PayPal has officially extended access to its PYUSD stablecoin to users in 70 countries, marking a significant push to integrate digital assets with traditional payments. Previously limited to the U.S. and U.K., the rollout now reaches regions in South America, Africa, and Asia, including Colombia, Uganda, and Peru.
Global rollout brings digital dollar to emerging markets
According to a recent report by Fortune, users in these regions can now hold, send, receive, and earn rewards on PYUSD directly within their PayPal wallets, a suite of features that were once reserved for select markets. The expansion aims to tackle longstanding pain points in cross-border payments, where slow processing times and high fees often limit financial accessibility.
“PYUSD can ease transfers in high-fee regions and provide practical value for remittances and peer-to-peer payments,”
said May Zabaneh, PayPal’s head of blockchain, crypto, and digital currencies.
Exclusive: PayPal expands stablecoin access to 68 more countrieshttps://t.co/FoAXVY7vLU
— Frank Chaparro (@fintechfrank) March 17, 2026
Meanwhile, according to a new survey cited by PayPal, digital assets are becoming a core part of commerce, with almost 40% of U.S. merchants now accepting cryptocurrency for purchases, signalling its emergence as a standard payment method.
PYUSD’s potential in emerging economies
Fully backed by U.S. dollar deposits and short-term Treasuries, PYUSD has seen its market capitalization climb past $4.1 billion since launch, benefiting from PayPal’s broad reach in nearly 200 countries and integration with popular apps like Venmo. In emerging markets, the ability to earn up to 4% rewards on holdings presents a competitive alternative to local savings options, offering users a way to protect value amid currency volatility and limited banking access.
To optimize for lower fees and faster transactions, PYUSD is now available across more than 13 networks, including major platforms such as Solana, Tron, and Avalanche, marking a significant expansion from its original base on the Ethereum blockchain.
While critics note that PYUSD remains custodial and tied to PayPal’s ecosystem, unlike decentralized stablecoins, the move signals PayPal’s strategy to act as a bridge between fiat and crypto. For everyday users in underserved regions, this could mean cheaper international transfers and a more accessible means of storing and moving money.
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