US PayPal customers will be able to use stablecoin for international payments

Quick Take

  • PayPal said it’s rolling out a new service that allows U.S. clients to send cross-border money transfers using the company’s PYUSD stablecoin. 
  • U.S. users of the company’s international payments service, Xoom, can convert PYUSD to USD and then send money to “recipients in approximately 160 countries” without being charged transaction fees.

Silicon Valley-based payments giant PayPal is again looking to expand the use of its PYUSD stablecoin.

The company announced that starting Thursday, U.S. clients will be able to send international money transfers using the company's PYUSD stablecoin. Through its cross-border payments service, Xoom, U.S. customers can now convert PYUSD to USD and then send money to "recipients in approximately 160 countries" without being charged transaction fees, PayPal said in a statement.

PayPal appears confident the market will embrace more cost-effective ways to send international money transfers. In its statement, it cited a World Bank report that said the "global average cost of sending $200 is just over 6%."

The fintech company is also simultaneously trying to increase the use of its stablecoin, launched last year, while establishing itself as a trusted organization in digital assets. When it launched its stablecoin PayPal said the world is shifting towards greater use of cryptocurrencies.

"Enabling U.S. users of Xoom the option to fund cross-border money transfers using PYUSD builds on our goal of driving mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies," PayPal's Jose Fernandez da Ponte said in a statement. Da Ponte is PayPal's SVP of the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital currency group.

Stablecoin market heating up

PayPal's announcement also comes as the stablecoin market may be heating up. Ripple announced on Thursday it was launching a stablecoin designed primarily for enterprise clients. In its statement, Ripple said the stablecoin market could rise to $2.8 trillion by 2028. 

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Currently, Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC stablecoins are the clear leaders in terms of supply, according to The Block Data Dashboard.

 

 


Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

RT Watson is a senior reporter at The Block who covers a wide array of topics including U.S.-based companies, blockchain gaming and NFTs. Formerly covered entertainment at The Wall Street Journal, where he wrote about Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and the creator economy while focusing primarily on technological disruption across media. Previous to that he covered corporate, economic and political news in Brazil while at Bloomberg. RT has interviewed a diverse cast of characters including CEOs, media moguls, top influencers, politicians, blue-collar workers, drug traffickers and convicted criminals. Holds a master's degree in Digital Sociology.

Editor

To contact the editor of this story:
Lawrence Lewitinn at
[email protected]