PayPal is taking another significant step in its journey through the digital asset landscape. The fintech giant has expanded its U.S. crypto offerings to include Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK), adding to its current lineup of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and its proprietary stablecoin, PYUSD.
This move isn’t just about ticking off boxes—it’s a reflection of where the crypto conversation is heading. Solana, known for its high-speed, low-cost blockchain, has carved a niche in decentralized finance, Web3 gaming, and other next-gen applications. Chainlink, meanwhile, plays a different but equally crucial role, providing smart contracts with access to real-world data through its decentralized oracle network. Both projects have risen in prominence, currently sitting among the top fifteen cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, making their inclusion in PayPal’s roster a calculated and strategic choice.
According to May Zabaneh, PayPal’s Vice President of Blockchain and Digital Currencies, the addition of SOL and LINK is a direct response to user feedback. “Since we initially made cryptocurrencies available on PayPal and Venmo, we’ve been listening to our users about what they want to do with crypto on our platforms,” she explained. “One piece of feedback we’ve heard is to make additional tokens available that align with our mission of revolutionizing payments.”
That mission is evolving quickly. PayPal’s first foray into crypto came in 2020, offering users the ability to buy and hold Bitcoin and Ethereum. Since then, the company has made notable strides, particularly with the launch of PYUSD, a dollar-backed stablecoin introduced on Ethereum in 2023 and later expanded to the Solana network in 2024. As of now, PYUSD’s circulating supply sits at $733 million, reflecting strong adoption and expanding utility.
PayPal’s scale gives it a unique advantage in bringing crypto to the mainstream. With more than 434 million active users and control of nearly half the global online payments market, it has both the reach and infrastructure to make a real impact. Its regulatory footing and long-standing merchant relationships only add to that advantage.
Max Hamilton, an investment researcher at Foresight Ventures, believes this is part of a broader trend. “Established giants like PayPal wield an unparalleled advantage in distribution, a moat built over decades of customer acquisition, merchant relationships, and regulatory compliance,” he said. “And we continue to see them co-opting crypto offerings into their ecosystems so as to not be displaced by them.”
Rather than watching from the sidelines as crypto evolves, PayPal is actively shaping its future. By integrating Solana and Chainlink, the company isn’t just keeping up with demand—it’s helping define what accessible, user-focused crypto adoption can look like at scale. In doing so, it positions itself not only as a payment processor, but as a key bridge between traditional finance and the decentralized world.
By Alejandro Silva Ramírez, Crypto Analyst & Columnist