In brief
- YouTube enabled U.S. creators to receive earnings in PYUSD, according to a Fortune exclusive.
- Big Tech only adopts new payment rails when they’re “operationally mature and low-friction,” an expert told Decrypt.
- The update follows Trump’s signing of the GENIUS Act, giving stablecoins a federal framework and accelerating institutional adoption.
U.S. creators are being allowed to receive their YouTube content earnings in the form of PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin through a new payout option.
May Zabaneh, head of crypto at PayPal, confirmed the arrangement is now live for American users, according to a Fortune exclusive.
The feature became available after PayPal added the capability for payment recipients to receive checks in PYUSD during the third quarter, with YouTube subsequently extending the option to its creator community.
The integration is part of the rising mainstream adoption of stablecoins as payment infrastructure, potentially benefiting creators who want faster settlement times and reduced friction in cross-border transactions.
“Big Tech like YouTube only adopts new payment rails when they’re operationally mature and low-friction,” Jakob Kronbichler, CEO and co-founder of Clearpool, an onchain credit marketplace, told Decrypt.
With PayPal’s stablecoin infrastructure, he said platforms and creators can “access the benefits of on-chain settlement without introducing new custody or compliance challenges.”
“Once stablecoins sit at scale inside mainstream platforms, the question becomes what those balances can do next,” he added. “That’s where on-chain finance, from settlement to financing and yield, starts to unlock real efficiency.”
“YouTube is basically letting PayPal handle the complexity while creators get more payment choices,” Vedang Vatsa, founder of global crypto community Hashtag Web3, told Decrypt.
“It seems like a practical first step that other companies might look at as they figure out their own approaches to stablecoins,” he added.
Decrypt has reached out to PayPal and YouTube for further comment.
President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July, and the stablecoin legislation is being viewed as a catalyst for institutional adoption in the sector.
Rohan Kohli, chief risk and compliance officer at Bastion, told Decrypt that “this regulatory clarity is the foundation we’ve been seeking for a thriving, stablecoin-powered financial system.”
“With this federal framework, the U.S. will foster institutional confidence, competition, and adoption,” he said.
Still, over 80% of Myriad Markets users believe the stablecoin sector will struggle to surpass $360 billion before February, even as the total stablecoin capitalization has risen to just above $313 billion.
Expanding PYUSD adoption
Launched by PayPal in August 2023, PYUSD has a market capitalization of over $3 billion, according to CoinGecko data.
In February, the company announced plans to integrate the stablecoin into its bill-pay product for merchants and its Hyperwallet platform for mass payments.
In September, PYUSD expanded to nine additional blockchains through LayerZero’s interoperability protocol, bringing its reach to networks including Aptos, Avalanche, and Tron.
(Disclaimer: Myriad is owned by Decrypt’s parent company, Dastan.)
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