Challenge

Remote helps businesses hire, manage, and pay talent globally while giving workers access to opportunities they may not find locally. Since 2020, the fully remote HR and payroll company has relied on Stripe to move money from employers to contractors in more than 150 countries.

In 2024, Remote identified a way to help contractors keep more of what they earn by offering stablecoins as a payout method. Many employers fund contractor pay in stable currencies, such as US dollars (USD), but many contractors live in markets where local currencies are volatile. When earnings are converted into local fiat, shifting currency values can reduce purchasing power, making it difficult for contractors to predict and maintain the real value of their earnings from one pay cycle to the next. In addition, traditional payout methods in some markets can take several days to settle, delaying contractors’ access to their earnings.

Contractors were asking for an alternative: the option to receive payouts in stablecoins, which would allow them to hold and spend funds in USD without exposure to local currency swings or paying foreign exchange (FX) fees. To meet contractor demand, Remote needed a stablecoin payout solution that was easy to implement, simple to operate, and compliant in every country it would be offered.

“We saw this as a competitive differentiator for Remote, as only a few platforms offer stablecoin disbursements as an option. For us, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve with how our contractors receive money,” said Nikos Theodorou, vice president of payments and risk operations at Remote.

Solution

To give contractors more control over how they get paid, Remote worked with Stripe to introduce stablecoins as an optional payout method.

Remote built its stablecoin payout option using its existing Stripe Connect integration, which orchestrates the movement of money from employers to contractors. Once Remote enabled stablecoins as a payout method in Connect, contractors could opt to receive payouts in USDC, a dollar-backed stablecoin, using the same invoicing and payout workflows Remote already used.

Once a contractor chooses stablecoins as their preferred payout method, they link a crypto wallet to their Connect account. Payouts are then processed like any other disbursement, with funds automatically sent to the contractor’s wallet within minutes. Contractors can spend stablecoins with businesses that accept them or convert their funds into local currency as needed.

Results

Remote launched stablecoin payouts in two weeks

By using stablecoin payouts through its existing Connect setup, Remote launched support for the new payout option in just two weeks. Stablecoins payouts are now available in more than 60 countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Ghana.

Stablecoins reduce payout time from days to seconds

Once contractors are onboarded through Connect and receive their first USDC payout, Remote can reduce the time it takes for them to access funds. Because stablecoin payments can be made instantly, Theodorou estimates that contractors are paid two to three days faster on average compared to other payout methods.

Stablecoin payouts help contractors save more than 1% of payout value

Getting paid in USDC helps contractors avoid FX conversions that can eat into their take-home pay. Theodorou estimates that USDC payouts help contractors avoid FX costs of more than 1% of payout value, compared to converting USD into local currency.

“People can earn, hold, and spend in USDC, versus converting USD into their local currency and spending that,” said Theodorou.

Remote reduces regulatory complexity

Because Connect manages the regulatory requirements, Remote was able to offer stablecoin payouts without introducing new operational or compliance complexity. The stablecoin flow operates entirely within Stripe, meaning no crypto moves through Remote’s traditional banking accounts—an approach Theodorou sees as essential.

“Stripe handles KYC, KYB, and the compliance requirements around payouts, which is especially important for us to segregate these flows from flows we have with our other banking partners,” said Theodorou.