PayPal Expands PYUSD Access Across 70 Markets Worldwide

PayPal announced on March 17, 2026 that its PYUSD stablecoin is now available across 70 markets worldwide, expanding access to 68 new regions beyond the United States and United Kingdom where users could previously hold the token.

The PayPal PYUSD expansion covers regions including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, with some remaining markets expected to come online in the following weeks. PayPal’s official announcement refers to 70 markets rather than 70 countries, a distinction worth noting since markets and countries are not always identical.

Prior to this rollout, only customers in the US and UK could hold PYUSD in their PayPal accounts. The addition of 68 markets represents a significant scaling of PayPal’s stablecoin distribution footprint.

What PYUSD Users Can Do in Newly Supported Markets

Users in the newly supported markets can buy, hold, send and receive PYUSD directly from their PayPal accounts, subject to local regulations. PayPal also confirmed that eligible users can earn rewards on their PYUSD holdings.

Beyond basic account functionality, users can transfer PYUSD to friends, family and third-party digital wallets. This opens a cross-border transfer channel that runs on stablecoin rails rather than traditional payment networks.

Availability and the user experience vary by jurisdiction. Rewards, for instance, are not available in some regions including the UK and Singapore. PYUSD is issued by Paxos Trust Company, a fully chartered trust company regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, while PayPal also holds a New York virtual currency license. The move comes amid broader regulatory shifts in crypto markets, similar to how South Korea has been tightening its own crypto enforcement framework.

Cross-Border Payments Strategy and Stablecoin Market Position

PayPal executive May Zabaneh framed the expansion as a payments infrastructure play. “Enabling PYUSD in users’ accounts across 70 markets gives people faster access to their funds,” Zabaneh said in the company’s announcement.

Zabaneh added that the rollout “unlocks a balance-type concept in these accounts and an earnings concept,” according to a Fortune report on the expansion. The emphasis on speed and cost savings positions PYUSD as a tool for international fund transfers rather than a speculative asset.

PYUSD currently has a market capitalization of roughly $4.1 billion with approximately $114.5 million in 24-hour trading volume. While those figures reflect meaningful scale, PYUSD remains considerably smaller than the two dominant dollar stablecoins, USDT and USDC, which each command significantly larger market caps and liquidity pools.

PayPal operates in approximately 200 markets globally, meaning the 70-market PYUSD rollout still leaves room for further expansion. As traditional financial institutions increasingly explore digital asset infrastructure, the competitive landscape continues to shift. The timing aligns with a period of growing institutional interest in crypto products, as seen in developments like T. Rowe Price’s recent crypto ETF filing currently under SEC review.

Whether the expanded access translates into meaningful PYUSD adoption will depend on user demand for stablecoin-based transfers, local regulatory conditions and how PayPal’s offering compares to existing cross-border payment alternatives in each market.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.