X explores paying creators in stablecoins, per report

Elon Musk's @X is in discussions about using stablecoins, including Circle's $USDC, to pay royalties to content creators and influencers, according to a CoinDesk report citing a person familiar with the matter. X did not respond to the outlet's request for comment, leaving key details such as supported countries, blockchain networks, and implementation timelines unconfirmed.

A Wider Shift in Creator Monetization

The report arrives at a pivotal moment for X's creator economy. The platform is preparing to end its Revenue Sharing program and replace it with Original Content Rewards on September 8, with the current system continuing through September 7. The new program is designed to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X, with earnings based on qualified impressions their original content receives. Participants will still need to subscribe to one of X's Premium tiers and meet qualifying thresholds, including 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in 90 days.

Talks at X are ongoing, and the platform is not alone. Other social media companies are also testing stablecoins as a way to pay influencers and content creators. Meta has already begun rolling out stablecoin payouts to select creators, allowing them to receive earnings in USDC on the Solana or Polygon blockchains, with the program supported by payments firm Stripe.

Musk's Broader Crypto Ambitions

Crypto payments are not new to Musk's business empire. USD-pegged stablecoins and Dogecoin are already used for some of SpaceX's cross-border payments from Starlink customers in emerging markets. Musk has previously described payments as one part of his plan to turn X into an application combining social media and financial services.

The stablecoin market has surpassed a total value of $300 billion, known for its low transaction costs and rapid settlement speeds, making it an increasingly attractive rail for platforms with global creator bases. Circle Internet Group's USDC is one of the digital tokens under consideration, although X has not chosen a payment method or disclosed when it could introduce stablecoin payouts.

Sources:
crypto.news: X considers USDC payments for creator rewards
TechCrunch: X replaces revenue sharing program with Original Content Rewards
CoinDesk: Meta starts paying creators in stablecoin via Stripe