Rise Partners with Circle to Integrate USDC for Global Payroll

Rise, a hybrid payroll and compliance platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Circle, the issuer of USDC, to accelerate the adoption of USDC for global payroll services. This collaboration aims to integrate USDC as a central element within Rise’s payroll infrastructure, facilitating faster and more transparent transactions for global teams.

As of June 2025, Rise has processed over $650 million in payroll, with more than half of its contractors opting to withdraw their earnings in stablecoins like USDC. By partnering with Circle, Rise seeks to promote the widespread use of stablecoins in payroll, reducing transfer times from days to seconds and providing a transparent, on-chain audit trail for every transaction.

This partnership is significant as it addresses the challenges of traditional payroll systems, which are often hindered by wire delays, foreign exchange spreads, and fragmented banking systems. USDC will be available for both payroll funding and withdrawals across Rise’s entire product suite, including Agent-of-Record, Employer-of-Record, Global Contractor Pay, and Direct Payroll services.

Over the coming months, Rise plans to roll out educational guides to simplify USDC usage and wallet security for finance teams. The company will also highlight the benefits of USDC payroll for both companies and their contractors/employees, and advocate for clear, forward-looking digital-asset payroll standards by joining global policy and industry working groups.

Hugo Finkelstein, CEO of Rise, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We’re excited to evolve our relationship with Circle. Building the first truly on-chain payroll system, we wanted to make sure we incorporated stablecoins with the most robust compliance infrastructure and adoption behind them. USDC clearly stood out. The future of payroll is on-chain, and we’re proud to lead efforts in this category.”

Rise is a platform that enables businesses to automatically onboard, hire, and pay global teams in local currencies, stablecoins, or cryptocurrencies. The platform’s on-chain infrastructure ensures transparent, auditable payments in real time, eliminating intermediaries and reducing settlement delays. Circle, on the other hand, is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce, and financial applications worldwide. Circle issues USDC and EURC stablecoins through its regulated affiliates and provides a comprehensive suite of financial and technology services.