Stablecoin Payroll Adoption Surges

Mercuryo, a global payments infrastructure platform, published data showing a surge in crypto payroll services as remote workers and digital nomads increasingly receive salaries in stablecoins before off-ramping into local fiat currencies. During the first half of 2026, USDC (cryptocurrency) (USDC) and tether tokens (USDt) accounted for 57% of all accepted off-ramp transactions on Mercuryo's platform, up from 25% a year earlier, while their share of total turnover increased from 30% to 56%. The number of stablecoin off-ramp transactions rose 446% year on year, compared with 38% for other digital tokens, and about 80% of the overall increase in off-ramp transactions came from stablecoins. Rise, a crypto payroll provider, reported processing over $1 billion in payroll volume, with more than half of worker withdrawals now occurring in stablecoins across 190-plus countries. Brazil alone received an estimated $318.8 billion in crypto value between July 2024 and June 2025, with around 90% of flows linked to stablecoins, according to Chainalysis data and Brazilian central-bank commentary cited in Rise's 2026 report. Visa has introduced stablecoin payouts for creators, freelancers, and gig workers, while Deel is building stablecoin payroll infrastructure. The rise of stablecoins is supported by a more favorable regulatory backdrop, including the GENIUS Act in the United States, which outlines a legal framework for stablecoin issuance, reserve backing, and consumer protections. Mercuryo's Chief Business Officer, Arthur Firstov, noted that being paid in crypto is moving from the fringes towards the mainstream.