Gusto Adopts Stablecoins for Instant Global Payroll in Landmark Partnership

NEW YORK, NY – January 20, 2026 – Payroll and HR giant Gusto is set to revolutionize how small businesses pay their international teams, replacing week-long transfer delays with near-instant settlements. In a landmark move for the adoption of digital assets in mainstream finance, Gusto has partnered with the regulated crypto infrastructure provider zerohash to launch stablecoin payout capabilities, currently available to users in a beta program.

The partnership enables small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) on Gusto's platform to pay their international contractors in digital dollars, specifically USDC on the Base blockchain, with funds arriving in minutes rather than the typical three to seven business days associated with traditional cross-border banking. This integration directly addresses a critical friction point for the modern, distributed workforce, leveraging blockchain technology to bring payroll into the real-time economy.

A New Era for Cross-Border Payments

For decades, international payments have been hampered by the legacy correspondent banking system—a complex web of intermediaries that introduces delays, high fees, and a lack of transparency. For a small business in Ohio paying a freelance developer in Southeast Asia, this can mean a week of uncertainty and lost productivity. For the contractor, it means a precarious wait for essential income.

Gusto, which serves over 400,000 businesses, aims to dismantle this outdated model. By integrating zerohash’s on-chain settlement infrastructure, the platform can now move funds globally with the speed and traceability inherent to blockchain technology.

“As the workforce increasingly becomes more global and more digital, traditional payment rails can no longer meet the speed and accessibility that modern businesses require,” said Edward Woodford, Founder & CEO of zerohash, in a statement. He noted that the partnership represents a "major step toward modernizing how money moves," unlocking tangible benefits for workers. The new system offers on-chain traceability for every transaction and gives contractors the flexibility to receive funds in either a custodial or a self-custodial wallet, granting them greater control over their earnings.

Fueling the Global Gig Economy

The strategic importance of this innovation is underscored by powerful shifts in the labor market. The number of Americans working as full-time independent contractors has surged, nearly doubling from 13.6 million in 2020 to 27.7 million in 2024, according to a recent report from HR Stacks. This explosion in the "contingent" workforce creates an urgent demand for payment rails that are as agile and borderless as the talent they serve.

Furthermore, small businesses are increasingly looking beyond their borders to find specialized skills. Gusto's own data reveals that 11 percent of SMBs employed international contractors in 2025, with a staggering 75 percent planning to increase their international headcount. This structural shift towards distributed teams has exposed the glaring inefficiencies of legacy financial systems.

By offering instant stablecoin payouts, Gusto is not just providing a new feature; it is delivering a critical tool for business competitiveness and contractor financial wellness. Faster access to funds allows freelancers to manage their cash flow more effectively, avoid high-interest debt, and plan for the future with greater certainty. It transforms payroll from a logistical headache into a seamless, reliable experience that treats contractors like the integral team members they are.

The Regulatory Blueprint for Enterprise Adoption

While the promise of crypto payments has existed for years, widespread enterprise adoption has been stalled by technical complexity and regulatory uncertainty. Gusto’s decision to move forward highlights the critical role of regulated infrastructure providers like zerohash in bridging the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem.

For a platform of Gusto’s scale and reputation, a "regulation-first" approach was non-negotiable. zerohash provides this by operating with a global regulatory footprint, including a coveted BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). This allows zerohash to abstract the immense compliance and operational burdens away from its partners, offering a turnkey solution that is simple, compliant, and scalable.

“At Gusto, our mission is to grow the small business economy. We believe payment choice is integral to helping small businesses and their teams thrive,” commented Samant Nagpal, Head of Payments and Risk at Gusto. “zerohash’s regulatory posture and global infrastructure allow us to offer stablecoin payouts in a way that is simple, compliant, and scalable. This partnership means that we can deliver a faster, more seamless global payments experience for our customers and their teams.”

This model—where a specialized, regulated infrastructure provider powers crypto services for a mainstream financial platform—is emerging as the dominant blueprint for enterprise adoption. It allows established companies to innovate and meet customer demand for digital asset services without needing to become crypto experts themselves.

From Niche Technology to Mainstream Utility

The collaboration between Gusto and zerohash is more than just a single partnership; it's a powerful signal that stablecoins are graduating from a niche crypto-trading tool to a practical instrument for real-world commerce and finance. As regulatory frameworks like Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and proposed U.S. legislation provide clearer rules of the road, more large-scale institutions are gaining the confidence to integrate digital assets into their core offerings.

This move by a major HR and payroll leader could create a ripple effect across the industry, pressuring competitors to modernize their own payment systems to keep pace. For the hundreds of thousands of small businesses that rely on Gusto, the beta program offers an early look at a future where global payroll is no longer defined by borders or banking hours. It represents a tangible step toward a more efficient, inclusive, and interconnected global economy, powered by the fusion of traditional financial expertise and next-generation technology.