Viber is an instant messaging app similar to WhatsApp used mainly in Asia. Viber’s cryptocurrency has been talked about on social media for more than a year, following the announcement of the Rakuten Coin project.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Djamel Agaoua, recently stated in an interview that he wanted to take Rakuten Coin outside Japan.
Viber and Rakuten Coin
The new cryptocurrency will have several functions. It will allow administrators of the so-called “supergroups” to monetise traffic and it will be connected to the network of the various Rakuten partners, such as the media and e-commerce companies.
Users will be able to trade Rakuten Coin for Euros, Dollars or Roubles, thanks to the built-in wallet using the app as a sort of exchange. However, in order to do so, licences are required from the regulators and each country has its own rules.
“Cryptocurrency is quite a serious issue. Rakuten announced its plans to launch its crypto in Japan and we are going to implement it globally. There are some legal aspects that we need to consider as different countries have different regulation. Now it’s available in Japan only but we are ready to introduce it in other countries as well”.
Viber was developed in Israel and is the property of the Japanese giant Rakuten. Viber was acquired by Rakuten in 2014 for $900 million. Now the app has over a billion users worldwide.
Cryptocurrencies seem to be at the heart of all messaging app projects. WhatsApp will allow making payments through Libra, the Facebook cryptocurrency. Telegram will also have its own TON cryptocurrency and it too is still shrouded in mystery.
Regulators are the main obstacle for all companies working on their digital currency. In recent hours Facebook has stated that Libra and its subsidiary Calibra may experience significant delays or not be launched at all.
