PayPal Introduces One-Time Payment Links, Eyes Bitcoin & Ethereum Transfers

• PayPal has introduced PayPal Links in the US and will expand to the UK and Italy later this month.

• The service enables one-time payment links with crypto support and transfers across PayPal, Venmo, and global wallets.

PayPal has launched PayPal Links in the United States, giving users a new way to send and receive money. The service enables the creation of one-time personalized payment links that can be shared through text, email, or messaging apps. The company confirmed the expansion of the feature to the United Kingdom, Italy, and other markets later in the month.

The new service allows users to create payment links within the PayPal app. Each link can contain notes, emojis, or payment information and will be valid for ten days if not claimed. Users can also send reminders or cancellations before completion.

Alongside traditional transfers, PayPal added crypto to its peer-to-peer mechanism as Crypto News Flash recently reported. U.S. users can send digital assets, including stablecoins, between PayPal and Venmo. They can also transfer funds to global wallets that support cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, leading to interoperability between global platforms. PayPal explained that friends and family payments on PayPal and Venmo remain exempt from 1099-K reporting, covering reimbursements, gifts, and shared expenses.

Crypto Payments Integrated Into Everyday Use

Alongside PayPal Links, the company expanded its digital asset services. Users in the United States can also send crypto via PayPal and Venmo to a growing list of supported digital wallets. Transfers between the two platforms are also supported, supporting internal interoperability.

PayPal affirmed that “Pay with Crypto,” introduced earlier this summer, allows merchants to tap into a $3 trillion market. The feature supports over 100 cryptocurrencies and wallets such as Coinbase or MetaMask while providing instant conversion to stablecoins or fiat. The company charges a fee of 0.99%, which reduces costs by as much as 90% compared with international credit card payments.

From 2026, Venmo users will be able to purchase from millions of merchants worldwide. PayPal expects this to help grow its two-sided network, spur demand for merchants, and provide consumers with greater payment flexibility.

Scaling PayPal World and Digital Asset Growth

The new initiatives are part of PayPal World, a platform launched in July that links PayPal and Venmo to global payment systems and wallets, with nearly two billion users. The aim is to make cross-border transactions easier and expand the range of PayPal’s payment network.

The company’s digital asset journey started in 2020 with crypto trading for Bitcoin and select altcoins. In 2021, it allowed for “Checkout with Crypto” as well as added support for crypto transfers to external wallets. The launch of PYUSD in 2023 marked PayPal’s entry into the stablecoin sector. Backed by dollar deposits and Treasuries, PYUSD has expanded to a market cap of $1.3 billion.

Following the passage of the GENIUS Act in the United States, PayPal said it will expand PYUSD services to include yield generation on deposits. The stablecoin continues to play a central role in the company’s digital strategy.