Meta pays creators in USDC, but converting to local currency remains a hurdle

When Meta announced it would pay creators in USDC in Colombia and the Philippines, with plans to expand to more than 160 countries, many saw it as a milestone for stablecoins. A company that handles nearly $3 billion in annual creator payouts choosing onchain settlement over traditional banking rails is undeniably significant.

Still, the move delivers a faster way to move money between accounts rather than a complete payments experience. Creators receiving USDC must connect external wallets, pick a supported network such as Solana or Polygon and manage custody themselves. Meta cautions that funds sent to the wrong address or an unsupported chain cannot be recovered.

Converting those digital dollars into usable local currency often requires sending funds to an exchange or liquidity provider, passing compliance checks, selling into fiat and withdrawing through domestic banking — each step adding fees, delays and friction that sit outside Meta’s ecosystem.

Colombia, Philippines

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