Case Study
How Airtm and bridge are scaling stablecoin payouts with Stellar
Industry
Fintech
Location
Latin America
Use cases
Stellar for PaymentsProducts and tools used
Stellar USDC and EURCCross-border payments
Stablecoins
Intro
Who is Airtm?
Airtm is a global payments platform trusted by 2.5 million users to move money across borders. While it began as a remittance solution, Airtm has evolved to support global organizations in paying freelance and remote workers — particularly in regions where inflation and limited financial infrastructure make payroll challenging and costly. By offering a fast, affordable, and secure way to send payments, Airtm helps companies meet payroll demands while ensuring employees get paid on time and keep more of what they earn.
In 2024, Airtm processed $1.2 billion in total stablecoin transaction volume. Since launching payouts through Bridge (a Stripe company) on the Stellar network in March 2024, nearly half of Airtm’s total enterprise payout volume has flowed through this integration. With stablecoin adoption accelerating, Bridge-powered transactions are expected to continue growing throughout 2025.
Challenge
Global payroll in developing regions
Global companies are increasingly tapping into remote, freelance talent to drive growth, but traditional payment methods are not built for today’s workforce. They’re slow, costly, and in some markets, non-existent.
High Transaction Costs
Delayed Settlements
Infrastructure Gaps
Currency Devaluation
Cross-border payments are broken — slow, expensive, and inaccessible. This partnership proves there’s a better way. We’re proud to enable global payouts that work at scale, in real-time.
Zach abrams, CEO, bridge
Stablecoin-Based Payouts
Solution
Airtm saw an opportunity to provide a better solution: digital dollar payouts that are universally accessible and easily convertible into local currency. By integrating Bridge’s Stablecoin Orchestration API, Airtm streamlines cross-border payments and enables enterprises to distribute payouts through two flexible options: 1st party payouts and 3rd party payouts.
1st Party Payouts
Direct integration with Airtm
In this setup, the enterprise has a direct relationship with Airtm. It uses an Airtm Enterprise account to fund and send USDC payouts directly to workers’ Airtm wallets via Stellar. Once received, workers can spend, send, or cash out their USDC at competitive rates using Airtm’s proprietary network or a supported direct off-ramp. With access to 500+ local payment methods—including bank transfers, cash pickups, mobile wallets, and Airtm-issued virtual cards—workers can use their earnings flexibly and immediately in their local economies.
3rd Party Payouts
End user supported payouts
In the 3rd-party payout flow, the enterprise does not have direct contact with Airtm. Instead, it sends local currency (e.g., USD via ACH or Wire) to designated virtual accounts that are linked to Airtm wallets. Upon receipt, When the enterprise initiates a payroll payment in USD or EUR, Bridge receives the funds in these virtual accounts, converts them into USDC, and credits the recipients’ Airtm wallets via Stellar. From there, workers can access the same 500+ local payment methods available through Airtm’s network, ensuring they can flexibly use their earnings just as they would in the direct setup.
This collaboration delivers a real, working solution to one of the hardest problems in global finance: real-time payouts to workers navigating currency instability. We’re not just testing an idea, we’re processing millions of payouts at scale and transforming how businesses support workers across the Global South.
Rubén galindo steckel, CEO, Airtm
Results Mar 2024 - Mar 2025
Global impact at scale
150+
250K+
1.3M
~50%
20-25%
These numbers demonstrate that stablecoin payouts aren’t just viable – they are working at scale, serving hundreds of thousands of people daily and helping drive operational efficiencies across a range of industries including, AI tech, business process outsourcing, freelancer marketplaces, customer support, and market research.
At Sapien, we believe that the people powering AI deserve to be paid fairly, quickly, and without friction. By partnering with Airtm, we’re ensuring that our contributors—no matter where they are in the world—get paid faster and with fewer barriers. This is a crucial step in our mission to build a more inclusive and efficient future for AI-driven work.
Rowan stone, CEO, sapien , enterprise Airtm customer
Conclusion
Global payroll is ready to evolve
Global enterprises face growing pressure to cut costs, move faster, and reach new markets. At the same time, demand for stablecoins is rising – providing workers with faster, more stable access to their earnings. With the Stellar network and partners like Airtm and Bridge, businesses can:
- Expand into new geographies without relying on traditional financial rails
- Improve worker satisfaction with faster, inflation-resistant payouts
- Significantly lower cross-border payout costs
Get Started
Modernize your global payroll
Get in touch to see how Stellar enables faster, more transparent, and cost-effective payments.