Pay Your Global Web3 Team in Crypto and Fiat

In the past 2 years, Rise has become one of the top choices for Web3 companies that need to pay global teams quickly and stay compliant.

This is because they support fiat and crypto payments, handle tax filings, and give businesses access to legally compliant hiring options across borders.

And Web3 payroll demand is growing with such speed , over $500 million in payroll has already been processed through Rise, reflecting its growing role in the future of global workforce management.

Key Takeaways

• Pay contractors and employees in fiat or crypto (100+ supported tokens)
• Global reach: onboard and pay in 190+ countries
• Supports W-2 payroll in the U.S., full EOR in 3+ countries, and contractor payouts worldwide
• Built-in KYC, AML, tax compliance, and classification protection
• Contractor portal and reusable Rise ID streamline onboarding and payments

What Is Rise Payroll?

Rise is a global payroll platform built for modern, distributed teams as it lets companies hire, onboard, and pay people around the world while ensuring compliance with local labor laws and tax rules. With support for both fiat and crypto, Rise offers flexibility that traditional payroll systems don’t.

Who Uses Rise?

This platform is especially useful for:

• Crypto-native and Web3 startups that prefer paying in stablecoins
• Fintech and tech companies with international teams
• Distributed agencies working with freelancers globally
• U.S.-based companies hiring overseas or managing 1099 contractors

What Is Hybrid Payroll?

Hybrid payroll refers to the ability to pay employees or contractors in both fiat currency and cryptocurrency during a single payroll cycle. This flexible model allows each worker to select how much of their salary they want in their local currency and how much in digital assets like USDC or USDT.

Hybrid payroll is especially useful for globally distributed teams, digital nomads, and Web3 contributors who prefer stablecoins for speed, flexibility, or financial strategy.

With Rise, companies can automate these split payments, maintain compliance, and create a seamless payout experience for contractors and employees alike.

Learn more about Hybrid Payroll and Crypto Payroll.

Core Features and Capabilities

Hybrid Payroll

Hybrid payroll allows companies to pay their employees and contractors using both fiat and cryptocurrency in a single transaction or split.

This is ideal for modern teams where contributors may prefer stablecoins for faster access or local currency for everyday use. Rise supports full customization of these payment splits, offering flexibility without compromising compliance.

• Custom payment configurations (e.g., 70% fiat, 30% USDC)
• Supports 100+ cryptocurrencies
• Available to contractors and full-time employees

Automated Onboarding and Compliance

Rise simplifies the onboarding process for global teams by automating document collection, KYC verification, and contract management. This ensures fast and compliant setup for new hires across 190+ countries. By centralizing documentation and workflows, companies can streamline global expansion without growing their admin team.

• Built-in identity verification (KYC/AML)
• Auto-generation of tax forms (W-8BEN, 1099)
• Smart contract templates by region and worker type

Rise Products

Global Contractor Payout

Global Contractor Payout is designed for businesses hiring international freelancers, consultants, and service providers. With this product, companies can quickly onboard and pay contractors in either their local currency or one of 100+ supported cryptocurrencies, including USDC and USDT.

Rise automates compliance tasks such as KYC, contract generation, and tax document handling, which is essential for global teams.

• Pay contractors in fiat or crypto
• Available in 190+ countries
• Flexible payment scheduling: weekly, monthly, milestone-based
• Pricing: $50/contractor/month + 3% of payment volume

Employer of Record (EOR)

The Employer of Record service from Rise is ideal for companies that want to hire full-time employees abroad without setting up legal entities in each country.

Rise becomes the official employer, ensuring that taxes, benefits, and labor laws are fully managed on your behalf. This includes the ability to offer hybrid payroll, meaning employees can choose to receive their salaries in both fiat and crypto.

• Currently available in the U.S., UK, and Canada; expanding to 60+ countries
• Includes payroll compliance, health benefits, and crypto-compatible retirement plans
• Pricing: $399/employee/month

Fun Fact: Rise’s EOR service also allows you to offer your employees Daily Payroll.

