In some international realities, prominent or not, it is already possible to receive at least part of one's salary in stablecoins. The solution does not appeal to everyone, but is rather popular in digital contexts, or in those sectors where there are many freelancers.
Italian law does not prohibit this modality, and allows the salary to be received in this form, but tax and social security management remains rather complex.
The salary in stablecoin is not a provocation, but a concrete possibility
The idea that salaries could arrive in the form of stablecoin, rather than by bank transfer, is more than a crypto forum provocation or a hope for enthusiasts. The topic is quite concrete, so much so that abroad it is already the subject of discussion among jurists. Several companies, especially in Asia and the United States, have already started to remunerate their employees or collaborators in this way.
According to the Blockchain Compensation Survey 2024, conducted by the investment company Pantera Capital and published last summer,
the share of professionals receiving at least a fraction of their salary in cryptocurrencies has risen from 3% in 2023, when it was just a few pioneers, to 9.6% in 2024.
The most widely used digital currencies include the UsdC, a stablecoin linked to the US dollar and designed to maintain as stable a value as possible.
Some platforms, such as Bitwage, have long allowed freelancers and international teams to receive compensation in stablecoins, offering those who have been paid the option of converting them immediately into euros or dollars if they do not want to keep them in their wallet. The practice has taken root well in digital and international contexts, less so in companies with a more traditional hierarchy. Although limited to certain segments, however, this phenomenon raises some relevant questions for the Italian market as well.
Can digital currency enter the world of work? The Civil Code does not prohibit it
The Civil Code does not prohibit the possibility of agreeing on a form of payment other than legal tender.
This was the answer given by labour lawyer Luca De Menech, partner at Dentons Milano, to Corriere who asked him for an opinion on the matter.
Articles 1277 and 1278 allow the parties to derogate from payment in official currency, without any problem, as long as the employee's consent is explicit. Payment in stablecoin is thus technically permissible. But why should a company do so?
The advantages of a wage in stablecoin...
Stablecoin transactions are fast, let's say instantaneous, and are not affected by bank hours or holidays. Commissions on international payments can be drastically reduced, to the delight of companies employing staff in multiple countries, and integration with systems based on smart contracts offers a flexibility that traditional currency does not provide. Automatic bonuses; scheduled payments; immediate distributions between multiple wallets; simplification of administrative processes... Getting paid in this way offers considerable versatility.
Given these possibilities, interest in digital currency salary crediting remains keen. International payroll service providers are expanding their options in stablecoin, and some companies, especially in tech, are already considering it as an experimental component of their remuneration package.
... and its disadvantages
On the other hand, however, the model also has some weaknesses. The first is regulatory. Italy's tax and contribution rules are not at all designed for remuneration in digital assets. Prudence, interpretation and competent intermediaries are indispensable in order not to incur errors that the IRS could sanction, and not every worker has them available.
The technical management, in addition, is far from trivial. Wallets, private keys and custody procedures impose high security standards. Some companies may not want to deal with these elements, considering them expensive and complex investments. The workers themselves, for their part, may also lack sufficient understanding of the instrument and be annoyed by the need to have to complete the conversion to euro or other currency after being paid.
