Novi Launches WhatsApp Integration Pilot Program for Select Users in the US –

Novi, the remittance and payments initiative from Meta (formerly Facebook), has launched a WhatsApp pilot test for customers in the US. This means that a small number of WhatsApp users will be able to send and receive payments and purchase digital dollars directly through the messaging service's interface. This is an expansion of the pilot program launched six weeks ago that focuses on referrals.

Novi expands pilot program to include WhatsApp integration

Novi, Meta's wallet service, has launched an expansion of its pilot program launched six weeks ago. This new phase includes integration with one of the most used messaging services in the world, Whatsapp. Now, select users in the US will have the ability to buy, send and receive digital dollars with other users who are also participating in the test.

The announcement was made by Stephane Kasriel, Novi's new boss, who detailed this new phase of the pilot program on Twitter. Regarding the choice of WhatsApp, Kasriel explained:

We often hear about people using WhatsApp to coordinate sending money to their loved ones, and Novi allows people to do this securely, instantly and without fees. Payments appear directly in people's chat.

This seems to be a natural evolution for the future of payments envisioned by Novi, which aims to bring a wallet into every smartphone running WhatsApp. Prior to this announcement, Novi had launched another pilot focused about allowing users to send remittances from the US to Guatemala.

At the time, Facebook announced that its system would use USDP (Paxos Dollar) as the currency for the system due to the regulatory issues the company faced when launching its own currency. Depending on the interface shown on the official Novi Whatsapp page, this new test phase will also use USDP for payments.

Kasriel also hinted at a possible expanded rollout of the pilot feature in other countries once the company evaluates the software's behavior and user response.

A warm farewell gift

David Marcus, who was in charge of Novi and has led the project since 2018, described this new development as a “parting gift”. The executive branch specified on Twitter:

Another small step in the right direction. Today we are starting the rollout of the @novi Wallet in @WhatsApp in the USA. On a personal level, this is the best farewell gift from the best team ever!

Marcus announced his exit from the project last month and said he would pursue new projects. This publication could be a breath of fresh air for the project, which has been under attack from regulators since it was first announced.

What do you think of Novi and its WhatsApp rollout? Tell us in the comments section below.

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