Direct Payroll (U.S. Only)

Direct Payroll is built for domestic companies that want to pay W-2 employees in any of the 50 U.S. states. Rise manages everything from payroll tax filings to employee benefits, offering the added option of paying salaries in USD or digital assets. The system is fully automated, allowing for daily, bi-weekly, or custom payment schedules.

• Automated W-2 processing and tax compliance
• Benefits marketplace included
• Flexible scheduling and crypto support
• Custom pricing based on company size and needs

Agent of Record (AOR)

Rise’s AOR model provides legal separation between your business and your contractors, shielding you from misclassification risks. Rise signs the agreement directly with the contractor, manages classification checks, and handles all tax filings. This solution is especially useful for companies in finance, healthcare, or other heavily regulated sectors.

• Contractor compliance made easy
• Ideal for high-risk industries or scaling U.S. companies
• Pricing: $70/contractor/month + 3% of payment volume

Rise ID and Contractor Portal

The Rise ID is a reusable, blockchain-compatible identity system that simplifies future onboarding across the Rise ecosystem. Contractors can log into a portal to manage invoices, contracts, and payouts independently. This allows companies to focus on scaling rather than manual payment tracking.

• Reusable digital identity for contractors
• Full access to contract management, tax forms, and payout preferences
• Supports both fiat and crypto withdrawals

Pricing

Rise offers straightforward, service-based pricing with optional add-ons. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Global Contractor Payout: $50/month per contractor + 3% of payout volume
• AOR Service: $70/month per contractor + 3% of payout volume
• EOR Service: $399/month per employee
• Direct Payroll (U.S.): Custom pricing depending on team size and benefits usage

How Rise Compares to Other Payroll Platforms

Rise vs. Deel

Deel is one of the most recognized names in global payroll and contractor management, particularly for companies paying in fiat.

While Deel supports payments to contractors in over 150 countries and provides EOR services in more than 100 countries, it only recently introduced limited crypto support via USDC. Unlike Rise, Deel does not support hybrid payroll (splitting payments between crypto and fiat), blockchain wallet integration, or AOR services.

Deel is ideal for companies looking for a traditional, fiat-first payroll solution with a strong benefits marketplace, but it lacks the crypto-native features that Rise offers.

Rise vs. BVNK

BVNK is a digital banking platform focused on crypto payments and treasury services for businesses. While it offers tools for sending and receiving crypto, it lacks end-to-end payroll features like onboarding, tax documentation, and compliance automation.

Rise is a better fit for companies that need payroll plus HR functionality, including contractor agreements, KYC, classification risk management, and local tax filings. BVNK may work well for high-frequency crypto payments and enterprise settlement flows, but it doesn’t offer the HR infrastructure that Rise includes.

Rise vs. Request Finance

Request Finance is popular in the Web3 ecosystem for invoicing and handling recurring crypto payments. It’s commonly used by DAOs and freelancers who want to send or receive stablecoin payments without the complexity of setting up full payroll.

However, it lacks legal protections such as AOR/EOR models and does not support employee payroll or integrated benefits. Rise provides more structure and risk mitigation for companies hiring at scale and needing legal clarity, while Request Finance is better for small teams looking for simple crypto invoicing.

Rise vs. BitWage

BitWage was one of the first platforms to offer crypto payroll but remains focused on providing conversion and payment rails rather than full workforce management. It allows employees to receive their salary in bitcoin or stablecoins but does not include onboarding workflows, contractor classification tools, or EOR/AOR support.

Rise expands on BitWage’s basic offering by adding legal compliance, tax automation, and hybrid payroll, making it a more comprehensive solution for businesses paying global teams in crypto and fiat.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Rise comes with features that make it appealing to global and crypto-first teams. Its flexibility and focus on compliance stand out in a space where many payroll providers still rely on outdated systems.

• Works in 190+ countries for both contractors and employees
• Hybrid fiat and crypto payments are supported by default
• Fully compliant with KYC, AML, tax, and classification checks
• Contractor portal and reusable Rise ID speed up operations

Cons

While Rise offers variable features, it may not be the best fit for every organization. Pricing and country availability could be limiting factors for some companies.

• Volume-based fees may be high for large contractor payments
• EOR is currently limited to three countries, with expansion in progress

Who Should Use Rise?

