WhatsApp is testing new crypto feature for sending money
CBSN
The messaging service WhatsApp said this week it is piloting a new feature that allows U.S. users to send money without paying fees, using cryptocurrency. The new payment service marks yet another example of how digital currencies are becoming more accepted in the mainstream U.S. financial scene.
The crypto feature will be powered by Novi, a recently launched digital wallet owned by What'sApp parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) that people can use to send money internationally. The company began testing Novi six weeks ago among a select group of users in Guatemala and the U.S. In a joint tweet on Wednesday, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart and Novi CEO Stephane Kasriel said Novi would be available to some WhatsApp users in the U.S. on a trial basis.
"People use WhatsApp to coordinate sending money to loved ones and now Novi will help them do that securely, instantly and with no fees," Cathcart tweeted.
