Meta has started paying select creators in USDC stablecoin on Solana and Polygon, using Stripe as the payments partner. The pilot, which launched April 29, currently covers eligible creators in Colombia and the Philippines. Creators can connect MetaMask, Phantom, or Binance wallets to receive earnings in Circle-issued USDC.
Stripe, which acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge in late 2024, is processing the payouts and producing crypto-related tax documents for participating creators. Meta stressed that it is not issuing its own stablecoin; the company relies on Circle’s existing USDC (market cap north of $77 billion) and third-party settlement rails.
The rollout follows Meta’s February decision to pursue stablecoin payouts through external providers. Stripe was selected after a formal request-for-proposal process. Solana and Polygon were chosen as settlement networks in part because of their low fees and fast confirmation times — Solana transactions typically settle in roughly 400 milliseconds with fees under a fraction of a cent — and because both networks already handle substantial USDC volume. Circle reportedly minted more than $10.5 billion of USDC on Solana in a single month earlier in 2026.
Meta paid creators nearly $3 billion in 2025, so even a modest shift of those payouts into stablecoins could direct meaningful transaction volume to Solana and Polygon. The company’s new approach contrasts sharply with the Libra/Diem initiative launched in 2019 and abandoned by 2022 after intense regulatory scrutiny. Rather than attempting to issue a currency, operate wallets, or run settlement itself, Meta is acting as a platform customer: Circle issues the stablecoin, Stripe handles payments and reporting, and Solana and Polygon provide settlement rails, while Meta distributes payouts across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp’s collective user base of over three billion.
The pilot is limited for now, and Meta’s use of USDC via third parties signals a cautious, compliance-focused path into crypto payments. If the program expands, it could accelerate stablecoin adoption among creators and shift more payout and settlement activity onto public blockchain networks that prioritize speed and low transaction costs.