Best For

Rise is effective for organizations that need fast, compliant, and borderless payroll solutions. It’s an ideal choice for high-growth companies building global teams or working in blockchain-native environments. The platform is also well-suited for remote-first companies that want to offer crypto-friendly payroll options.

• Web3 and crypto-native teams who need crypto payroll
• U.S. businesses hiring contractors or full-time employees abroad
• Startups scaling fast without time to set up legal entities
• Teams that want flexibility in how employees and contractors are paid

Not Ideal For

There are some use cases where Rise may not be the best fit. Businesses that are entirely local or operating on tight margins might find more value in simpler, lower-cost platforms that do not offer crypto or compliance-focused features.

• Local businesses operating only in one country
• Companies on a tight budget looking for minimal-cost payroll solutions

How to Start Using Rise

Even if you’re already using a stablecoin payroll app, switching over to Rise and onboarding your contractors and blockchain employees to the platform is extremely easy.

Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Sign Up with a Business Account

Head over to Rise and register for a business account by entering essential company details, such as your business name, address and contact information.

Once registered, you’ll need to complete a verification process to ensure the security and compliance of your account, which might require submitting additional documents or business information.

By following these steps, fintech companies can quickly integrate Rise into their operations and start experiencing its benefits.

Step 2: Invite and Onboard Your Contractors

The next step is to invite your contractors to join the Rise platform by sending them an email invitation, enabling them to engage seamlessly with smart contracts.

Your contractors will then be onboarded swiftly and compliantly, undergoing KYC checks and identity verification.

They will receive a unique Rise ID, a digital wallet address, and the ability to set up their preferred payment methods for withdrawals.

Step 3: Fund Your Payroll

Rise provides employers with the unique option to fund payroll in either US dollars or USDC stablecoin, allowing global employers to bypass traditional banking limitations.

If you opt to fund in USDC, you can utilize any of our integration partners, including Arbitrum, Coinbase, Uniswap, Ethereum, Metamask, Avalanche, Gnosis Safe, Optimism, Polygon, MEW and Torus.

Once the funds are available, you can easily allocate them to your payroll needs within the Rise platform, setting up automated payments in either fiat or cryptocurrency according to your payroll setup.

Step 4: Choose Payment Schedules

Within the Rise platform, you can set up payment schedules that align with your business operations, whether that’s weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or custom intervals.

This flexibility allows you to synchronize payroll disbursements with your company’s cash flow and contractor expectations.

Additionally, Rise offers the ability to automate these payments, ensuring your contractors receive their earnings on time, every time, without manual intervention, thereby reducing administrative workload and enhancing payment accuracy.

Learn more about auto payroll from Rise.

Step 5: Contractors Withdraw in Their Preferred Currency (Fiat or Crypto)

Contractors have the option to withdraw their earnings in their preferred currency, whether it’s fiat or a variety of cryptocurrencies, directly from their Rise digital wallet.

This feature supports the diverse needs of a global workforce, enabling seamless conversion and transfer of funds to their personal accounts without intermediaries.

And that’s all there is to it.

Conclusion

In 2025, Rise stands out as a future-ready solution for paying and managing a global workforce. Its ability to combine fiat and crypto payments, while staying compliant in 190+ countries, makes it one of the most flexible payroll options on the market.

If you’re running a fast-growing company with global ambitions, you can start your search with Rise by booking a demo.

FAQs

What countries does Rise support?

Rise supports contractor payouts in over 190 countries and EOR services in the U.S., UK, Canada, with plans to expand to 60+ countries.

Can you pay employees in both crypto and fiat?

Yes, you can pay in both fiat and crypto, with the ability to split payments based on the contractor’s or employee’s preference.

What blockchains and wallets does Rise integrate with?

Rise supports Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Polygon networks, and connects with MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and multisig wallets.

How does Rise ensure compliance?

Rise handles KYC, AML, and classification checks, and automates the generation of tax documents like W-8BEN and 1099 forms.

How fast are payouts?

Fiat payments are processed in 1 to 3 business days. Crypto payouts are near-instant, depending on network activity.

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