Number of Salaries Paid in Crypto Tripled in 2024, Led by USDC
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Crypto payroll adoption surged in 2024, with the number of professionals receiving digital asset salaries tripling over the year, according to a global compensation survey by Pantera Capital.
Based on responses from over 1,600 crypto professionals across 77 countries, the report reveals a major shift toward blockchain-native payroll systems and a clear preference for stablecoins, particularly Circle’s USDC.
USDC Outpaces USDT in Payroll Dominance
Despite Tether’s USDt maintaining dominance in global trading volume, USDC led all crypto payrolls, accounting for 63% of salaries paid in digital assets. Combined, USDC and USDt made up over 90% of stablecoin-based payouts.
“None of the major payroll providers offer USDT, which may explain USDC’s payroll dominance,” the report notes.
This preference reflects growing institutional trust in regulated, dollar-backed stablecoins for payments, payroll, and B2B operations.
Stablecoin Payroll Rising With Long-Term Token Compensation
The data also points to a growing trend of long-term alignment in compensation. Nearly 88% of token-based salaries now vest over four years, up from 64% in 2023. This signals increasing maturity in Web3 hiring and retention strategies.
Interestingly, real-world experience trumps academic credentials in the blockchain space:
Bachelor’s degree holders earned an average of $286,039
Master’s: $214,359
Doctorate: $226,858
Circle Expands Institutional Presence
Circle is aggressively positioning USDC as the go-to tool for institutional payments and crypto payroll:
Partnered with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in March 2024
Applied for a federal trust bank charter in May 2024 to boost USDC’s role in regulated finance
The tripling of crypto salaries and USDC’s growing lead show that digital asset compensation is not just a trend — it’s becoming infrastructure.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.
