PayPal is pushing deeper into digital money innovation with the launch of personalized payment links in the United States. The new feature, which will expand to international markets including the United Kingdom and Italy later this month, is designed to make sending and receiving money easier across different platforms.
Personalized Links for Simple Transactions
The payment links allow users to create unique, shareable identifiers that can be sent via text, messaging apps, or email. Instead of needing a phone number or email, payers can simply click the link and transfer funds instantly. PayPal believes this added simplicity will attract new users while improving retention among its massive global customer base.
According to Diego Scotti, General Manager of PayPal’s Consumer Group, the initiative reflects the company’s vision of making money “follow conversations.” Whether people are splitting dinner costs, reimbursing a friend, or sending a gift, the experience is designed to be seamless across multiple platforms.
Crypto Integration Into Peer-to-Peer Payments
In a major step toward blending traditional finance with digital assets, PayPal confirmed that cryptocurrency will now be part of its peer-to-peer ecosystem. U.S. customers will soon be able to send Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), PayPal USD (PYUSD), and other supported digital assets directly through the PayPal and Venmo apps.
These transfers will also extend globally, working across compatible digital wallets and crypto-enabled platforms. The integration builds on PayPal’s earlier launch of PYUSD, its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, which was introduced in 2023 and has steadily gained traction in DeFi and payments.
This move makes PayPal one of the first major fintech firms to combine personalized payments with native crypto functionality, offering a unique competitive edge as digital money adoption accelerates.
Peer-to-Peer Growth Accelerates
PayPal’s peer-to-peer services are already proving to be a growth engine. In its second-quarter earnings report, the company disclosed that consumer payment volume increased by 10% year-over-year, while Venmo recorded its fastest total payment volume growth in three years.
Industry analysts point out that PayPal’s scale gives it a strong advantage. With more than 430 million active accounts worldwide, its integration of crypto and interoperability features like PayPal World, which allows payments across multiple wallets, positions the company to reach billions of potential users in the coming years.
Regulatory and Tax Clarity
One detail that has reassured many U.S. users is that personal payments remain exempt from IRS 1099-K reporting requirements. That means everyday transfers like gifts, shared expenses, or reimbursements won’t be taxed as business income. This distinction helps separate casual payments from commercial activity, reducing friction for everyday users.
Outlook: A Broader Push Into Digital Money
By rolling out personalized payment links and expanding crypto-to-crypto transfers, PayPal is sending a clear message: it intends to remain at the forefront of digital payments innovation.
The company’s strategy combines convenience, global reach, and new asset classes to appeal to both everyday users and crypto enthusiasts. If adoption continues at its current pace, PayPal could solidify its role as one of the most influential bridges between traditional finance and the blockchain-powered economy.
