PayPal Introduces Cryptocurrency Trading for US Merchants

Global payments giant PayPal has unveiled new features allowing U.S. business account holders to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies directly from their accounts.

The move comes as more business clients seek access to crypto services available to consumers. PayPal also intends to expand its cryptocurrency features into regular business operations. According to the statement, this feature will be unavailable in New York State.

PayPal’s peer-to-peer payments app Venmo initially allowed clients to manage cryptocurrency in 2020. Since then, they have “continuously made significant steps to increase cryptocurrency utilization,” the statement read.

“Business owners have increasingly expressed a desire for the same cryptocurrency capabilities available to consumers. We’re excited to meet that demand by delivering this new offering, empowering them to engage with digital currencies effortlessly,” said Jose Fernandez da Ponte, senior VP of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital currency at PayPal.

According to PayPal’s statement, the new features of crypto services for business accounts aim to boost crypto’s real-world utility. The company’s latest move is a response to business owners who have been asking for access to crypto services since the platform launched its consumer-level digital currency services.

“Since we launched the ability for PayPal and Venmo consumers to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency in their wallets, we have learned a lot about how they want to use their cryptocurrency,” Fernandez da Ponte added.

PayPal stock has climbed roughly 26% this year, suggesting positive sentiment from investors.

In addition to the new buying and selling ability, U.S. merchants can now transfer cryptocurrencies to third-party wallets. This new functionality extends the flexibility of digital currency transactions for businesses.

“PayPal business account holders can now send and receive supported cryptocurrency tokens to and from external blockchain addresses,” the company mentioned in its statement.

Last month, Crypto.com teamed up with PayPal to allow US users to make purchases through cryptocurrencies. This alliance expands on earlier joint ventures between the two businesses, which included allowing PayPal to recharge Crypto.com Visa Card. Besides Crypto.com, PayPal’s stablecoin is available within selected exchanges including Coinbase, Bitstamp, and Kraken.

In 2023, PayPal launched its own US dollar-denominated stablecoin (PYUSD), in August 2023. PYUSD was issued by a US-regulated entity named Paxos Trust Company. Initially, PYUSD was launched as an ERC-20 token through the Ethereum blockchain.

One limitation of Ethereum-based stablecoins is their high transaction fees. PayPal expanded PYUSD to the Solana network in May 2024 to minimize the cost. This move led to a significant fee reduction (sometimes over 90%). These lower transaction rates on Solana made PYUSD more attractive for regular purchases like coffee or groceries, which boosted the demand for PayPal to introduce crypto services to businesses.

“The Solana network’s speed and scalability make it the ideal blockchain for new payment solutions that are accessible, cost-effective, and instantaneous,” said Sheraz Shere, General Manager of Payments at the Solana Foundation. “Continued adoption from industry participants like PayPal helps realize the next generation of fintech innovation.”

According to BraveNewCoin data, PYUSD’s market capitalization has expanded dramatically since its introduction over a year ago, rising from approximately $45 million in September 2023 to around $700 million at the time of writing.