Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) has solidified its leading position in the cryptocurrency payroll sector, representing 63% of all salaries paid in digital assets last year. This decisive market share highlights accelerating institutional trust in dollar-backed stablecoins and signals a structural shift toward blockchain-based compensation systems, outpacing Tether’s USDt which accounted for under 30% of crypto payroll disbursements.
The industry has concurrently standardized longer token vesting periods, with 88% of schedules now structured as four-year arrangements—a substantial increase from 64% a year prior. Approximately 9.6% of cryptocurrency professionals now receive salary payments in stablecoins, reflecting significant growth in adoption for recurring financial settlements.
Supporting these trends, Circle announced a partnership with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) to investigate USDC integration within tokenized fund frameworks. The company has also taken steps toward regulatory compliance by applying for a federal trust bank charter. If approved, this would establish a regulated infrastructure for enterprise-level stablecoin payment processing and custody solutions.