Social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, is reportedly considering paying influencers and content creators in stablecoins, according to media reports. The reports indicate that X is in discussions with Circle Internet Group about using its USDC stablecoin as a payment method for individuals on the platform.
Scope of the proposed payments
According to the reports, stablecoin payments under consideration would cover royalties to content creators as well as influential users who regularly upload content to the platform. A stablecoin is a form of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset, most commonly the US dollar, which distinguishes it from more volatile cryptocurrencies used primarily for speculative trading.
The stablecoin market has grown to a combined market capitalisation of more than USD 300 billion, and stablecoins have increasingly been adopted as a method for blockchain-based payments. This scale reflects a broader shift among payment providers and platforms towards dollar-pegged digital assets for settlement and transfer purposes.
Wider context within Musk's businesses
The reported talks with Circle would not be the first instance of a Musk-led company engaging with stablecoins. SpaceX, another company founded by Elon Musk, already uses stablecoins to facilitate cross-border payments, according to the reports. This existing use case within Musk's business network may inform how a similar mechanism could be applied to creator payments on X.
X has also made a related hire in this area. In March 2026, Musk brought on cryptocurrency veteran Benji Taylor as head of design at X. Taylor's professional background includes experience in digital wallets and decentralised finance (DeFi), areas directly relevant to the integration of stablecoin-based payment infrastructure.
Changes to X's creator payment model
The reported interest in stablecoin payments coincides with a broader overhaul of how X compensates content creators. The platform is phasing out its long-running revenue-sharing programme in favour of a new system referred to as the Original Content Rewards Program. The shift represents a structural change in how the platform intends to reward users for the content they produce.
It should be noted that X operates as a privately held company following its acquisition by Elon Musk, meaning its shares no longer trade on a public stock exchange. This ownership structure gives the company discretion over changes to internal payment mechanisms without the disclosure requirements typically associated with publicly listed firms.
Should the reported talks with Circle result in an agreement, it would mark a notable use case for USDC within a large-scale social media platform's payment infrastructure, potentially extending stablecoin adoption beyond trading and remittance use cases into the creator economy. As of publication, neither X nor Circle has confirmed the reported discussions.
