Abandon USDT! Pornhub switches to USDC for payments, just for a "life-saving token"?

Author: Kurumi, Encrypted City

Pornhub announces the switch of stablecoin, $USDT officially exits the payout mechanism
The adult platform Pornhub has recently reportedly stopped using $USDT as a creator payout tool and has switched to $USDC issued by Circle.
According to notification screenshots circulated in the creator community, the platform said this move is intended to improve the “reliability” of payouts, and emphasized that $USDC is a fully reserve-backed stablecoin that meets regulatory requirements. Related information also indicates that $USDC maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar, can operate on the ERC-20 network, and offers a user experience similar to the previous USDT.

Image source: X/@graciehartie ｜ According to notification screenshots circulated within the creator community, Pornhub lists $USDC as a payment option.

At present, the official Pornhub creator program page has removed the $USDT payment option and replaced it with $USDC along with other payment methods such as Paxum, Verge, and Cosmo, indicating that this adjustment has entered the stage of actual implementation.

From PayPal supply cutoff to stablecoin transition, payment strategy again adjusted
Pornhub’s adoption of stablecoin payments can be traced back to 2020. At that time, PayPal stopped providing services to the platform, causing many content creators to face interrupted income. To fill the payment gap, the platform chose to introduce $USDT as an alternative and established an infrastructure cooperation with tools from the Tron ecosystem.
This model was once seen as a representative case of stablecoin payment applications taking real-world shape—especially in situations where traditional payment systems refuse to serve certain industries, making stablecoins an important tool to bypass banks and payment institutions.
However, as regulation has tightened and market demands for stablecoin transparency have increased, early choices that favored decentralization and efficiency have started to face re-examination. The switch to $USDC also symbolizes that the platform’s payment strategy is gradually shifting from “availability first” to “compliance and stability first.”

Regulation and trust are key; $USDC emphasizes compliance advantages
In its notice, Pornhub mentioned that one reason for choosing $USDC is that it complies with Europe’s MiCA regulations and comes with a clearer regulatory framework. This reflects that under global operational pressure, the platform has begun to incorporate compliance as a core consideration in payment infrastructure.
By comparison, although $USDT has long had the largest market liquidity and broad usage scenarios, it has continued to draw market attention regarding reserve transparency and regulatory positioning. For creators who need stable and timely income payouts, the credibility and redeemability of payment assets have become more important than fees or speed.
Market observations indicate that stablecoin competition is shifting from “who is easier to use” to “who is more compliant.” Especially in application scenarios involving cross-border income and large-scale creator economies, regulatory clarity will directly affect corporate decisions.

Stablecoin landscape race heats up; application scenarios become the key battleground
Pornhub’s shift also highlights that competition in the stablecoin market has entered a new stage. In recent years, $USDC has been actively strengthening relationships with financial institutions and regulatory bodies, aiming to establish an advantage in institutional markets; meanwhile, $USDT continues to maintain dominance through liquidity and global usage scale.
It is worth noting that the replacement between stablecoins is not a one-way trend. Recently, the market has also seen opposite examples—for instance, some DeFi protocols have shifted from $USDC to $USDT$ due to liquidity or funding considerations, showing that there are significant differences in stablecoin needs across different application scenarios.
In an environment where payments, trading, and asset allocation are gradually converging, stablecoins are no longer just substitutes for on-chain dollars, but part of financial infrastructure. Pornhub’s decision, to some extent, reflects a reality: when crypto applications truly enter commercial scenarios, stability and compliance are often more decisive than the “decentralized ideal.”