Meta Pays Creators in USDC via Stripe and Circle

Meta Platforms has taken its most concrete step yet into the digital asset economy, quietly rolling out USDC stablecoin payouts for select creators in Colombia and the Philippines. The move positions Meta as the first consumer social platform at global scale to embed cryptocurrency payment rails directly into a domestic creator payout flow.

How the Payout System Works

The payouts are available on the Solana and Polygon blockchain networks and use the USDC stablecoin. On the infrastructure side, Stripe serves as the payment processor, with Circle providing the underlying USDC stablecoin.

Key operational details include:

• Creators who opt in will be prompted to enter their third-party crypto wallet address into Facebook's payout platform.
• Meta will not offer services to convert USDC into local currencies.
• Meta has also partnered with Stripe for crypto-specific tax reporting related to the stablecoin payouts.
• The initial rollout is limited; Meta has not publicly specified how many creators are included or which additional geographies are eligible.

In a statement to Fortune, a Meta spokesperson noted: "We strive to offer the most relevant payment methods, which is why we are exploring how stablecoins could become part of our suite of options."

A Calculated Return After Libra's Collapse

The launch carries significant historical weight. This comes four years after Meta pulled the plug on its earlier attempt to launch its own stablecoin through a project called Libra — later rebranded as Diem — which the company abandoned in 2022 after opposition from lawmakers. Rather than issuing a proprietary token again, the USDC integration represents a narrower, infrastructure-first approach that sidesteps the regulatory friction of issuing a company-controlled digital currency.

Last year, the company began reexploring stablecoins amid a more favorable regulatory environment under the Trump administration, and put out requests for help on its stablecoin project earlier this year.

Broader Industry Context

Meta's move is part of a wider institutional shift accelerated by regulatory progress. Following the 2025 passage of the GENIUS Act, which created a regulatory framework for dollar-backed stablecoins, major companies have started to make definite moves. Notable parallel developments include:

• Shopify has begun allowing merchants to accept USDC payments.
• Western Union announced plans to offer a stablecoin on the Solana blockchain.
• DoorDash and payments blockchain startup Tempo have begun working together on allowing DoorDash drivers to be paid in stablecoins.
• Visa separately announced on April 29 that it is expanding stablecoin settlement to five additional blockchains.

What to Watch

The pilot's scope will determine whether this becomes a permanent payout option or a limited experiment. Regulatory treatment of stablecoin payouts under U.S. money transmission law remains unsettled, and the absence of a fully signed federal stablecoin bill adds compliance uncertainty for any platform scaling this model. For now, Stripe's role as the processor and Circle's position as issuer suggest the infrastructure is ready — the binding constraint is now legal clarity, not technical readiness.

Published by Coinplurk.com