Opera Doubles Down on Crypto: Proposes Massive 160 Million CELO Token Swap in Landmark Deal with Celo Blockchain
In a bold move that signals deepening integration between traditional browsers and blockchain infrastructure, Opera — the Norwegian browser maker behind one of the world’s most popular crypto-native browsers — has submitted a major governance proposal to the Celo network.
The company wants to restructure its existing three-year partnership: instead of receiving regular cash payments in USD, Opera is asking Celo’s token holders to approve a one-time transfer of 160 million CELO tokens from the project’s unspent treasury. If passed, the tokens would go into a secure multi-signature “Safe” controlled by Opera.
The numbers are eye-popping. Upon approval, Opera would instantly become one of the largest holders in the Celo ecosystem — controlling approximately 27% of the circulating CELO supply and 16% of the total max supply.
Why Now? MiniPay’s Explosive Growth
Opera and Celo both say the proposal reflects the extraordinary success of **MiniPay**, Opera’s built-in crypto wallet that has run natively on the Celo blockchain since 2023.
According to joint data released alongside the proposal:
- Over 14 million users have registered for MiniPay;
- The wallet has processed more than 420 million transactions;
- Activity spans 66+ countries, with particularly strong traction in emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
MiniPay has turned Opera into one of the most accessible on-ramps to crypto for everyday users — allowing seamless payments, stablecoin transfers, and DeFi interactions directly inside the browser without needing separate apps or complex setups.
By shifting from cash payments to a large token allocation, Opera is essentially betting that its continued growth — and the future value of CELO — will deliver far greater long-term upside than fixed-dollar quarterly checks.
Market Reaction Was Instant
The market liked what it saw. Before the proposal became public, CELO was trading at around $0.076. Within hours of the news, the token surged 9.2% to $0.083. As of late March, 2026, it has settled near $0.081 — still a healthy single-day gain, though far below its all-time high of nearly $10 reached during the 2021 bull run.
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What Happens Next
The proposal is now live on Celo’s governance forum. Token holders will vote on whether to approve the one-time treasury disbursement and the new token-based partnership structure.
For Opera, this is more than just a treasury play — it’s a strategic bet that positions the browser company as a major stakeholder in one of the most mobile-first and real-world-adoption-focused blockchains in the industry.
For Celo, bringing a major browser like Opera even deeper into the ecosystem could accelerate user growth, developer activity, and real-world payments adoption — exactly what the project was built for.
Whether the vote passes or not, one thing is clear: the lines between traditional internet companies and crypto infrastructure are blurring faster than ever. Opera isn’t just supporting crypto anymore — it’s becoming a power player inside the very networks it helps users access.
The next few weeks of governance discussion will decide whether this ambitious token swap becomes one of the biggest browser-crypto alliances in history — or just another interesting proposal that never quite made it across the finish line.
