The article highlights that regulatory concerns surrounding cryptocurrencies have caused a halt in innovation for American payment companies like PayPal and Stripe. This has allowed international competitors to take advantage and gain market share. As a result, PayPal's stock has been negatively impacted, with a decline of nearly 11% year-to-date. The company's ability to navigate shrinking margins and innovate is also being questioned, which could further impact the stock price in the short term.