PayPal and Circle, two U.S. firms that are trying to build what are called financial super apps, are making stablecoins a major piece of how users link to other functions. Both companies made recent deals to expand usage of their own stablecoins while easing access to other financial services. PayPal and Circle are both positioning themselves to capitalize on the increasing popularity of stablecoins as a means to power their super apps. PayPal recently expanded its partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase to power free conversions between PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin and traditional money. Coinbase will offer PYUSD to PayPal’s merchant network, making it easier for the stablecoin to be used at the point of sale. It also can drive PayPal’s super app strategy, a long-standing initiative to enable a mobile app to shop at millions of merchants, make payments, access a debit card, use installment credit, pay bills, invest, make P2P transfers, receive paychecks and dozens of other services. The addition of the Xoom remittance and Venmo transfer app, PayPal’s PYUSD and support for stablecoin and cryptocurrency investments at Venmo and PayPal add to that super-app potential.
Paypal owned Honey drops to 15 million users on Chrome, down 5 million in less than six months after being exposed for shady tactics
In late 2024, the popular Chrome extension Honey was exposed for shady tactics including simply not doing what it was promised to do, with uninstalls following suit and Honey now dropping down to 15 million users from a peak of over 20 million. An exposé from YouTube channel MegaLag previously highlighted two things about PayPal-owned Honey. The extension had dropped down to 16 million users as of March 2025. As of this week, Honey has now dropped to 15 million users, down from over 20 million users at its peak prior to the exposé. This drops Honey well below the “17+ million members” that it advertises on the Chrome Web Store, though it’s still very possible the extension has a couple million more members across browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Firefox. Mozilla shows around 460,000 Honey users on its browser, while Apple doesn’t show a figure. Microsoft says Honey has 5,000,000 users on Edge, though that number may be inflated by Microsoft’s own questionable tactics with Edge copying Chrome when installed on the same machine. Regardless, it’s clear that these numbers are dropping. The impact of the MegaLag video has passed, with roughly 3 million views on that video since January. Google has implemented restrictions on extensions following the debacle, which led to Honey making changes to some of its biggest abuse of affiliate codes.
PayPal adds new physical card to its digital offering, PayPal Credit for in-store purchases, featuring limited-time travel offer and six-month promotional financing on PayPal purchases over $149
PayPal announced that PayPal Credit can now be used everywhere with the introduction of a new physical card, issued by Synchrony. This expands its popular digital PayPal Credit offering to use both online when checking out with PayPal and in-store and everywhere Mastercard® is accepted. When using the new physical card, customers will also have access to a limited-time offer to pay for travel purchases over six months with promotional financing and no minimum spend1. This gives account holders a more manageable way to pay for qualifying travel purchases like flights, hotels, cruises, and ride shares, which can be spread over time to best suit their budget and needs. This is PayPal’s next flexible payment innovation that caters to customers looking to take PayPal Credit everywhere. In addition to the limited-time travel offer, customers can continue to enjoy six-month promotional financing on PayPal purchases over $149. Customers looking for flexibility at checkout can also apply for a PayPal Buy Now Pay Later loan which lets them break purchases into smaller payments over weeks or months. The physical card will be rolling out in the coming weeks to US customers.
PayPal USD (PYUSD) plans to use Stellar for real-world payments, commerce, and micro-financing leveraging the network’s speed, low transaction costs, and ease of integration
PayPal plans to make the PayPal USD stablecoin available on the Stellar network pending regulatory approval by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). By potentially expanding to Stellar, PYUSD leverages the network’s speed, low transaction costs, and ease of integration to enhance its utility for real-world payments, commerce, and micro-financing, offering an additional option to Ethereum and Solana. PYUSD on Stellar can be used for fast, affordable cross-border payments and expanded access to essential financial services while bridging the digital and physical world with a vast array of on and off ramps. Users may also benefit from improved daily payment options and financing solutions such as working capital and business loans – use cases already thriving on the Stellar network – ultimately enabling a more seamless flow of value across global markets. An expansion on Stellar would give PYUSD users access to its vast network of on and off ramps, providing additional access through digital wallets, and connected to local payment systems and cash networks. Access to extensive Stellar infrastructure will enhance how people can use PYUSD in their everyday financial activities, from payments to remittances to merchant services. PYUSD on Stellar can also enhance liquidity and financing opportunities through Payment Financing or ‘PayFi’, an emerging innovation in digital finance. Small and medium-sized businesses that face delayed receivables or pre-funding requirements would be able to access new sources of real-time working capital, disbursed in PYUSD. This capital can be used to pay suppliers, manage inventory, or address other operational needs – with instant settlement on Stellar. Liquidity providers can fund these opportunities and earn potential, sustainable benefits from real-world economic activity.