Meta Pays Creators in USDC on Solana — Pilot in Colombia and the Philippines
Meta pays creators in Colombia and the Philippines in USDC — over Solana and Polygon, with Stripe as infrastructure. Payouts land directly in self-custody wallets like Phantom. An expansion to over 160 countries is planned.
What Happened
In late April 2026, Meta began paying creators in Colombia and the Philippines in USDC — over Solana and Polygon, with Stripe as infrastructure partner. The payouts cover Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It starts as a pilot; Meta plans to expand the program to over 160 countries by the end of 2026. For Meta, it marks a return to crypto payments after the failed Libra/Diem project.
How the Payout Works
- Self-custody wallet required: creators connect a compatible wallet (such as Phantom, MetaMask, Kraken or Binance) that supports USDC on Solana or Polygon to their Meta payout account.
- Directly on-chain: USDC lands as a stablecoin in the creator’s own wallet, not in a Meta-internal account. The payout is self-custodied.
- No native off-ramp: Meta does not offer a direct payout in local currency. To get fiat, creators must transfer USDC to a third-party exchange, swap it there and withdraw to a bank account — with the applicable fees.
Context
A Web2 giant like Meta paying creators directly on-chain is a visible example of stablecoin adoption over Solana rails — especially in markets with expensive or slow cross-border payments. For how stablecoins work on Solana in general, see our background piece: Stablecoins on Solana. For setting up a wallet that can receive such payouts: Set up a Solana wallet.
Note: This is reporting, not tax or investment advice. The tax treatment of USDC income depends on your country.
What to Watch
- Whether and when Meta expands the program to more countries as announced
- How much volume actually runs over Solana versus Polygon
- Whether a direct fiat off-ramp is added later
Sources
- CoinDesk — Meta starts paying some creators in stablecoin with Stripe’s support
- Fortune — Meta quietly rolls out stablecoin payments in Colombia and Philippines
- CryptoBriefing — Meta officially launches USDC stablecoin payouts for creators via Solana, Polygon
- SOLANA·HUB knowledge: Stablecoins on Solana · Set up a Solana wallet