How PYUSD on Venmo Could Change the Game for PayPal
PayPal’s
on-chain stablecoin, PYUSD, designed to serve as a secure digital
representation of the US dollar, is now accessible via Venmo. This strategic
move comes just over six weeks after the launch of PYUSD, and it aims to make
digital transactions faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Meanwhile, this is an
opportunity for increased adoption in the United States for the cryptocurrency
market. After all, Venmo is already used by one in four US-based consumers.
PayPal Enables PYUSD Payments via Venmo
Initially
introduced to bridge the gap between traditional fiat and the emerging web3
ecosystem, PYUSD has quickly gained traction. Yesterday (Wednesday), PayPal
announced that its stablecoin is now available on Venmo for selected users,
with plans for a full-scale rollout soon. The new feature allows zero-cost
transfers between PayPal and Venmo. According to PayPal, it marks the first
instance of free and fast stablecoin-enabled wallet interoperability on such a
large scale.
Venmo users
can now purchase PYUSD and send it to friends and family, not just on Venmo and
PayPal, but also to compatible external wallets. Standard blockchain network
fees will apply for those using other wallets or accepting PYUSD as merchants.
“We remain
fully committed to the mission behind PYUSD: deploying a safe, regulated
stablecoin at scale both for the web3 ecosystem and for everyday payments, and
we look forward to sharing more updates in the future,” PayPal commented in the
official press release.
Venmo is an
American mobile payment service provider that was launched in 2009 and acquired
by PayPal in 2013. With the growing popularity of contactless payments using
smartphones and smartwatches, Venmo additionally gained additional traction. According
to data released by the payment giant last year, Venmo surpassed 90 million
accounts in the US, as a result of which one in four consumers in the United
States uses the payment app for everyday purchases.
According
to data for the second quarter of 2023, Venmo’s total payment volume ranked at
$67 billion. This compares to ten times less of $6 billion, which was recorded six years ago.
PYUSD’s Growing Ecosystem
PayPal’s
PYUSD is not just limited to PayPal and Venmo. It has already integrated into
the broader crypto market. Within weeks of its launch, it became available on
major exchanges like Crypto.com, Bitstamp, Coinbase, and Kraken.
It is also
supported by main crypto wallets like MetaMask, Ledger, and Phantom and
institutional services like Fireblocks, Copper, Paxos, and Fordefi. Notably,
PYUSD received the green light from the New York State Department of Financial
Services, simplifying its adoption among licensed virtual currency entities in
the state.
Although it
still lags behind on a list of major stablecoins, its market capitalization is continuing to grow. Currently, it stands at $44 million with a daily transaction
volume exceeding $3 million. If the list of largest stablecoins were analyzed
based on the value of daily transactions, it would rank 12th, outperforming
larger projects like Pax Dollar (USDP).
In a notable shift within PayPal’s cryptocurrency endeavors, Alex Chriss is set to assume the role of President and CEO at the end of September, succeeding Dan Schulman. Chriss presently serves as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Small Business and Self-Employed Group at tech firm Intuit, a company renowned for its offerings like QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Mailchimp.
It’s an honor to join this iconic tech company and work alongside the incredible @PayPal team! 🚀 https://t.co/T0a8sp5TIm
— Alex Chriss (@acce) August 14, 2023
A significant advantage for PYUSD is the public’s view of PayPal as a reliable, secure, and regulatory-compliant entity. In the meantime, the company has expanded its current crypto payment support.
This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.