6 months ago
PayPal, one of the world’s largest financial platforms, continues its mission to deliver blockchain-based services to users and businesses alike.
On September 25, 2024, PayPal announced it would be enabling U.S. merchants to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrency assets within their business accounts. The move is the latest in a slew of updates made by PayPal as the TradFi giant continues to embrace the cryptocurrency industry.
U.S. Businesses Can Now Store Funds Onchain
Following the successful launch of crypto services for individual users, PayPal remarked that businesses were eager to meet user’s growing demand for more comprehensive crypto services.
"Since we launched the ability for PayPal and Venmo consumers to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency in their wallets, we have learned a lot about how they want to use their cryptocurrency… Business owners have increasingly expressed a desire for the same cryptocurrency capabilities available to consumers. We're excited to meet that demand by delivering this new offering, empowering them to engage with digital currencies effortlessly." - Jose Fernandez da Ponte, Senior Vice President of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Currencies, PayPal.
PayPal’s commitment to providing merchants with expanded crypto services and flexibility goes beyond buying and selling digital assets. Merchants can now withdraw cryptocurrencies to external onchain wallets.
While PayPal has stipulated that this feature will be limited to “eligible” wallets, the move also opens the door to more businesses becoming involved in DeFi. For example, businesses holding capital might be able to lend out assets in various onchain lending protocols, earning additional yield on a merchant’s treasury.
$PYUSD Solana Supply Down 40% Since ATH
Since launching on Solana on May 29, 2024, $PYUSD enjoyed meteoric growth. Spurred on by generous liquidity provision incentives, $PYUSD’s Solana-based supply surged to over 663.4M tokens based on Step Finance data. This eclipsed Ethereum’s $PYUSD supply, making Solana the unofficial home of PayPal’s crypto services.
However, as $PYUSD reward campaigns have slowed and market conditions improved, the supply of PayPal USD on Solana has declined. At its highest point on August 28, 2024, Solana hosted $PYUSD 65.79% supply dominance.
Based on DeFiLlama data, that figure has since fallen to just 50.4%, with PayPal USD’s Solana-based supply currently sitting at 354M.
It's unlikely that PayPal merchants based in the U.S. will rush to bring their stablecoin holdings onchain and deploy them in Solana DeFi protocols. However, the move highlights PayPal’s willingness to respond positively to customer feedback and integrate blockchain technology into its expansive product suite.
On September 25, 2024, PayPal announced it would be enabling U.S. merchants to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrency assets within their business accounts. The move is the latest in a slew of updates made by PayPal as the TradFi giant continues to embrace the cryptocurrency industry.
U.S. Businesses Can Now Store Funds Onchain
Following the successful launch of crypto services for individual users, PayPal remarked that businesses were eager to meet user’s growing demand for more comprehensive crypto services.
"Since we launched the ability for PayPal and Venmo consumers to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency in their wallets, we have learned a lot about how they want to use their cryptocurrency… Business owners have increasingly expressed a desire for the same cryptocurrency capabilities available to consumers. We're excited to meet that demand by delivering this new offering, empowering them to engage with digital currencies effortlessly." - Jose Fernandez da Ponte, Senior Vice President of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Currencies, PayPal.
PayPal’s commitment to providing merchants with expanded crypto services and flexibility goes beyond buying and selling digital assets. Merchants can now withdraw cryptocurrencies to external onchain wallets.
While PayPal has stipulated that this feature will be limited to “eligible” wallets, the move also opens the door to more businesses becoming involved in DeFi. For example, businesses holding capital might be able to lend out assets in various onchain lending protocols, earning additional yield on a merchant’s treasury.
$PYUSD Solana Supply Down 40% Since ATH
Since launching on Solana on May 29, 2024, $PYUSD enjoyed meteoric growth. Spurred on by generous liquidity provision incentives, $PYUSD’s Solana-based supply surged to over 663.4M tokens based on Step Finance data. This eclipsed Ethereum’s $PYUSD supply, making Solana the unofficial home of PayPal’s crypto services.
However, as $PYUSD reward campaigns have slowed and market conditions improved, the supply of PayPal USD on Solana has declined. At its highest point on August 28, 2024, Solana hosted $PYUSD 65.79% supply dominance.
Based on DeFiLlama data, that figure has since fallen to just 50.4%, with PayPal USD’s Solana-based supply currently sitting at 354M.
It's unlikely that PayPal merchants based in the U.S. will rush to bring their stablecoin holdings onchain and deploy them in Solana DeFi protocols. However, the move highlights PayPal’s willingness to respond positively to customer feedback and integrate blockchain technology into its expansive product suite.
