Close up of a woman’s hand paying with her smartphone in a cafe, scan and pay a bill on a card machine making a quick and easy contactless payment.
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images
PayPal and Venmo users will soon be able to earn yield on their stablecoin holdings, the company said Wednesday.
Customers will earn an annual interest rate of 3.7% beginning this summer. It will be paid in the PayPal USD stablecoin (PYUSD) on their holdings of the same token. The rewards will be available to use for transacting with other users on the platform, funding international transfers, exchanging dollars or other fiat currency or to make purchases with PayPal merchants.
PayPal launched PYUSD in 2023, making it the first major financial institution to launch a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. It now makes up less than 1% of the market, which is dominated primarily by Tether’s’ USDT (66% of market cap) and Circle’s USDC (28%), according to CryptoQuant. The total market cap for stablecoins has grown 37% in the past year.
Unlike bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrencies, stablecoins are designed to have a stable value against a non-crypto asset, usually the U.S. dollar. Historically, they’re used for trading and as collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi), and stablecoins are closely watched for evidence of demand, liquidity and activity in the market. More recently, they’ve become more attractive as a way to offer underbanked users access to financial services. Additionally, yield-bearing stablecoins have increased in popularity.
PayPal has long maintained that as its business model lies in payments, its use of stablecoins should be focused on that function, enabling the transfer and exchange of value and purchasing goods. Others, by contrast, such as Tether and Circle, which filed earlier this month to go public, make money from interest income by holding reserves in interest-bearing assets.
Now, in order to get users to use PYUSD within the PayPal ecosystem, the company is incentivizing them to buy the stablecoins to help get them to that step.
“Stablecoins have the power to reshape the future of commerce as the foundation for the next generation of payments,” Alex Chriss, president and CEO of PayPal, said in a statement shared with CNBC. “Combining this innovative technology with our expansive global network allows us to help all users thrive in the world economy.”
PayPal is committed “to an innovative, commerce-ready ecosystem by enabling it for the settlement of cross border transfers, vendor payments and in the future for additional payment use cases like payouts and bill pay,” he added.
Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE
Join us at the New York Stock Exchange!
Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE, an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange.
In today’s dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12.
Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited!
