Big Tech’s cautious entry into digital assets took another step forward this week as YouTube quietly enabled payouts to creators in PayPal’s U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin, PYUSD. The move marks one of the first large-scale integrations of a stablecoin into a major global content platform.
The update was first confirmed by May Zabaneh, PayPal’s Head of Crypto, who told Fortune that creators in the United States can now choose to receive their YouTube earnings directly in PYUSD.
A Google spokesperson, while declining to provide details, confirmed that YouTube has added the new payout method.
YouTube has long relied on PayPal’s enterprise payouts system to compensate creators, contractors, and partners. PayPal added stablecoin payout functionality in early Q3, allowing companies using its payout rails to offer PYUSD as an optional disbursement method.
YouTube then opted to extend the feature to its creator base, giving eligible users access to blockchain-based payments without requiring them to interact with crypto directly.
Zabaneh emphasized that simplicity and compliance were key to the rollout. “The beauty of what we’ve built is that YouTube doesn’t have to touch crypto, and we can help take away that complexity,” she said.
With PYUSD functioning as a regulated, dollar-denominated digital asset, creators can receive faster, programmable payouts while YouTube maintains its traditional infrastructure.
The feature also signals increasing corporate comfort with stablecoins, particularly those issued by regulated U.S. companies. PayPal launched PYUSD in 2023 and has gradually expanded its utility through retail integrations, crypto exchanges, and enterprise payment systems.
For creators, the new option could unlock faster settlement times, lower transfer fees, and more flexibility in how funds are stored or moved across platforms. For YouTube, it represents a cautious but notable step toward incorporating blockchain-based financial tools into its ecosystem, without fully entering the crypto space itself.
The rollout remains limited to the U.S. for now, but industry analysts say broader adoption may follow as both regulatory clarity and enterprise use cases evolve.