MoonPay brings stablecoin payroll to 40,000 businesses in UK and EU

MoonPay, a leading financial technology company, struck a deal that could grant about 40,000 businesses the opportunity to streamline payroll via stablecoin transactions. 

In a statement dated Tuesday, February 10, the firm noted that, “With the help of our fiat infrastructure division, Iron, MoonPay will collaborate with Deel, a payroll and human resources platform. This partnership will enable companies to pay their workers directly in stablecoins that are sent to their wallets.”

This service is scheduled to begin in the UK and the EU, but reports from reliable sources indicate that MoonPay has also signaled its intention to expand into the US.

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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