A new trend seems to be catching up with communications app firms. Several of them have been launching their crypto coins. Just like Line, Kik and Telegram before it, Viber is said to be preparing support for its digital coin that will be unveiled by its mother company, Rakuten Coin.
Viber, which was built in Israel, is an instant messaging, as well as a voice over IP app. However, in 2014, it was purchased by Rakuten, an online company based in Japan. It currently boasts in excess of 1 billion registered users globally.
In February, Rakuten announced that it was planning to launch its own Rakuten Coin. It stated that the digital coin will be based on its ongoing loyalty program, additionally, it will be integrated on the Viber system.
Tradeable in Viber platform
Since the company intends to unveil the token in Russia next year, Rakuten is said to be looking into the Russian law currently. According to the Russian news agency Tass, the CEO of Viber, Djamel Agaoua, that their mother company is creating a cryptocurrency, Rakuten Coin, which is supported by the entire Rakuten ecosystem. He went on to say that Rakuten Coin will be tradeable in Viber, and it will appear in the Viber wallet.
The digital coin which is meant for the Viber Community service will hence be used by the group as a currency. It has the capability to handle any number of users. Those managing the platform will be in a position to monetize the streams using Rakuten Coin while the Viber community is chatting with messages, emojis, and so on. This will help the system access Rakuten’s vast network of partners such as major e-commerce or even media businesses.
Rakuten Coin wants to be a game changer for its user base. In addition to paying for the services offered through the app, the digital coin will allow its users to monetize their interactions, purchase, sell, or transact the coins using the Viber wallet.
Agaoua said that users will be able to open a chat window with friends, look at restaurants, decide where to go, and make a reservation, without exiting Viber.
It is expected that users will transact the digital coin against rubles, dollars, or euros with the possibility of transferring the same to bank accounts. However, this will depend on the Russian law.
