Meta's crypto wallet Novi launches on WhatsApp

Novi, the crypto wallet owned by social media giant Meta, has launched the ability to send and receive money via WhatsApp, according to a tweet from the head of Novi Stephane Kasriel. 

This integration with WhatsApp comes six weeks after the company launched a pilot for the crypto wallet and will not interfere with the messaging app's privacy features, according to Kasriel. The service is initially only available to a limited number of users in the United States. 

"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," said Kasriel. 

The launch comes after plans for Novi's proposed currency Diem hit regulatory hurdles, forcing Meta's crypto subsidiary to pursue an alternative direction. It ultimately partnered with stablecoin provider Paxos in October. 

The company has previously launched a similar non-crypto-based service on WhatsApp in India named WhatsApp Pay, which floundered after competition from Google and local player Phone-Pe. 

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Tom is a deals reporter at The Block covering venture capital, fundraises, fintech and M&A. Before joining, he was an editorial intern at the FT-backed platform Sifted where he reported on neobanks, payment firms and blockchain startups. You can reach him by email at [email protected] or Telegram @tommatsuda.