Meta Begins Paying Select Creators in USDC Through Stripe in Colombia and the Philippines

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Meta has started offering USDC payouts to a limited group of creators in Colombia and the Philippines, using Stripe on Solana and Polygon. The pilot covers creator earnings across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and marks the company’s first stablecoin payout rollout since shelving Libra/Diem.

Creators Link Wallets and Receive Earnings in USDC

Eligible creators who receive a notification in the Facebook app can enter a supported wallet address in their Meta payout settings and begin receiving earnings in USDC rather than local fiat currency.

Supported wallets include MetaMask, Phantom, Binance, Bybit, Kraken, Exodus, Brave Wallet, Bitso, GCash’s GCrypto, and Coins.ph. Creators must meet Meta’s standard $25 minimum payout threshold before opting in.

Stripe handles the backend conversion and transfer. The firm, which acquired stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge, processes the payout and delivers USDC to the creator’s wallet on either Solana or Polygon. Meta does not convert USDC into local currency. Creators who want fiat must transfer to a compatible exchange, sell, and withdraw to a bank account.

A Meta spokesperson told Decrypt that the company is “not issuing a Meta stablecoin.” It is using Circle’s USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization.

Stripe Says the Pilot Runs Through Its Link Payout Infrastructure

Jay Shah, head of Link at Stripe, described the integration as part of a broader stablecoin payout capability the company is building.

“Businesses can now send stablecoin payouts directly to customers using Link. We’re already partnering with Meta so their creators can receive stablecoins in their Link wallets in countries like the Philippines and Colombia,” Shah said.

Meta issued requests for proposals to third-party payment providers earlier this year, and Stripe is now providing the infrastructure for the pilot.

Meta Picked Colombia and the Philippines for Their High Cross-Border Payout Costs

The two pilot markets were selected because creators there earn in U.S. dollars but face high fees and slow settlement when converting through traditional banking channels. The rollout is aimed at reducing the delays and friction creators can face when receiving cross-border payouts.

Stablecoins on Solana and Polygon settle in seconds at a lower cost than traditional wire transfers. Polygon Labs chief executive Marc Boiron said Meta’s program could expand to more than 160 countries by the end of 2026, though Meta has not publicly confirmed that timeline.

No Meta Token: the Pilot Runs on USDC, Solana, Polygon, and Stripe

Meta is not issuing its own token, operating custody, or building proprietary financial infrastructure for the pilot. It is using Circle’s USDC on public blockchains through Stripe, a structure that avoids the regulatory resistance that ended the Libra/Diem project between 2019 and 2022.

For tax purposes, creators will receive standard Meta forms covering total earnings. Stripe may issue additional crypto-specific documentation.

Meta retains the right to switch a creator back to another payout method if technical issues arise, and creators are responsible for their own wallet security and private keys. Neither Meta nor Stripe responded to requests for comment on expansion timelines or pilot metrics.