PayPal has enabled its UK customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency

PayPal UK customers can now buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies. PayPal will roll this service out to UK customers this week. 
PayPal UK customers can now buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies. PayPal will roll this service out to UK customers this week. 

Paypal today announced that it would roll out a new service this week, enabling its UK customers to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies with Paypal. This announcement marks the first international expansion of PayPal’s cryptocurrency service beyond the US. 

Making cryptocurrency accessible 

PayPal will allow customers to trade with the four major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. In addition, users can access real-time crypto prices and educational support on their PayPal account via desktop or the app. By releasing this service to UK customers, PayPal is making crypto trading more accessible to UK citizens on a trusted and well-regulated platform. 

“The pandemic has accelerated digital change and innovation across all aspects of our lives— including the digitisation of money and greater consumer adoption of digital financial services,” said Jose Fernandez da Ponte, Vice President and General Manager, Blockchain, Crypto and Digital Currencies at PayPal. 

“Our global reach, digital payments expertise, and knowledge of consumer and businesses, combined with rigorous security and compliance controls provides us the unique opportunity, and the responsibility, to help people in the UK to explore cryptocurrency.”

PayPal emphasises that a key part of its service will be the support features for users to understand cryptocurrency better. Users can learn more about the volatility and risks of the currency and the opportunities it presents. It encourages its customers to research the products first, before buying, holding and selling cryptocurrencies with the financial technology company. 

“We are committed to continue working closely with regulators in the UK, and around the world, to offer our support—and meaningfully contribute to shaping the role digital currencies will play in the future of global finance and commerce,” he added.

Expansion of cryptocurrency services

Following on from launching this service in the US in October 2020, Paypal also launched a ‘Checkout with Crypto’ in the US in March 2021 to enable US customers to purchase cryptocurrencies worldwide. This service was extended to its mobile payment service in the US, Venmo, in April 2021.

In addition to these new services, PayPal is working to develop the potential of cryptocurrencies. It is doing this by creating new partnerships with licensed and regulated cryptocurrency platforms and worldwide central banks. To achieve this, PayPal has researched blockchain for the last five years to discover how to enhance its financial services. Its most important partnership of note is with Paxos Trust Company, which enabled its cryptocurrency offering in the US and UK. In addition, PayPal’s venture capital arm has also made investments in blockchain and cryptocurrency-related startups, including TRM Labs, TaxBit, and Talos.

READ MORE:

About PayPal

PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform empowers more than 400 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.

For more news from Top Business Tech, don’t forget to subscribe to our daily bulletin!

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Amber Donovan-Stevens

Amber is a Content Editor at Top Business Tech

Is It Time for a VMware Alternative?

Wind River • 22nd May 2025

Companies have options when it comes to replacing VMware as their cloud platform, to address rising costs, support concerns, and a shrinking partner ecosystem. If you are ready to contemplate a different vendor, here are five reasons why Wind River Cloud Platform should be on your short list of VMware alternatives.

AI Leads as VivaTech Unveils Top 100 Startups

Viva Technology • 14th May 2025

Viva Technology has unveiled the first edition of its “Top 100 Rising European Startups for 2025,” spotlighting the most promising young companies shaping Europe’s tech future. Germany, France, and the UK lead the ranking, which highlights high-growth startups across 13 countries. Artificial intelligence dominates the list, with 15 companies spanning AI agents, models, and infrastructure....

Birmingham Unveils the UK’s Best Emerging HealthTech Advances

Kosta Mavroulakis • 03rd April 2025

The National HealthTech Series hosted its latest event in Birmingham this month, showcasing innovative startups driving advanced health technology, including AI-assisted diagnostics, wearable devices and revolutionary educational tools for healthcare professionals. Health stakeholders drawn from the NHS, universities, industry and front-line patient care met with new and emerging businesses to define the future trajectory of...

Why DEIB is Imperative to Tech’s Future

Hadas Almog from AppsFlyer • 17th March 2025

We’ve been seeing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives being cut time and time again throughout the tech industry. DEIB dedicated roles have been eliminated, employee resource groups have lost funding, and initiatives once considered crucial have been deprioritised in favour of “more immediate business needs.” The justification for these cuts is often the...

The need to eradicate platform dependence

Sue Azari • 10th March 2025

The advertising industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Connected TV (CTV), Retail Media Networks (RMNs), and omnichannel strategies are rapidly redefining how brands engage with consumers. As digital privacy regulations evolve and platform dynamics shift, advertisers must recognise a fundamental truth. You cannot build a sustainable business on borrowed ground. The recent uncertainty surrounding TikTok...