Meta seems to have learned his lesson, and this time, the giant advances quietly. Rather than relaunching an in-house crypto, Zuckerberg's team prefers to rely on already existing rails. This choice, far from being trivial, reflects a more profound strategic change. From now on, Meta no longer wants to reign, but to circulate. And in this well-oiled mechanism, crypto becomes a discreet, almost banal, but terribly effective tool.
cIn brief
- Meta is testing USDC payments for select creators in Colombia and the Philippines.
- Settlements go through Stripe, with Polygon and Solana as the primary blockchain networks.
- Meta refuses to issue its own currency, preferring to use the already regulated USDC.
- Creators must manage wallet, security, local conversion and risks of irreversible transactions.
After the Libra failure, Meta returns without making any noise
Meta returns to crypto without fanfare, almost in contraband. After the resounding failure of Libra, which became Diem before collapsing in 2022, the group changed its method. This time, no in-house currency, no revolutionary promise, but a pragmatic integration of what exists.
Concretely, Meta now offers certain creators receive their income in USDC. The test is taking place in Colombia and the Philippines, two markets where crypto adoption often outpaces traditional banking infrastructure. Payments go directly to external wallets, without going through a proprietary system.
A spokesperson explains:
We strive to offer the most relevant payment methods, which is why we are exploring how stablecoins could be part of our range of options.
Meta spokesperson, source: Decrypt
Meta no longer controls the currency, but the distribution. And this detail changes everything, because it avoids the regulatory frictions that had plagued Libra. The group chooses discretion, but also efficiency.
Polygon, Solana and Stripe: the new sinews of war
Behind this simple facade, a formidably well-thought-out mechanism is put in place. Meta relies on Stripe for infrastructure, and Polygon and Solana for transaction settlement. In other words, the machine runs, but the engine is outsourced.
Polygon also insists on this shift: “ The future of marketplace commerce is on Polygon. Meta launched stablecoin payments for creators on the Polygon chain “.
The numbers speak for themselves. In 2025, Meta has paid out nearly $3 billion to creators. Even a fraction of these flows switched to the blockchain could explode the real use of crypto networks.
Stripe, for its part, confirms the trend. Patrick Collison discusses a profound transformation :
The entire economy is being reconfigured. The use of stablecoins in production is no longer a question.
Patrick Collison, source:
Meta then becomes a showcase. The real pillars are elsewhere, invisible but essential. And crypto, here, ceases to be a promise to become a simple tip.
Crypto anchors itself in reality, but without a net
This full-scale test reveals a rawer truth: stablecoins are finally leaving the realm of discourse. Here, they are used to pay quickly, globally, without a traditional banking intermediary. And this change is accelerating.
USDC, a stablecoin indexed to the dollar, is establishing itself as a settlement tool. Its capitalization already exceeds $77 billion. Meta does not offer any local currency conversions. Users must go through a crypto exchange, manage their wallet, secure their keys.
The freedom is total, but so is the risk. Transactions are irreversible, errors permanent. Meta, for its part, absolves itself of all operational responsibility.
At the same time, other giants are advancing. Shopify, Western Union and DoorDash are already exploring these channels. Crypto is no longer marginal, it is infiltrating everywhere, slowly, surely.
The key benchmarks of this silent rocker
- Meta pays around $3 billion to creators in 2025;
- Payments available in Colombia and Philippines currently only;
- Expansion planned to more than 160 international markets quickly;
- USDC exceeds $77 billion in current global capitalization;
- Irreversible crypto transactions, full liability on end user side.
Meta doesn't make a sound, but digs his furrow. And in this changing economy, crypto is being established without asking permission.
The recent progress of Meta on the stock market, driven by a strategic agreement in the AI cloud, shows one thing. The market rewards well-negotiated turns. If this foray into stablecoin payments delivers on its promises, it could achieve the same effect. A gradual rise, almost invisible, but terribly effective in the balance sheets.
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