USDC
USD Coin
- Non-yield-bearing design
- 88 tracked chain deployments
- Deloitte reserve attestations
USD Coin (USDC) vs PayPal USD (PYUSD)
USD Coin and PayPal USD are two widely followed stablecoins. Both target the US Dollar. They share a centralized (cefi) governance model. Both use real-world-asset-backed designs. Neither token is primarily a yield-bearing wrapper, so the comparison centers on collateral, issuer controls, liquidity, and peg behavior. This static comparison highlights structural differences before you open the live Pharos compare tool.
Comparison brief
USDC has 88 tracked deployments, while PYUSD has 18. Both sit in the RWA cohort. Use the rows below to separate headline market share from the mechanics that matter during stress: redemption path, reserve signal, blacklistability, and venue depth.
PYUSD
PayPal USD
- Non-yield-bearing design
- 18 tracked chain deployments
- KPMG reserve attestations
At a glance
Static structural differences between the two stablecoins before you switch to the live comparison tool.
| Metric | USDC | PYUSD |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Score (as of 2026-10-24) | A+ 87/100 | B 73/100 |
| Governance | Centralized (CeFi) | Centralized (CeFi) |
| Backing | RWA | RWA |
| Peg target | US Dollar | US Dollar |
| Yield-bearing | No | No |
| Governance + backing lens | Centralized (CeFi) / RWA | Centralized (CeFi) / RWA |
| Blacklist controls | Issuer blacklist controls | Issuer blacklist controls |
| Reserve signal | Deloitte attestations | KPMG attestations |
| Tracked chains | 88 deployments | 18 deployments |
Source: checked-in StablecoinMeta profile fields in the current Pharos build. Static deployment counts and reserve-provider labels are structural context; open the live detail and compare tools for current market, peg, liquidity, and reserve freshness.
Research links
Related taxonomies
Related comparisons
More USDC comparisons
More PYUSD comparisons
USDC vs PYUSD FAQ
What is the main difference between USDC and PYUSD?
USD Coin (USDC) and PayPal USD (PYUSD) share the same broad governance and backing labels in Pharos, so the useful comparison is in the live details: peg history, liquidity depth, reserve signal, issuer controls, chain deployments, and dependency exposure.
Which is safer: USDC or PYUSD?
In the Pharos Safety Score release of 2026-10-24, USDC held an A+ Safety Score grade (87/100) and PYUSD held a B Safety Score grade (73/100). Safety is not decided by ticker alone. Use this static page for the structural comparison, then open the live USDC vs PYUSD compare tool and Safety Scores page for current V10 Backing, Exit, and Economic Control pillars plus peg behavior, dependency exposure, evidence quality, and structural caps.
Where can I compare current USDC and PYUSD data?
Open the live USDC vs PYUSD comparison from this page to see current peg behavior, liquidity, flows, and Safety Scores. Use this brief to understand the structural differences, then check each coin's latest evidence before making a decision.