to build, experience, and create on the platform.

According to the latest announcement, the VR social platform Horizon Worlds is now free for all citizens aged 18 and above in the United States and Canada, with an official launch planned for 2022.

In addition to interacting with other users on Horizon Worlds, Meta has been continuously optimizing development tools over the past year, allowing users to modify scripts to build games like World Hop and VR games similar to Arena Clash.

Horizon Worlds can be downloaded for free on Oculus Quest 2, but starting from January 13 next year, support for the first-generation VR headset Quest 1 will be discontinued.