PayPal’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, PYUSD, has returned to the spotlight after its market capitalization crossed the $1 billion threshold – matching its all-time high first reached in August 2024. The stablecoin’s circulating supply now sits at approximately $1.01 billion, more than doubling from a local low of $498 million at the start of 2025.
According to DeFiLlama, $PYUSD is now the 10th largest stablecoin by market cap as of June 2025.
This resurgence suggests a more sustainable trajectory for PYUSD compared to last year, when rapid growth was partly driven by incentives within the Solana decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. At the time, DeFi protocols on Solana offered generous rewards for PYUSD usage, which significantly inflated demand on that chain. The frenzy briefly led to a surprising milestone: for a short period in August 2024, more $PYUSD was circulating on Solana than on Ethereum, the dominant blockchain for stablecoins.
While Ethereum remains the primary home for stablecoin assets under management (AUM) – currently holding over $125 billion – Solana trails behind with around $11 billion. PYUSD’s renewed ascent in 2025 appears less dependent on ecosystem incentives, and more on strategic growth initiatives from PayPal and its issuer, Paxos Trust Company.
Launched in August 2023, PYUSD is a fully collateralized stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar. Issued by Paxos and regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), PYUSD is backed by dollar deposits, U.S. Treasury bills, and other cash equivalents. Paxos also publishes monthly attestations, offering transparency and compliance with U.S. regulatory standards.
LAUNCH | PayPal Launches Dollar-Backed Stablecoin, PayPal USD ( $PYUSD ), on the Ethereum Blockchain
As an ERC-20 token issued on the Ethereum blockchain, PayPal USD will be available to an already large and growing community of external developers, wallets and web3… pic.twitter.com/j6tE4xWSkT
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) August 8, 2023
The stablecoin is issued on both Ethereum as an ERC‑20 token and Solana as an SPL token, giving users access to high-speed, low-cost transactions across two leading smart contract platforms. It is deeply integrated into PayPal’s platform, where users can buy, sell, hold, and transfer PYUSD seamlessly – often with zero fees for in-network transactions. The stablecoin can also be used for merchant checkout and peer-to-peer payments within PayPal’s massive user base of over 400 million.
[WATCH] ‘CheckOut With Crypto’ Service Officially Launches on PayPal: https://t.co/y0GryNNYcC @PayPal #Bitcoin #BitcoinCash #Ethereum #LiteCoin
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 30, 2021
Beyond consumer use, PYUSD is making strides in business and institutional payments. In September 2024, PayPal completed its first corporate transaction using PYUSD, when Ernst & Young processed a cross-border payment through SAP’s blockchain-enabled enterprise system. This move highlighted the growing role of stablecoins in digitizing B2B payments traditionally dominated by SWIFT and legacy banking rails.
Africa’s Largest Payment Infrastructure, Flutterwave, Integrates with PayPal to Enable Merchant Payments: https://t.co/BRpFwhTCEh via @BitcoinKE @theflutterwave @PayPal @PayPalNews
— davgit (@DavGit) March 18, 2021
To encourage further adoption, PayPal began offering a 3.7% annual yield on PYUSD balances in early 2025, paid out monthly to eligible U.S. users. This yield feature positions PYUSD as a competitive stablecoin for both retail savers and DeFi participants, adding a new layer of utility beyond just payments. Meanwhile, exchanges like Coinbase have joined the push, allowing users to trade PYUSD with zero fees and enabling seamless USD redemption – putting PYUSD in direct competition with incumbents like Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT.
PYUSD’s return to the $1 billion milestone comes as stablecoins increasingly assert themselves as foundational products in crypto finance. The total market capitalization of all stablecoins now exceeds $238 billion, a testament to their growing use in trading, payments, and as on-chain cash equivalents.
REPORT | StableCoins Now Account for 1% of Total U.S. Dollar Supply, Transfer Volume Eclipsed VISA and MasterCard Combined in 2024
Tether’s $USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin by market cap, accounted for ~79.7% of stablecoin trading volumehttps://t.co/DRODNTKQr1 @Tether_to pic.twitter.com/CnyfdE45oE
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) February 4, 2025
The successful IPO of Circle in 2025 further underscores the mainstreaming of stablecoins in both retail and institutional finance.
As financial giants and fintechs – from Stripe to Revolut – move deeper into stablecoin infrastructure, and regulatory clarity improves globally through frameworks like MiCA in Europe and evolving U.S. legislation, PayPal’s PYUSD stands to benefit.
Backed by strong compliance, massive distribution, and product innovation, PYUSD is positioning itself not just as a payment tool, but as a core bridge between traditional finance and the tokenized future.
FINTECH AFRICA | Why Use PayPal in the Age of Crypto? Frustrated Users Propose African Alternatives
Awidely shared post by Kenyan fintech expert, Robert Kingori, has struck a nerve with many African users who feel increasingly sidelined by @PayPal‘s new policies.
One of the… pic.twitter.com/WBOZIMLjFy
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 21, 2025
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