Airtm and Bridge Revolutionize Cross-Border Payments: USDC on Stellar Delivers Real-Time Payouts
Airtm’s Stellar Partnership: A Game-Changer for Global Workers
Airtm, the payments platform with 2.5 million users worldwide, has teamed up with Bridge (a Stripe company) to bring instant stablecoin payouts to workers in emerging markets. As a result, enterprises can now pay remote teams in USDC on the Stellar ($XLM) network, often in seconds instead of days. For example, freelancers in Argentina or Venezuela receive stable dollars while avoiding 30-50% inflation losses. In addition, this integration has already processed 1.3 million transactions and $1.2 billion in stablecoin volume between March 2024 and March 2025.
How the Bridge Partnership Actually Works
First, businesses choose between two payout models. Alternatively, they can fund Airtm directly (first-party) or let Bridge handle fiat-to-USDC conversion (third-party). Next, Bridge’s Stablecoin Orchestration API converts fiat into USDC and settles it on Stellar. Finally, recipients withdraw to 500+ local payment methods, bank accounts, mobile money, or even cash pickup. Consequently, costs drop by an average of 20-25%, and settlement times shrink dramatically.
Stellar’s Unique Edge in Emerging Markets
Furthermore, Stellar’s network proves perfect for this use case. Whereas traditional wires charge 6-7% and take days, Stellar settles in 5 seconds for less than a penny. Therefore, workers in high-inflation countries receive full value before their local currency devalues further. Additionally, the network’s built-in compliance tools make it enterprise-friendly, which explains why 50% of Airtm’s 2024 payouts now flow through Bridge on Stellar.
Real Impact: From Numbers to Lives
Specifically, over 250,000 recipients in 150+ countries, mostly in Latin America, have benefited. For instance, Sapien, an AI data-labeling company, uses the solution to pay contributors globally. As Rowan Stone, Sapien’s CEO, explains: “Our people deserve to be paid fairly and quickly, no matter where they live.” Thus, what started as a technical integration has become a lifeline for thousands of remote workers.
The Bigger Picture for Stellar and Stablecoins
Meanwhile, this partnership adds serious volume to Stellar’s ecosystem, $1.2 billion in real-world payouts is no longer a pilot; it’s production scale. Moreover, it complements Stellar’s growing RWA footprint ($639M TVL, led by tokenized Treasuries). Ultimately, when enterprises like Bridge choose Stellar for payroll, it proves the network isn’t just fast and cheap, it’s ready for mission-critical finance.
In conclusion, Airtm and Bridge have built one of the most practical stablecoin use cases in the world today. Consequently, as more companies discover real-time, low-cost payouts, Stellar continues to solidify its position as the go-to blockchain for cross-border value movement.