9 months ago
AN IN-DEPTH REPORT ON THE STATE OF SOLANA.
The Q2 TLDR? Builders kept building. Here’s some highlights you won’t want to miss:
1. The institutions are coming
Stripe demoed their upcoming payments solution on Solana using Phantom, and PayPal issued their PYUSD stablecoin on Solana. PayPal cited token extensions as a key reason for expanding to Solana — one extension, transfer hooks, enables developers to add custom programmable logic to each transfer.
2. PayFi has arrived
Helio's Solana Pay Plugin on Shopify saved Solana Labs over $1 million in fees for Chapter2 sales compared to traditional payment methods. Now, it's even more versatile: Users can pay in their preferred token, near-instantly swapping to the merchant's preferred currency via Jupiter.
3. Solana is coming to you (not the other way around)
Have a Google account? Congrats, you now have a Solana wallet thanks to TipLink’s Wallet Adapter. No downloads, no seed phrases, no fuss.
And if that wasn’t enough, blinks connected Solana to the entire internet, bringing Solana to millions of active X users. Now, you can vote, mint, swap, and donate directly from your feed. Growth is accelerating: Messari reported blinks for over 20 dApps like Helium, Sphere, and Tensor at publication, while Dialect’s registry shows nearly 100 blinks today.
If you’re looking to build with blinks, Solana Foundation is offering $400k in grants, while Dialect and Superteam have $1k microgrants available.
4. The ecosystem is working hard on scaling solutions
ZK compression, pioneered by Light Protocol and Helius Labs, went live on testnet and drops the state cost for 1M addresses by ~99.9% by storing data via the ledger.
MagicBlock unveiled MagicBlock Engine, which enhances SVM customizability and performance without sacrificing composability. It implements ephemeral rollups: temporary runtimes that mirror programs and accounts from mainnet to improve efficiency before settling state back on Solana. The best part? It's all abstracted away from the user.
5. Solana DeFi is happening, led by LST growth
Liquid staking rate jumped from 5.2% to 6.4%, with Sanctum's LST market share exploding 3,700% QoQ.
The Q2 TLDR? Builders kept building. Here’s some highlights you won’t want to miss:
1. The institutions are coming
Stripe demoed their upcoming payments solution on Solana using Phantom, and PayPal issued their PYUSD stablecoin on Solana. PayPal cited token extensions as a key reason for expanding to Solana — one extension, transfer hooks, enables developers to add custom programmable logic to each transfer.
2. PayFi has arrived
Helio's Solana Pay Plugin on Shopify saved Solana Labs over $1 million in fees for Chapter2 sales compared to traditional payment methods. Now, it's even more versatile: Users can pay in their preferred token, near-instantly swapping to the merchant's preferred currency via Jupiter.
3. Solana is coming to you (not the other way around)
Have a Google account? Congrats, you now have a Solana wallet thanks to TipLink’s Wallet Adapter. No downloads, no seed phrases, no fuss.
And if that wasn’t enough, blinks connected Solana to the entire internet, bringing Solana to millions of active X users. Now, you can vote, mint, swap, and donate directly from your feed. Growth is accelerating: Messari reported blinks for over 20 dApps like Helium, Sphere, and Tensor at publication, while Dialect’s registry shows nearly 100 blinks today.
If you’re looking to build with blinks, Solana Foundation is offering $400k in grants, while Dialect and Superteam have $1k microgrants available.
4. The ecosystem is working hard on scaling solutions
ZK compression, pioneered by Light Protocol and Helius Labs, went live on testnet and drops the state cost for 1M addresses by ~99.9% by storing data via the ledger.
MagicBlock unveiled MagicBlock Engine, which enhances SVM customizability and performance without sacrificing composability. It implements ephemeral rollups: temporary runtimes that mirror programs and accounts from mainnet to improve efficiency before settling state back on Solana. The best part? It's all abstracted away from the user.
5. Solana DeFi is happening, led by LST growth
Liquid staking rate jumped from 5.2% to 6.4%, with Sanctum's LST market share exploding 3,700% QoQ.
9 months ago
PayPal USD, the fiat-backed stablecoin launched by one of the world’s most recognizable brands, is finding a home for itself within Solana’s booming DeFi ecosystem.
When PYUSD launched on Solana in late May, many network participants saw it as an inferior alternative to established stablecoins like Circle’s USDC. However, a meteoric rise in PYUSD supply in recent weeks suggests that there may be more demand for PayPal USD than originally anticipated.
PYUSD Supply on Solana Up 198% in Two Weeks, What’s Driving PayPal USD’s Explosive Growth??
