The share of employees paid in cryptocurrency has greater than tripled over the previous 12 months, with USDC rising as the most well-liked digital asset for payroll, in response to Pantera Capital’s 2024 Blockchain Compensation Survey.
In 2023, solely 3% of respondents reported receiving any a part of their wage in crypto. That determine jumped to 9.6% in 2024, as blockchain-native corporations and DAOs more and more turned to stablecoins and tokens to compensate staff and contributors.
On the identical time, the share of employees paid completely in fiat dropped from 97% to 89.1%. This shift exhibits a broader willingness amongst corporations to combine digital belongings into day-to-day operations, significantly in roles that span borders or function inside decentralized ecosystems.
Stablecoins Turn into Commonplace for Crypto Wages, USDC in Entrance
Amongst these receiving crypto compensation, USDC was the dominant selection.
The dollar-pegged stablecoin accounted for 63% of all crypto salaries, far outpacing USDT, which held a 28.6% share. Different tokens like Solana and Ethereum made up a smaller slice, with 1.9% and 1.3%, respectively.
Our mission is to help the long-term success of each our portfolio corporations and the broader crypto ecosystem.
One main hole we’ve persistently seen? Dependable, clear compensation information for crypto groups.
That’s why we created our annual Crypto Compensation Survey – a…— Pantera Capital (@PanteraCapital) August 6, 2025
Pantera’s survey covers blockchain engineers, product managers, authorized and operations workers throughout the trade. The outcomes recommend that stablecoins are now not restricted to buying and selling pairs or DeFi use circumstances, however are additionally changing into a sensible instrument for payroll and worldwide funds.
USDC Adoption in Payroll Strengthened by Month-to-month Reserve Disclosures
Crypto compensation presents a number of benefits, particularly for globally distributed groups. Stablecoins allow quicker settlement instances, decrease transaction charges and simpler entry to US greenback worth in areas with banking restrictions or forex instability.
The findings additionally level to rising confidence in USDC’s repute for regulatory compliance and transparency, significantly after Circle, its issuer, started publishing detailed month-to-month reserve studies and secured entry to US Treasuries.
Extra Employees Choose to Cut up Salaries Between Money and Crypto
Whereas full wage funds in crypto stay unusual, hybrid preparations are gaining traction. Many corporations now permit staff to separate their compensation between fiat and digital belongings, giving employees the choice to dollar-cost common into crypto markets or spend instantly utilizing Web3 wallets.
Pantera’s report didn’t disclose regional tendencies, however the surge in crypto salaries is probably going pushed partially by Asia-based groups and contractors who depend on stablecoins for cost-effective cross-border funds.
The rise of on-chain compensation additionally comes as extra crypto-native corporations formalize operations. With higher treasury administration instruments, real-time payroll rails and accounting platforms tailor-made for digital belongings, the logistical obstacles to paying in crypto are starting to fall.
The publish USDC Leads 3x Rise in Crypto-Primarily based Wage Funds Over Previous Yr: Survey appeared first on Cryptonews.