Ethena USDe vs PayPal USD — side-by-side comparison of supply, chains, backing, and peg data.
| Metric | USDe | PYUSD |
|---|---|---|
| USD circulation value | $3.94B | $2.66B |
| Rank (by USD value) | #6 | #9 |
| Peg | USD | USD |
| Mechanism | crypto-backed | fiat-backed |
| Backing | Delta-neutral (ETH/BTC perpetual futures) | Cash & T-bills (PayPal) |
| Chains deployed | 31 | 19 |
| Primary chain | Ethereum | Ethereum |
| Issuer | Ethena USDe | PayPal USD |
| CoinGecko | View → | View → |
Both USDe and PYUSD track USD, but they differ in backing and issuer. USDe is backed by delta-neutral (eth/btc perpetual futures) while PYUSD is backed by cash & t-bills (paypal). As of today, USDe ranks #6 and PYUSD ranks #9 among tracked stablecoins.
USDe is larger, with $3.94B in circulation vs $2.66B for PYUSD. That's roughly 1.5× the size.
Neither USDe nor PYUSD is inherently "safer" — safety depends on the specific backing composition, issuer transparency, redemption rights, and regulatory oversight. USDe uses crypto-backed backing model; PYUSD uses fiat-backed. Users should read each issuer's most recent reserve attestation before choosing.
Yes. USDe and PYUSD both trade on major centralized and decentralized exchanges. Since both track USD, the exchange rate is typically very close to 1:1. Direct swap protocols on Ethereum, Solana, and other chains offer the tightest spreads.
The right choice depends on your use case. Consider: which chain do you need? USDe is available on 31 chains and PYUSD on 19. What backing do you prefer? What's your integration surface (exchanges, DeFi protocols, payment providers)? Both have deep liquidity, so market cap alone shouldn't decide it.