Meta pays creators in stablecoins, creating spending challenges

Meta's initiative to pay creators in USDC across Colombia and the Philippines marks a significant step for stablecoins entering the mainstream financial landscape. While this method offers near-instant, low-cost cross-border settlement, it highlights a critical unresolved issue: the difficulty creators face in converting stablecoins into usable local currency. Users must navigate complex steps involving external wallets, exchanges, and compliance checks, introducing fees and delays that diminish the payout's value, especially for smaller amounts. This fragmented off-ramp infrastructure contrasts with the approach taken by card networks like Mastercard and Visa, which integrate stablecoins seamlessly behind the scenes, simplifying the user experience by handling conversions automatically.