Venmo Built Crypto Trading Into Its Payments AppIt's the latest payments company to offer crypto trading following parent PayPal and rival Cash App.

With Bitcoincharginginto themainstream, an increasing number of established payment providers are embracing cryptocurrency. Today, PayPal-ownedVenmois opening crypto trading by offering members the ability to buy, hold and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. Venmo users can purchase a digital asset starting from $1 using funds from their balance or a linked bank account or debit card. Members will also be able to track prices and access in-app guides and videos to learn about virtual money.

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The move sees Venmo following in the footsteps of Square's Cash App, which introducedBitcoin tradingin 2017, amid a spike in demand for cryptocurrency. Venmo says that 30 percent of its customers have already started purchasing crypto or equites, 20 percent of which began during the pandemic. But, with Venmo itself lacking a trading option until now, those users would have inevitably been forced to make those investments elsewhere. Cash App, for instance, recentlynotedthat 3 million people bought Bitcoin through its service in 2020 and 1 millon who were new to the digital currency did so in January alone.

Venmo的母公司也使自己的进军crypto. Afteropening tradingto US customers last November, PayPal began allowing users topay with cryptocurrencyin March. Crypto on Venmo is rolling out today and will be available to customers in the app over the next few weeks.