PayPal Expands PYUSD Empire: Stablecoin Now Live on Stellar Following Ethereum & Solana Dominance

PayPal just fired another shot in the stablecoin wars—deploying its PYUSD juggernaut on Stellar''s blockchain. That makes three major networks under its belt after Ethereum and Solana.

Why Stellar? Faster settlements, lower fees, and a play for cross-border payments—because apparently traditional finance still moves at dial-up speeds.

This isn''t just expansion; it''s a power grab. With PYUSD now spanning three blockchains, PayPal''s betting big that stablecoins will eat fiat''s lunch. And let''s be real—watching banks scramble to keep up is half the fun.

One cynical footnote: Nothing says ''trust us'' like a fintech giant issuing a stablecoin while quietly raking in float revenue. But hey—progress marches on.

In Brief

• PayPal is expanding its PYUSD stablecoin to Stellar, after Ethereum and Solana, awaiting New York regulator approval.
• Objective: to strengthen cross-border payments via a fast and cost-effective blockchain suited to concrete adoption.
• Objective: to strengthen cross-border payments via a fast and cost-effective blockchain suited to concrete adoption.

A Stablecoin in Search of Legitimacy in a Crowded Market

Launched in 2023, PYUSD is the result of the alliance between PayPal and Paxos Trust Co., with a clear goal: to establish itself sustainably in the stablecoin landscape dominated by Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC). Pegged to the dollar and backed by liquid assets such as U.S. Treasury bills, PYUSD plays the safety and transparency card.

But let’s be honest: in a universe where two giants capture almost all trading volume, the emergence of a new player is not enough. You have to differentiate, play on different fields. Hence this strategic MOVE towards Stellar, a network historically focused on fast and low-cost cross-border payments. It’s no coincidence: PayPal clearly intends to target users for whom the speed of international transfers and monetary stability are crucial.

Stellar : Much More Than Just an Alternative Network

Stellar is not Ethereum, nor is it Solana. While the first two rely on the versatility of smart contracts and decentralized applications, stellar focuses on a clear mission: to streamline global money transfers. Its crypto, XLM, admittedly struggles to compete in market capitalization with its counterparts, but the network remains robust, fast, and economical.

The integration of PYUSD on Stellar makes perfect sense here. As May Zabaneh, PayPal’s blockchain vice president, explains, stablecoins have long been seen as the “killer app” of cryptos. And their real value, according to her, will fully reveal itself in cross-border payments. In sum, it’s no longer about speculation, but about building. Offering concrete utility to the technology.

By choosing Stellar, PayPal is charting a different path. One of daily use, fluid, almost invisible. And perhaps that is the greatest strength of this decision: anchoring a stablecoin not in hype, but in infrastructure.

Crypto : Towards a Reconfiguration of Usage?

The arrival of PYUSD on Stellar should not be read as a mere technical extension. It signals a gradual shift of crypto towards an era of concrete use. This crypto, still modest with a market cap under one billion dollars, fits into an ecosystem logic. PayPal is not trying to directly compete with Tether or Circle on their own turf. It aims to reinvent its own.

The possibility for Venmo users – owned by PayPal – to buy PYUSD adds an extra LAYER to this strategy: creating a smooth bridge between traditional finance and crypto. Gone are the complex back-and-forths between wallet, exchange, and bank. The everyday user will soon be able to manage their stable funds as easily as managing a PayPal transfer.

Crypto becomes a tool. A banalized, integrated, almost painless tool in its usage. And this banality, paradoxically, could very well be the next revolution.

Far from grandstanding and serial revolutionary promises, PayPal moves its pieces precisely. The deployment of PYUSD on Stellar illustrates a more subtle strategy than it appears: build, don’t shine. In a crypto world hungry for new narratives, this one could well be the most enduring. Because if 2024 was the year of experiments, 2025 promises to be the real moment of truth for stablecoins. And PayPal clearly intends to be ready.

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