When PYUSD launched on Solana in late May, many network participants saw it as an inferior alternative to established stablecoins like Circle’s USDC. However, a meteoric rise in PYUSD supply in recent weeks suggests that there may be more demand for PayPal USD than originally anticipated.
PYUSD Supply on Solana Up 198% in Two Weeks, What’s Driving PayPal USD’s Explosive Growth??
9 months ago
Easy to be bearish, but we still have many bullish catalysts:
• BTC ETF continued inflows
• ETH ETF launch soon
• Regulatory pivot
• Interest rates at all-time highs, with the EU and Canada already decreasing
• Stocks at all-time highs
• Gold close to ATH
• Stablecoin supply at ATH
• Circle's stablecoins compliant with MiCA, boosting integration in finance and commerce
• Stripe integrating stablecoins
• Paypal's newly launched $PYUSD growing ($405m issued)
• Blackrock pushing for asset tokenization
• Newly issued altcoins already down ~80%, resetting valuations
• Polymarket gaining traction beyond crypto natives
• Blockchains finally starting to scale
Finally, when Germany, the US government, and Mt. Gox are done, it will clear the last overhang.
Usually, sellers are easy to spot, but new buyers are obscure.
***CREDITS: Ignas defi research***
• BTC ETF continued inflows
• ETH ETF launch soon
• Regulatory pivot
• Interest rates at all-time highs, with the EU and Canada already decreasing
• Stocks at all-time highs
• Gold close to ATH
• Stablecoin supply at ATH
• Circle's stablecoins compliant with MiCA, boosting integration in finance and commerce
• Stripe integrating stablecoins
• Paypal's newly launched $PYUSD growing ($405m issued)
• Blackrock pushing for asset tokenization
• Newly issued altcoins already down ~80%, resetting valuations
• Polymarket gaining traction beyond crypto natives
• Blockchains finally starting to scale
Finally, when Germany, the US government, and Mt. Gox are done, it will clear the last overhang.
Usually, sellers are easy to spot, but new buyers are obscure.
***CREDITS: Ignas defi research***
9 months ago
Despite uncertainty across the wider crypto markets, the Solana ecosystem continues to reward its loyal users with a wealth of liberal incentives and airdrops.
Which rewards programs and incentives should you have on your radar?
JUPITER ASR (ACTIVE STAKING REWARDS)
Ever since the $JUP TGE supporters and community members have been able to stake JUP tokens within Jupiter’s platform and vote on decentralized governance proposals that shape the direction and future of the protocol.
All voters and contributors, regardless of how they cast their votes, are eligible for a share of around $60M in Jupiter ASR (Active Staking Rewards). Allocations are calculated based on an individual account’s voting power and will be comprised of:
50M JUP
7.5B WEN
7.5M ZEUS
7.5M UPT
750,000 SHARK
These highly anticipated Active Staking Rewards are expected to be distributed before July 10, with an official allocation checker scheduled to go live sometime on July 5. It’s important to note that JUP claimed during the event will automatically added to your wallet’s staked amount.
SANCTUM $CLOUD AIRDROP
Following the success of its gamified LST loyalty program, Wonderland, Sanctum’s initial $CLOUD airdrop is slated to go live in mid-July. Attracting over 300,000 participants and amassing over $1B TVL (Total Value Locked) in early June based on DeFiLlama data, Sanctum’s CLOUD airdrop is one of the ecosystem’s most eagerly awaited events.
Sanctum's CLOUD airdrop introduces a novel approach to token distribution. With 10% of the total allocated to the event, the Sanctum has made the decision to split reward users based not only on their Wonderland XP, but also on their 'Earnestness'.
An official date for the CLOUD airdrop is yet to be announced, but it expected to go live sometime in mid-July.
MARINADE SEASON 3
One of the largest DeFi applications by TVL in the Solana ecosystem, Marinade’s Season 3 Rewards program is well underway.
Expected to run for three months, Marinade Season 3 promises to distribute 25M MNDE tokens, currently valued at $2 .7M, to community members who deepen total mSOL liquidity. Users are encouraged to earn bonus MNDE incentives by providing mSOL liquidity in three different ways:
Kamino mSOL/SOL LP Vault - Up to 12.5M MNDE tokens will be allocated to users who provide mSOL/SOL liquidity on Kamino Finance. LP providers will also be eligible for Kamino rewards.
Looping Meteora mSOL/SOL LP Tokens - Up to 5M MNDE tokens will be allocated to users who deposit into mSOL/SOL pools on Meteora and strategically loop their yield through Solend.
