SEC Drops PYUSD Probe—PayPal’s Stablecoin Dodges Regulatory Bullet
Wall Street’s watchdog just sheathed its claws—for now. The SEC quietly closed its investigation into PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin without enforcement action, letting the payments giant sidestep what could’ve been a costly crypto clash.
No fines, no charges, just a bureaucratic shrug. The decision lands as stablecoins face mounting scrutiny from DC to Brussels. Meanwhile, PayPal keeps cashing in on crypto’s wild west while traditional banks play catch-up—ironic, given their lobbyists wrote half the rulebooks.
- The SEC has officially closed its investigation into PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin without taking enforcement action.
- PayPal fully complied with the SEC’s document request after receiving a subpoena in November 2023.
- The investigation ended in February 2025 and was disclosed in PayPal’s Q1 earnings report.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finished its PayPal stablecoin investigation into PYUSD by taking no enforcement measures. The organization validated the development through its Q1 2025 financial statement after several months of speculation. The SEC began its PayPal stablecoin investigation during November 2023 before finally concluding it in February 2025.
PayPal received official documents from the SEC, which demanded records regarding its stablecoin operations and activities. The company supplied the entire investigative data set that the investigation demanded. According to their latest statement, the SEC has officially closed this matter while waiving all further investigations.
During Q1 2025, PayPal released its financial results, which exceeded market expectations at the same time. PayPal presented both financial results and detailed its share repurchase achievements to investors during its period of financial announcement. The regulatory investigation into digital assets has drawn to a close as a new regulatory stance emerges regarding digital assets.
PYUSD Faces Low Market Share Despite Regulatory Clarity
In August 2023, PayPal introduced PYUSD to create an authoritative cryptocurrency solution connected with the dollar value. PYUSD provides its backing through U.S. dollar deposits as well as Treasury bills and equivalent cash assets. Its redemption value matches exactly the U.S. dollar at one unit to one unit.
PYUSD maintains small market penetration in the stablecoin sector, where Tether and Circle control the majority share. The market value of PYUSD amounted to approximately $880 million when measured in April 2025. The current market value of Tether amounts to $148.5 billion, while PYUSD accounts for only 0.7% of this total.
The popularity of the PYUSD stablecoin is increasing as it moves forward in its competition against dominant rivals. Since the beginning of 2025, the supply of the stablecoin has expanded by 75 percent. At present, the PYUSD total circulation stands just short of the supply levels established in August 2024.
PayPal Expands PYUSD With Coinbase Partnership
The PayPal loyalty program pays U.S. users holding PYUSD 3.7% per year. By launching this program, PayPal hopes to gain more users and strengthen the stablecoin’s essential role throughout its platform. The strategy aims to establish PYUSD’s competitiveness against its market competitors.
PayPal formed a strategic alliance with Coinbase to enhance the availability of its stablecoin across various platforms and services. Under this partnership, the companies aim to open digital asset applications using PYUSD as their foundation. The company works to enhance the stablecoin ecosystem and expand usage to reach more users.
The recent regulatory clearance allows PayPal to expand the distribution of PYUSD in the digital finance industry. As part of its growth strategy, the company has designed newer user-oriented capabilities. The planned developments indicate that PYUSD has prospects to succeed in the digital currency market in the long run.
