YouTube has started offering US-based creators the option to receive earnings in PayPal’s stablecoin, adding another major tech giant to the list of companies experimenting with crypto-linked payments.
The feature is already active, according to PayPal’s head of crypto, May Zabaneh, who confirmed the arrangement to Fortune and said it relies on PayPal’s existing payouts system.
How YouTube is using PayPal’s stablecoin system
YouTube has long used PayPal to distribute funds to creators and contractors. Early in the third quarter, PayPal introduced a setting that allows recipients to choose to receive payments in PYUSD, its dollar–backed stablecoin.
Once that infrastructure went live, YouTube adopted the option for creator revenues. The company does not handle the crypto directly. PayPal does the conversion and custody work, reducing technical and compliance friction for the video platform.
Zabaneh noted that “the beauty of what we’ve built is that YouTube doesn’t have to touch crypto,” calling it a way to “take away that complexity.” Google, which owns YouTube, acknowledged the rollout but did not comment on its scale.
Why Big Tech is circling toward regulated crypto assets
Stablecoins have been part of the digital-asset world for years, but the sector has grown sharply after US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on 18 July 2025 - a new federal framework governing stablecoins.
Tech companies and fintech firms have treated them as a faster settlement layer, prompting moves like Stripe’s acquisition of stablecoin startup Bridge for $1.1 billion earlier this year.
Google has already tested PYUSD once before through Google Cloud, which received payments from two clients using the token, as per Fortune.
PayPal’s broader crypto push
PayPal entered the crypto market in 2020, supporting trading in major coins. PYUSD followed in 2023 and has since reached a market cap near $4 billion, according to CoinGecko. The company has threaded the stablecoin into several products, including Venmo and merchant tools, with plans for broader use among smaller businesses.
For now, the payout option is limited to US creators and sits alongside traditional payments. No timeline has been given for its expansion.
FAQs
What has YouTube introduced for creators?
YouTube now lets US-based creators receive their payouts in PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin.
Does YouTube handle cryptocurrency directly?
No. PayPal processes the stablecoin transfers, removing the need for YouTube to interact with crypto.
Why is PYUSD being used for creator payouts?
PYUSD is integrated into PayPal’s payout tools and is designed to function like a dollar-pegged digital token.
