YouTube is quietly taking a meaningful step toward crypto going mainstream.
The video giant has enabled PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin as a payout option for creators in the United States, allowing eligible users to receive earnings directly in digital dollars instead of traditional fiat. May Zabaneh, PayPal’s head of crypto, confirmed the feature is now live for American creators.
This did not happen overnight.
PayPal rolled out PYUSD recipient payment capabilities in the third quarter, and YouTube soon followed by extending the option to its creator ecosystem. The integration builds on a long standing relationship, as PayPal has powered AdSense payouts for YouTube creators for years.
The structure is intentional.
As Zabaneh pointed out, YouTube avoids direct exposure to crypto infrastructure. “The beauty of what we’ve built is that YouTube doesn’t have to touch crypto and so we can help take away that complexity.” In other words, creators get the benefits of stablecoins without YouTube needing to manage wallets, custody, or blockchain operations.
The timing is notable.
YouTube once took a restrictive stance on crypto related content. Now, it is opening the door to stablecoin based payments for one of the largest creator economies on the internet. With YouTube’s massive user base, this single integration could significantly accelerate mainstream stablecoin adoption.
PYUSD’s growth helps explain why.
Launched in mid 2023, PYUSD now carries a market capitalization above $3.9 billion. That figure is up sharply from around $500 million in January, with much of the expansion happening after September, when the stablecoin hovered near a $1 billion valuation.
September marked a turning point.
PYUSD was integrated into Spark’s lending markets and Bitfinex’s Stable platform, an institutional grade blockchain designed specifically for stablecoins. Those moves helped push PYUSD into a new growth phase and tripled its market presence in a matter of months.
This fits a much bigger trend.
The stablecoin sector has surged over the past year as mainstream businesses, financial institutions, and even governments begin weaving digital dollars into traditional finance. Stablecoins offer faster settlement and lower friction, particularly for cross border payments, compared to legacy banking rails.
PayPal is leaning into that momentum.
In February, the company announced plans to integrate PYUSD into its bill pay product for merchants and its Hyperwallet platform for mass payouts. Then in September, PayPal expanded PYUSD to nine additional blockchains using LayerZero’s interoperability protocol, extending support to networks such as Aptos, Avalanche, and Tron.
For creators, this is not about crypto speculation. It is about getting paid faster, with fewer intermediaries. And that is how adoption really happens.
