TL;DR
- Meta has launched a pilot program for USDC payouts to content creators on Facebook and Instagram
- Payments are processed over Solana and Polygon, with Stripe as the infrastructure provider
- The program is currently limited to selected creators in Colombia and the Philippines
- Meta rejects any comparison to the failed Libra/Diem project
Meta Brings Stablecoin into the Creator Economy
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has formally launched a pilot program where content creators can receive fees in the stablecoin USD Coin (USDC). Decrypt reports that payments are distributed via the Solana and Polygon blockchain networks, and the company Stripe handles the payment and reporting layer – including crypto-specific tax reporting.
The program is initially available to a selection of creators in Colombia and the Philippines. According to research, these countries were chosen because creators there often face long delays and significant fees when receiving dollar-based income through traditional banking channels.
Much Faster and Cheaper Than Traditional Transfers
Traditionally based payouts typically take one to three business days and incur fees of three to seven percent, according to research material. With USDC over Solana – where transactions are settled in about 400 milliseconds at a cost of less than one-thousandth of a dollar – the potential for faster and cheaper cross-border payments is significant.
Meta paid content creators nearly three billion dollars total in 2025, a 35 percent increase from the previous year. Stablecoin pilots of this size can thus have a real impact on many creators in emerging markets.
Stripe as the Link – and Tax Responsibility for Creators
Stripe's role is central: the company acts as payment infrastructure and makes the program understandable for both creators and regulators. Creators can receive crypto-specific tax documentation directly from Stripe, in addition to Meta's own payment overviews, which requires them to keep track of documentation from two sources when filing taxes.
Clear Distance from Libra and Diem
Meta has explicitly stated that the company "is not issuing a Meta stablecoin," thereby emphasizing that the new initiative is fundamentally different from the Libra project launched in 2019. Libra – later renamed Diem – faced massive resistance from regulators in both the EU and the USA, including from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and was shut down in January 2022.
The current approach instead uses an existing, regulated stablecoin: USDC, issued by Circle. USDC market capitalization has grown to over 112 billion dollars as of April 2026, and Circle is planned to reach 150 billion dollars in circulating supply by the second half of 2026. The choice of USDC is also influenced by the fact that the US GENIUS Act of 2025 created a clearer regulatory framework for payment stablecoins – a framework Circle already met when the law was passed.
Meta's strategy appears to be a deliberate "arm's length" approach: the company positions itself as a distribution channel for an existing regulated stablecoin, not as a currency issuer. This significantly reduces regulatory exposure compared to the Libra project.
What Does This Mean for the Creator Economy?
Crypto-focused payout platforms like Rise, Triple-A, and Superfluid have long offered similar solutions for freelancers and Web3 creators. What's new with Meta's pilot is the scale: Facebook and Instagram have billions of users, and even a limited pilot program represents a potential gateway for mainstream adoption of stablecoin payments.
With a creator economy valued at between 150 and 250 billion dollars globally – and estimated to surpass 500 billion by 2030 – Meta's step into crypto payments signals that stablecoins could become a common infrastructure element, not just a niche tool.
Sources: Decrypt, internal research
