Stablecoin Payroll Gains Traction With Hybrid Payouts

Rise’s 2026 Stablecoin Payroll Report finds 39% of crypto users receive part of their pay in stablecoins. A survey of 4,600 people across 15 countries shows 43% want some pay in digital assets. Rise reports 45% of withdrawals on its platform are in USDC and says more than $1.5 billion has been paid out across 190 countries. The report notes stablecoins moved more than $390 billion in real payments last year.

Enterprise data from EY included in the report indicates 54% of firms that have not adopted stablecoin payroll plan to do so within 12 months. Rise describes a hybrid payroll model in which employers fund payroll in fiat, the payroll platform converts at payout, and workers choose the currency and format for receipt. Rise’s internal data shows frequent stablecoin withdrawals even when employers do not hold crypto on their balance sheets.

The report identifies cost and settlement speed as the main drivers for adoption. The World Bank estimates the average cost of a cross-border payment at 6.49%. Rise and partner data estimate stablecoin rails can reduce fees by roughly 40% compared with traditional channels and settle transfers more quickly. The report includes an example in which a company paying 50 international contractors $5,000 a month could save about $65,000 a year on fees by using stablecoin rails.

Worker preferences in the survey lean toward partial allocations rather than full conversion. Respondents who want digital-asset compensation typically request a portion of each paycheck, with an average desired allocation around 27%.

The report describes product features that add yield to payroll flows. Rise Earn, which uses the Aave protocol for yield generation, allows companies and contractors to earn a variable APY on idle USDC balances held on the platform, with redemptions described as taking minutes. Rise is registered with the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and reports SOC 2 and GDPR controls for data protection. The platform is built on Arbitrum and lists a partnership with Circle.

Hugo Finkelstein, Rise’s chief executive, described stablecoin payroll as fast, borderless and transparent and linked its use to the expansion of remote work. The report compiles data supplied by Rise and external partners including EY, BVNK, Stripe and the World Bank.