PayPal USD (PYUSD) Expands to 70 Global Markets
PayPal announced on March 17, 2026 that it is making PayPal USD (PYUSD) available in 70 markets worldwide in the PayPal account. This dollar-backed stablecoin enables users to send funds globally, with faster settlement and lower cost than traditional payment methods.
Global Expansion Details
PYUSD, a US federally regulated stablecoin, is now available to users in their PayPal accounts across multiple global regions, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America, with countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. PayPal users in the remaining markets will have access to PYUSD in the coming weeks.
Consumer and Business Benefits
Users in newly supported markets can buy, hold, send, and receive PYUSD directly from their PayPal account, and eligible users can earn rewards on their PYUSD holdings, can instantly transfer funds to friends and family, whether on PayPal or to third-party digital wallets, and convert PYUSD to local currency when withdrawing funds for everyday spending.
Businesses that accept PYUSD can use proceeds in minutes rather than days or weeks, improving liquidity and reducing reliance on traditional settlement cycles, with faster access to funds helping businesses manage working capital, support cross-border operations, and participate in global commerce.
Regulatory Framework and Reserve Backing
PayPal USD is issued by Paxos Trust Company, N.A., a fully-chartered trust company regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), with reserves for PayPal USD fully backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents, and PayPal USD can be bought or sold through PayPal and Venmo at a rate of $1.00 per PayPal USD.
Recent Technical Developments
Nium launched a PYUSD Card Platform on March 30, 2026, enabling businesses to issue stablecoin-funded Visa/Mastercard cards using PYUSD. The platform enables businesses to issue Visa and Mastercard cards funded by stablecoins, including PayPal USD, with the system converting PYUSD balances to fiat at the point of sale, handling compliance and network integration.
PayPal introduced the PYUSDx Development Framework on February 27, 2026, enabling developers to create custom stablecoins backed by PYUSD for specific applications.
Market Performance
PYUSD's market cap surged 680% year-over-year to $3.9B, driven by YouTube creator payouts and Visa's stablecoin remittance rails.
Regulatory Considerations
The draft CLARITY Act (January 2026) proposes banning yield for "holding payment stablecoins," targeting PYUSD's 4% reward program.