Elon Musk’s X Explores Stablecoin-Based Payments for Content Creators

Social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, is reportedly exploring the use of stablecoins such as USDC to pay influencers and other content creators.

According to CoinDesk, citing a person familiar with the discussions, X is considering stablecoin-based payouts as part of its evolving creator compensation model. The talks are still ongoing, and the platform has not made a final decision.

X would not be the first major social platform to explore this model. Other companies are also testing stablecoins for creator payments, highlighting growing interest in digital assets as an alternative to traditional payout systems.

X's Stablecoin Plans Follow Its Push Into Payments

The reported stablecoin discussions also fit into X's broader strategy of turning the platform into a financial services hub.

In January 2025, X announced a partnership with Visa to support X Money, its planned digital payments service. The system is designed to support peer-to-peer payments, wallet funding, debit-card connections and transfers to bank accounts. X has also been securing money-transmitter licenses for its payments business as it builds the infrastructure behind the service.

The company moved another step forward in March 2026, when it began testing X Money with selected users. The beta included functions for depositing funds, sending and requesting money, suggesting that X is gradually building the payment infrastructure that could eventually support other forms of digital transactions.

X Reshapes Its Creator Rewards Program

The potential move toward stablecoin payments comes as X is also changing how it compensates creators.

The platform has announced plans to retire its existing Creator Revenue Sharing program and transition to the Original Content Rewards Program. X says the new system is intended to reward users for producing original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity and commentary.

This shift could give X an opportunity to reconsider not only how creators earn money, but also how those earnings are delivered across different markets.

Stablecoin Creator Payments Are Already Being Tested

X's reported plans also come as traditional payment companies begin experimenting with the same model.

In November 2025, Visa launched a pilot allowing businesses and platforms to send payouts directly to stablecoin wallets. The initiative specifically targets creators, freelancers and gig workers, with recipients able to receive USD-backed stablecoins such as USDC. Visa said the model could provide faster access to funds, particularly for users in markets with currency volatility or limited banking infrastructure.

This development is significant for X because it shows that stablecoin payouts are moving beyond crypto-native companies and into mainstream payment infrastructure.

Meta Also Explores Stablecoin Payments

X is not alone among major technology platforms.

Meta has reportedly started paying selected creators in USDC through the Solana and Polygon networks, marking a renewed interest in stablecoins after the collapse of its earlier Libra project, later renamed Diem.

Unlike Libra/Diem, the current approach relies on existing stablecoins and blockchain networks rather than attempting to create a new digital currency.

X Strengthens Its Blockchain Expertise

X has also been expanding its expertise in blockchain and digital assets.

In March, the company hired Benji Taylor to lead design across X, xAI and SpaceX. Taylor previously worked on Coinbase's Base blockchain and has experience with digital wallets and decentralized finance.

His background could become relevant if X moves further toward integrating blockchain-based payments and financial services into its broader platform.

Stablecoins Could Simplify Global Creator Payments

For a platform with creators operating across multiple countries, stablecoins could offer an alternative to traditional international payment systems.

Using assets such as USDC could potentially make cross-border payouts faster and less expensive while reducing friction associated with currency conversion, banking intermediaries and international transfers.

That could become particularly valuable for X as it expands its creator economy beyond the United States.

Social Media Platforms Are Becoming Crypto Payment Hubs

The growing connection between social media and stablecoins points to a broader shift in how digital platforms could use crypto.

Platforms such as X and Meta already have massive global audiences, making them potential distribution channels for digital payments. If stablecoins become integrated directly into creator monetization, social networks could evolve from platforms where users simply discuss digital assets into places where those assets are actually used for payments.

For creators, this could mean receiving dollar-denominated digital payments without relying entirely on local banking systems. For platforms, it could create a foundation for digital wallets, payments and potentially other financial services.

SpaceX Has Also Used Stablecoins for International Payments

The potential use of stablecoins by X also follows earlier comments about their role in SpaceX's international operations.

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya said in December 2024 that SpaceX used stablecoins to reduce foreign exchange complications associated with Starlink payments in international markets.

Speaking on the All-In podcast, Palihapitiya said Starlink received payments from customers in smaller international markets, converted those funds into stablecoins and later converted the assets back into U.S. dollars.

According to Palihapitiya, the arrangement helped SpaceX reduce foreign exchange exposure while avoiding some of the costs and complexity associated with international bank transfers.

He also argued that stablecoins could eventually become a major infrastructure layer for cross-border payments in the United States, potentially putting additional pressure on banks and traditional payment networks.

X Could Be Building a Stablecoin-Powered Payment Layer

The reported exploration of stablecoin creator payments looks more significant when viewed alongside X Money and the company's broader push into financial services. X is already building a payments infrastructure, while stablecoins could provide the underlying settlement layer for faster cross-border transactions.

The combination could eventually allow X to connect creator monetization, digital wallets and international payments within one platform. However, the key question is whether X can turn this infrastructure into real user adoption while navigating the regulatory requirements that come with operating a global payments network. If it succeeds, stablecoins could become less of a standalone crypto product and more of an invisible payment rail operating behind everyday digital platforms.