WalletConnect Pay and iMin Bring Stablecoin Payments to Smart POS Terminals in 100+ Countries

WalletConnect announced on April 21, 2026, at Money2020 Bangkok, that its WalletConnect Pay protocol has integrated with iMin Technology, the No. 1 trusted Android POS hardware brand in Southeast Asia, to deliver stablecoin payment capability to smart point-of-sale terminals operating in more than 100 countries. The integration, described by the company as live infrastructure rather than a pilot, means that any consumer holding a supported stablecoin in any of the 700-plus wallets compatible with WalletConnect can complete a checkout transaction at an iMin terminal without either party needing to manage cryptocurrency infrastructure directly. [1]

The iMin-WalletConnect Pay Integration

iMin Technology, founded in Singapore in 2018 and recognized as an Android Enterprise Silver Partner, manufactures a broad portfolio of Android commercial devices spanning mobile POS units, desktop terminals, kiosks, and mobile computers. The company operates partner networks spanning Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, with manufacturing facilities in China and Malaysia. [2] Its devices are already deployed across retail, food and beverage, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics environments in those markets.

Through the new integration, iMin terminals gain native stablecoin acceptance via the WalletConnect Pay protocol. The checkout flow mirrors familiar card-network interactions: the POS terminal generates a payment QR code, the customer scans it with their WalletConnect-compatible wallet, confirms the amount, and the transaction broadcasts on-chain. Settlement reaches the merchant through their payment service provider, meaning operators never hold or manage crypto balances themselves. [3]

"BREAKING: iMin and WalletConnect Pay are bringing stablecoin payments to smart POS terminals in 100+ countries. Any wallet. Any supported stablecoin. Right at the checkout counter." - WalletConnect (@WalletConnect), April 21, 2026

WalletConnect Pay: Protocol Background

WalletConnect Pay was introduced in 2025 as a dedicated payments layer built on top of WalletConnect's core connectivity infrastructure. Where the original WalletConnect protocol focused on connecting wallets to decentralized applications, WalletConnect Pay extends that universal connectivity into real-world commerce: POS terminals, e-commerce checkouts, ATM networks, and fintech platforms. The product is designed to abstract away multi-chain complexity so that merchants integrate once and receive payments from any supported wallet on any compatible blockchain, without fragmented per-wallet integrations. [4]

The iMin deal follows an earlier integration with Ingenico, the French payment-terminal leader whose network spans more than 40 million devices across over 120 countries, announced in January 2026. [3] That partnership demonstrated that WalletConnect Pay could layer onto existing global payment hardware at scale. The iMin announcement extends that model to a second major hardware platform with distinct geographic strengths, particularly in Southeast Asia and emerging markets.

Network Scale and Volume Data

The WalletConnect Network's capacity to support this expanded merchant footprint is underpinned by substantial and growing transaction volumes. As reported by WalletConnect co-founder and CEO Pedro Gomes, the network recorded $6.69 billion in stablecoin volume in a single week in March 2026, with USDC on Ethereum consistently ranking as the top stablecoin and Ethereum as the leading chain week over week. [5] Separate reporting indicated the network had already surpassed a $7.30 billion weekly run rate by early April 2026. [6]

The network processed more than $400 billion in total transaction volume in 2025, representing 119% year-over-year growth. At current weekly run rates, the 2026 annual pace is on track to exceed that figure substantially. [4]

Merchant Experience and Stablecoin Abstraction

A defining design principle of WalletConnect Pay is the separation of the consumer's payment experience from the merchant's operational requirements. Merchants do not need cryptocurrency wallets, treasury management systems, or any on-chain expertise. From the terminal operator's perspective, a stablecoin payment settles through the same payment service provider relationships already in place. The conversion from on-chain stablecoin to fiat, or the routing of native stablecoin to a merchant's preferred account, is handled at the payment layer by the integrating PSP. [3]

This architecture is particularly significant for iMin's merchant base, which skews heavily toward small and medium enterprises in markets where crypto adoption among consumers may be growing faster than merchant operational capacity to handle digital assets. A hawker stall operator in Bangkok, a retailer in Nairobi, or a hospitality business in Kuala Lumpur can accept USDC or USDT from a customer's MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Safe, or any of the 700-plus supported wallets, without the operator changing workflows, acquiring new hardware, or understanding blockchain settlement. [1]

Strategic Context: WalletConnect's 2026 Payments Push

WalletConnect's expansion into POS infrastructure represents an intentional strategic pivot. CEO Jess Houlgrave has framed the company's 2026 positioning as building a crypto-native analog to Visa and Mastercard: an open, neutral network that connects users and wallets across all chains without favoring specific assets. In that model, WalletConnect Pay functions as the acceptance and routing layer, while PSPs and hardware manufacturers such as Ingenico and iMin function as the distribution layer. [4]

The company's partnership sequence across Q1 and Q2 2026 reflects that strategy. The Ingenico deal addressed the largest global POS footprint. The Opera MiniPay integration in March 2026 extended stablecoin wallet access to over 14 million activated wallets concentrated in Africa. [6] The iMin integration in April 2026 adds an Android-native POS hardware brand with particular depth in Southeast Asia, where iMin has established itself as the leading local alternative to legacy European and American terminal manufacturers. Taken together, these integrations position WalletConnect Pay as the connectivity layer most likely to reach consumers and merchants simultaneously at scale in developing markets.

The live demonstration at Money2020 Bangkok signals that the iMin integration is already operational, not staged for a future release date, reinforcing WalletConnect's position that the network is live payment infrastructure with current transaction volume rather than a roadmap promise. [1]

References

[1] WalletConnect on X, April 21, 2026: https://x.com/WalletConnect/status/2046499299576701365 [2] iMin Technology About Us: https://www.imin.com/about-us/ [3] WalletConnect Blog - Ingenico Partnership, January 2026: https://walletconnect.com/blog/ingenico-launcheswith-walletconnect-pay [4] Phemex - WalletConnect Launches Pay, Focuses on Crypto Payments for 2026: https://phemex.com/news/article/walletconnect-launches-pay-focuses-on-crypto-payments-for-2026-54702 [5] Blockchain.news - USDC on Ethereum Leads $6B+ Stablecoin Weekly Volumes via WalletConnect, March 2026: https://blockchain.news/flashnews/usdc-on-ethereum-leads-6b-stablecoin-weekly-volumes-via-walletconnect [6] Opera Newsroom - MiniPay and WalletConnect Bring Stablecoins Closer to Everyday Commerce, March 31, 2026: https://press.opera.com/2026/03/31/minipay-walletconnect/