YouTube is moving to crypto: what creators should expect

In December 2025, the video hosting service YouTube launched A new payment option for authors in the US: they can now receive their payments in PayPal's stablecoin. The news has sparked interest among content creators, as it opens up new opportunities for fast and convenient payments, and can also significantly facilitate the monetization of their work.

Previously, YouTube did not use cryptocurrencies, but now the situation may change. It is important to understand whether YouTube will continue to develop cryptocurrency solutions and what impact this will have on creators.

Integrating stablecoins into YouTube

Now, creators in the US can receive payments in stablecoins (a cryptocurrency with a stable 1:1 exchange rate to fiat money, usually the US dollar) from PayPal (PYUSD). It's important to note that the platform itself does not directly work with cryptocurrency. All technical and operational support is handled by PayPal, which acts as an intermediary between YouTube and users.

This change affects one of the largest sources of regular payments to creators in the media industry. Over the past four years, YouTube has paid out to the authors over $100 billion.