PayPal Adds Crypto to Peer-to-Peer Payments Across Borders
The feature is rolling out in the U.S. today and expanding to the UK, Italy, and other markets later this month.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — PayPal has announced a major step forward in peer-to-peer (P2P) payments with the launch of PayPal Links, a personalised, one-time payment link that allows users to send or receive money as seamlessly as sending a text.
The feature, rolling out in the U.S. today and expanding to the UK, Italy, and other markets later this month, aims to simplify payments across apps, borders, and currencies while drawing more users into the PayPal ecosystem.
The move follows the company’s recent introduction of PayPal World, a platform connecting the largest digital payment systems and wallets globally. Together, the two offerings strengthen PayPal’s push to make payments more universal and frictionless.
Crypto will also be integrated directly into PayPal’s new P2P flow, enabling U.S. users to send Bitcoin, Ethereum, PYUSD, and more to PayPal, Venmo, and an increasing number of global wallets that support digital assets.
“For 25 years, PayPal has revolutionised how money moves between people. Now, we’re taking the next major step,” said Diego Scotti, General Manager, Consumer Group at PayPal. “Whether you’re texting, messaging, or emailing, now your money follows your conversations.”
PayPal emphasised that friends-and-family transfers on Venmo and PayPal remain exempt from 1099-K reporting, ensuring that personal transactions such as gifts or reimbursements remain private.
The company also reported that P2P continues to be a cornerstone of its consumer business, driving 10% year-over-year growth in total payment volume in Q2, with Venmo recording its strongest performance in three years.
How it works: Users generate a private, one-time link in the PayPal app tied to a specific transaction. The link can be shared via text, email, or chat. Once accepted, funds are instantly available to the recipient’s PayPal Balance account.
With interoperability through PayPal World and new features like PayPal Links, the company is positioning itself to dominate the future of global digital payments.
Reportedly, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is preparing to add cryptocurrency support, across the company’s platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads.
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