As Web3 and crypto-native companies scale globally, many are sitting on sizable crypto treasuries held in ETH, USDC, BTC, and other digital assets.

But when it’s time to pay contractors and employees, one question always comes up:

How do we turn this crypto into payroll without headaches, high fees, or compliance risks?

That’s where hybrid payroll systems like Rise come in.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to manage payroll from a crypto treasury efficiently, securely, and in full compliance, whether you're a DAO, a DeFi startup, or a global tech company with digital assets on the books.

What Is a Crypto Treasury?

A crypto treasury refers to the digital asset reserves held by a company, project, or DAO.

Instead of storing operating capital in fiat currencies like USD or EUR, these organizations keep their funds in:

• Stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDT, DAI)
• Major tokens (e.g., ETH, BTC, SOL)
• Protocol tokens (e.g., UNI, AAVE, OP)

This is common among Web3-native teams that raise capital via token launches, DAO treasuries, or crypto-denominated investment rounds.

Challenges of Paying Teams from a Crypto Treasury

If your treasury is crypto-heavy, converting those assets into payroll can be a logistical and compliance nightmare. Common problems include:

• Manual conversions: Swapping ETH or USDC into local currency before every pay cycle is time-consuming and error-prone.
• Volatility: Paying in native tokens (e.g., ETH) exposes workers to market swings.
• Fiat preferences: Many contractors want to be paid in their local currency.
• FX and wire fees: Moving fiat across borders is expensive and slow.
• Regulatory risk: Crypto compensation is murky from a tax and legal perspective in many jurisdictions.

Hybrid Payroll: Fund in Crypto, Pay in Crypto or Fiat

Rise solves these challenges with a hybrid payroll platform built for global teams. It lets you:

• Fund your payroll in crypto or fiat
• Pay out in your team’s preferred currency (crypto or fiat)
• Handle conversions and compliance automatically

This means you can fund payroll with USDC from a multisig wallet and still pay a contractor in Nigeria in NGN, or split a payment between a contractor’s crypto wallet and local bank account.

Learn more about Hybrid Payroll from Rise.

Example Scenarios

Fund in USDC, Pay in EUR: You deposit USDC from your treasury wallet, and your European contractor receives euros directly in their bank account. Rise handles the real-time conversion and transfer.

Fund in ETH, Pay in USDC: You fund your payroll in Ethereum. A contractor who prefers stablecoins can receive their full payment in USDC, with Rise converting ETH on your behalf.

Fund in USDT, Pay in BTC: Even if you fund payroll using USDT, a team member who prefers Bitcoin can opt to be paid in BTC. Rise swaps the funds and transfers them to the contractor's BTC wallet.

Fund in USDC, Pay in Split Payouts (USDC + INR): Let’s say a contractor in India wants half of their salary in USDC and half in their local currency. You fund in USDC, and Rise executes a split payout: part goes to their crypto wallet, and part is converted and sent to their Indian bank account.

These scenarios show how Rise makes it easy to run crypto-funded payroll while giving every team member the flexibility to choose their preferred payout method.

How to Manage Payroll from Your Crypto Treasury with Rise

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Fund Your Rise Account

Deposit stablecoins, crypto, or any supported asset directly from your Rise crypto wallet. Rise also supports traditional bank transfers in fiat.

Step 2: Upload Your Team and Set Payments

You can onboard international contractors or employees, assign payment amounts, and set pay schedules, all from one dashboard.

Step 3: Contractors Choose How to Get Paid

Each team member picks their preferred payout method:

• Local bank account (90+ fiat currencies)
• Crypto wallet (100+ supported coins)
• Or a custom split between fiat and crypto

Step 4: Rise Handles the Rest

Rise converts the funds as needed and sends payments. No manual swapping, no spreadsheets, no failed transactions.

Step 5: Stay Compliant

Contracts, invoices, NDAs, KYC/AML, and tax documentation are generated and stored automatically, making audits and reporting easy.

Why Teams Use Rise to Run Crypto Payroll

Save money‍

Avoid wire fees, currency conversion markups, and international banking delays.

Offer flexibility‍

Let your team choose crypto or fiat, split payments, and get paid in local currency, even if you fund in USDC.

Stay compliant‍

Rise acts as your Agent of Record, helping with classification, tax documentation, and global employment compliance.

Scale globally‍

Pay workers in 190+ countries using over 100 cryptocurrencies and 90 fiat currencies all from one place.

Is It Safe?

Yes. Rise is a registered MSB and follows strict global compliance standards:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• Encrypted wallets and payment rails
• GDPR compliant
• Integrated KYC and AML checks

Final Thoughts: Make Your Crypto Treasury Work for You

If you’re sitting on a crypto treasury, you don’t need to off-ramp everything into fiat just to run payroll.

Hybrid payroll lets you fund in what you have (crypto) and pay out in what your team wants (crypto or fiat).

It’s faster, cheaper, and more flexible than traditional methods.

And with Rise, it’s also fully compliant.

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