Discretionary LP/Partner Rewards - The remaining 7.5M MNDE tokens will be distributed to community members who deepen mSOL liquidity through various other partnerships. These partnerships are dynamic and currently undisclosed.
KAMINO SEASON 2
Another Solana DeFi powerhouse, Kamino’s Season 2 records program is thriving in full force and scheduled to end around the end of July.
Reward allocations are calculated linearly based on points accrued through using the protocol’s various functions, including lending and borrowing markets. By staking KMNO, the platform’s native token, users receive multipliers that boost their point generation.
Kamino’s Season 2 rewards program has been further bolstered by the integration of PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin, which has attracted over $38M in TVL at press time.
DEBRIDGE
A clear winner of Jupiter’s Round 3 LFG Launchpad candidates, Debridge’s ongoing rewards program has attracted over 470,000 unique accounts and transferred over $3 .1B across different blockchains.
Accruing points through Debridge’s rewards program is straightforward, users simply need to transfer funds between chains using the protocol and by referring new users.
PARCL PERPETUAL POINTS SEASON 2
As of July 1st, the Parcl Perpetual Points program has entered its second season. Expected to last for the remainder of 2024, the
Which rewards programs and incentives should you have on your radar?
JUPITER ASR (ACTIVE STAKING REWARDS)
Ever since the $JUP TGE supporters and community members have been able to stake JUP tokens within Jupiter’s platform and vote on decentralized governance proposals that shape the direction and future of the protocol.
All voters and contributors, regardless of how they cast their votes, are eligible for a share of around $60M in Jupiter ASR (Active Staking Rewards). Allocations are calculated based on an individual account’s voting power and will be comprised of:
50M JUP
7.5B WEN
7.5M ZEUS
7.5M UPT
750,000 SHARK
These highly anticipated Active Staking Rewards are expected to be distributed before July 10, with an official allocation checker scheduled to go live sometime on July 5. It’s important to note that JUP claimed during the event will automatically added to your wallet’s staked amount.
SANCTUM $CLOUD AIRDROP
Following the success of its gamified LST loyalty program, Wonderland, Sanctum’s initial $CLOUD airdrop is slated to go live in mid-July. Attracting over 300,000 participants and amassing over $1B TVL (Total Value Locked) in early June based on DeFiLlama data, Sanctum’s CLOUD airdrop is one of the ecosystem’s most eagerly awaited events.
Sanctum's CLOUD airdrop introduces a novel approach to token distribution. With 10% of the total allocated to the event, the Sanctum has made the decision to split reward users based not only on their Wonderland XP, but also on their 'Earnestness'.
An official date for the CLOUD airdrop is yet to be announced, but it expected to go live sometime in mid-July.
MARINADE SEASON 3
One of the largest DeFi applications by TVL in the Solana ecosystem, Marinade’s Season 3 Rewards program is well underway.
Expected to run for three months, Marinade Season 3 promises to distribute 25M MNDE tokens, currently valued at $2 .7M, to community members who deepen total mSOL liquidity. Users are encouraged to earn bonus MNDE incentives by providing mSOL liquidity in three different ways:
Kamino mSOL/SOL LP Vault - Up to 12.5M MNDE tokens will be allocated to users who provide mSOL/SOL liquidity on Kamino Finance. LP providers will also be eligible for Kamino rewards.
Looping Meteora mSOL/SOL LP Tokens - Up to 5M MNDE tokens will be allocated to users who deposit into mSOL/SOL pools on Meteora and strategically loop their yield through Solend.
Discretionary LP/Partner Rewards - The remaining 7.5M MNDE tokens will be distributed to community members who deepen mSOL liquidity through various other partnerships. These partnerships are dynamic and currently undisclosed.
KAMINO SEASON 2
Another Solana DeFi powerhouse, Kamino’s Season 2 records program is thriving in full force and scheduled to end around the end of July.
Reward allocations are calculated linearly based on points accrued through using the protocol’s various functions, including lending and borrowing markets. By staking KMNO, the platform’s native token, users receive multipliers that boost their point generation.
Kamino’s Season 2 rewards program has been further bolstered by the integration of PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin, which has attracted over $38M in TVL at press time.
DEBRIDGE
A clear winner of Jupiter’s Round 3 LFG Launchpad candidates, Debridge’s ongoing rewards program has attracted over 470,000 unique accounts and transferred over $3 .1B across different blockchains.
Accruing points through Debridge’s rewards program is straightforward, users simply need to transfer funds between chains using the protocol and by referring new users.
PARCL PERPETUAL POINTS SEASON 2
As of July 1st, the Parcl Perpetual Points program has entered its second season. Expected to last for the remainder of 2024, the
9 months ago
