MoonPay’s Stablecoin Payroll Disrupts 40,000 UK and EU Businesses
Forget the wire transfer—the next payday could land in a digital wallet.
MoonPay just flipped the script on business finance, rolling out stablecoin payroll to tens of thousands of companies across the UK and European Union. This isn't a pilot program; it's a full-scale deployment targeting the operational core of modern commerce.
The Mechanics of Modern Money Movement
The system bypasses traditional banking rails entirely. Salaries convert to dollar-pegged stablecoins, zipping across borders in minutes instead of days. It cuts out intermediary fees, the hidden tax on global ambition, and gives employees a direct on-ramp to digital assets—if they want it.
Why This Isn't Just Another Crypto Gimmick
Scale matters. Targeting 40,000 businesses from launch signals a calculated play for the mainstream. This is about solving a real pain point: the costly, clunky mess of international fiat payments. It’s efficiency with a crypto engine, appealing directly to finance teams tired of watching margins get nibbled by bank charges and forex spreads.
The Ripple Effect
Adoption drives adoption. As thousands of employees receive their first stablecoin payment, familiarity grows. Liquidity deepens. The mental shift from 'cryptocurrency as speculation' to 'cryptocurrency as utility' accelerates. It’s a masterclass in onboarding—quiet, practical, and embedded in the mundane ritual of payday.
The move exposes the antiquated plumbing of legacy finance, all while offering a pragmatic solution that even the most risk-averse CFO can understand. After all, what’s more stable than wanting to get paid on time, in full, without your bank taking a leisurely stroll with your money for three business days? The future of work isn't just remote—it's digitally native, and it's getting paid.
Several firms embrace cryptocurrency as a payroll option for workers
Regarding MoonPay’s recent agreement, the Founder and CEO of Iron, Max von Wallenberg, shared an X post noting that, “Deel will utilize Iron’s system to provide stablecoin payroll services, enabling quick and smooth worldwide payments on a large scale.” According to the industry executive, “ The figures tell a clear story: Deel handled $22 billion in global payroll in 2025 and is making a strong MOVE toward crypto solutions.”
Reports highlighted that Deel has been involved with digital assets since 2021, when they began offering crypto-based payroll, specifically USDC or Solana, to employees. Following the adoption of this new payment option, Deel secured $425 million in a Series D funding round.
While the tech platform celebrated this significant milestone, sources alleged that it had already backed BTC, ether, and XRP as salary payment options. However, for its employees to effectively activate the new capabilities, Deel required them to create an account with Coinbase, a leading, regulated, and publicly traded cryptocurrency exchange.
The platform argued that its decision to adopt a crypto-based payroll option for its workers as its preferred payment method stemmed from its belief that cryptocurrency enables faster contractor payments with lower transaction fees.
To break this point down for better understanding, Deel mentioned that crypto exchange Coinbase imposed a 1.5% provider fee on crypto payroll withdrawals. In addition, USDC payments applied a 1% variable fee while Solana payments applied an additional 1.5% charge.
Meanwhile, in December of last year, self-custody wallet company Exodus Movement successfully collaborated with MoonPay and M0 to enter the stablecoin market with a USD-pegged offering.
Visa embraces stablecoin payouts amid global cryptocurrency acceptance
Towards the end of last year, Visa Inc., an American multinational payment card services corporation, released a statement hinting at a new pilot initiative that enabled businesses and platforms to settle payments directly into recipients’ stablecoin wallets. Notably, the multinational payments tech company made these remarks at the Singapore Fintech Festival.
Regarding this new pilot initiative, the company further elaborated that businesses using Visa Direct were permitted to fund payouts with regular funds. At the same time, recipients could receive payouts in USD-backed stablecoins, such as USDC. This change played a key role in accelerating and easing global payments.
Moreover, analysts acknowledged that this new feature enhances the value of Visa Direct by providing creators, freelancers, and marketplaces with a secure alternative for storing value and faster access to funds, even in environments characterized by high currency volatility or restricted access to banking services.
Chris Newkirk, President of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions at Visa, commented on this change. He argued that they decided to launch stablecoin payouts to give everyone worldwide the opportunity to access their funds swiftly, in minutes, avoiding the delays that had previously occurred.
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