No-one is being forced to accept Paypal at all. Etsy has a payment system called direct checkout, which enables buyers to use their credit/debit cards and more recently Apple Pay and I think Google pay (in some countries) to pay for their purchases. They pay Etsy direct, who then take a payment processing fee (on par with Paypal fees) and put the balance into the sellers payment account for transfer to the sellers bank account each Monday, or earlier if the seller wishes. Etsy are simply adding Paypal as one of the options buyers can use. Sellers do not need to have a Paypal account, the buyer pays Etsy by Paypal, Etsy pays the seller, same as with other DC payment options. Those sellers who already accept Paypal can choose to use Etsy's integrated Paypal option, or continue to use their own PP account. Sellers don't know how the customer paid, just that it was paid through Etsy Direct Checkout. Purchases made using Direct Checkout regardless of the payment method are subject to Etsy Buyer/Seller protection.
Cheers,
Penny
