The salary in stablecoins? It can also be done in Italy: who can receive it and who is convenient for it (but there are also disadvantages)

The idea that the salary can no longer arrive via bank transfer but in stablecoin until recently it seemed like a provocation from a crypto forum. And instead it is becoming a concrete topic, discussed by jurists and tested by companies abroad.

According to the «Blockchain Compensation Survey 2024» conducted by Pantera Capital (American investment company), the share of professionals who receive at least part of their salary in cryptocurrencies rose from 3% in 2023 to 9.6% in 2024. UsdC dominates among the most used digital currencies, a stablecoin linked to the US dollar designed to maintain a stable value even in a volatile market.

International freelancers and teams receive compensation in stablecoins

Some platforms, such as Bitwage (recently acquired by Paystand), allow international freelancers and teams to receive compensation in stablecoins, with the possibility of immediately converting them into euros or dollars. A practice that currently seems to be reserved for digital and international contexts. There is no recent public evidence of large companies regularly paying their employees in stablecoins. Although it remains limited to certain segments, however, this phenomenon raises some questions that also concern the Italian market.

The questions to be asked in Italy

The first is inevitable: can it be done? According to Luca De Menech, labor law expert and partner at Dentons, the answer is yes: «IThe civil code does not prohibit the possibility of agreeing on a form of payment other than legal tender money». Articles 1277 and 1278 allow the parties to waive payment in official currency, provided that consent is explicit. In other words, if the employer and employee agree, payment in stablecoins is technically permissible. It does not mean that it is simple or immediate from a tax and social security point of view, but the legal door is not closed.

Who is it suitable for? On the company’s side

The second question is why on earth would a company do this. Comparison with money fiat – a currency whose value derives not from a reserve of assets (such as gold or silver), but from the trust placed in the government that issues it and its acceptance as a legal means of payment– helps clarify the possible benefits. Transactions in stablecoin they are rapid, often almost snapshotsand are not affected by banking hours or holidays. The fees for international payments can be drastically reduced, an aspect that especially affects companies with staff spread across multiple countries.

Furthermore, integration with systems based on smart contracts offers flexibility that traditional money does not provide: automatic bonuses, scheduled payments, immediate distributions between multiple wallets, simplification of administrative processes.
De Menech also underlines a little discussed point: «For companies, in addition to speed, there is an issue of reduction of banking costs and management efficiency. And for some categories of workers, in particular international or managerial profiles, the possibility of being paid in stablecoins can represent an element of attraction”.

Risks and disadvantages

Obviously This is not a risk-free model. The first is regulatory. The tax and contribution rules are not designed for remuneration in digital assets and require interpretation, prudence and competent intermediaries.
Even the technical management is not trivial. Wallets, private keys and custody procedures impose high security standards, which not all companies are ready to support. For workers, then, understanding the tool is fundamental. Conversion into euros must be simple, immediate and transparent, without transferring excessive burdens or risks to the employee.

Digital currency enters employment relationships

Despite these critical issues, interest shows no signs of waning. International payroll providers are expanding stablecoin optionsand some tech companies already consider it an experimental component of the compensation package. It is not a revolution around the corner, but a clear trajectory: digital currency enters employment relationships not as a replacement for the current system, but as a possible complement. “It’s probably the future,” observes De Menech. A future still to be built, of course, but which is starting to take shape, no longer as a theoretical exercise, but as one of the many (perhaps inevitable) ways in which digitalisation will also redefine the way in which we get paid.

December 29, 2025

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