Pornhub stops supporting USDT, switches to USDC! Is this a reliability battle among stablecoin providers behind the scenes?

Adult platform Pornhub announces it will stop using $USDT for payouts, fully switching to Circle-issued $USDC as the creator payment tool. The platform emphasizes that this move aims to improve fund reliability and comply with regulations such as MiCA.

Pornhub announces stablecoin change, $USDT officially exits payout mechanism

Recently, adult platform Pornhub has stopped using $USDT as a creator payout tool, switching instead to $USDC issued by Circle.

According to screenshots of notices circulating within the creator community, the platform states this move is to enhance the “reliability” of payouts, and emphasizes that $USDC is a fully reserve-backed stablecoin that complies with regulatory requirements. The relevant information indicates that $USDC maintains a 1:1 peg with the US dollar and can operate on the ERC-20 network, offering an experience similar to past USDT.

Image source: X/@graciehartie According to screenshots of notices circulating within the creator community, Pornhub has listed $USDC as a payment option

Currently, Pornhub’s official creator program page has removed the $USDT payment option, replacing it with $USDC alongside Paxum, Verge, Cosmo, and other payment methods, showing that this adjustment has entered the implementation phase.

From PayPal cutoff to stablecoin transition, payment strategy further adjusted

Pornhub’s adoption of stablecoin payments dates back to 2020, when PayPal ceased providing services to the platform, causing many content creators to face income disruptions. To fill the payment gap, the platform chose to introduce $USDT as an alternative and established infrastructure cooperation with the Tron ecosystem tools.

This model was once regarded as a representative case of crypto payment adoption, especially in scenarios where traditional payment systems refuse service to certain industries, making stablecoins an important tool to bypass banks and payment institutions.

However, as regulations tighten and market transparency requirements for stablecoins increase, early decentralized and efficiency-oriented choices have begun to be re-evaluated. The switch to $USDC also symbolizes a shift in the platform’s payment strategy from “usability first” to “compliance and stability first.”

Regulation and trust become key, $USDC emphasizes compliance advantages

In the notice, Pornhub mentions that one reason for choosing $USDC is its compliance with European MiCA regulations and a clearer regulatory framework. This reflects the platform’s effort to incorporate compliance into its core payment infrastructure amid global operational pressures.

Compared to $USDT , which has long held the largest market liquidity and broad usage scenarios, transparency of reserves and regulatory positioning continue to attract market attention. For creators who need stable 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 more user-friendly” to “who is more compliant.” Especially in applications involving cross-border income and large-scale creator economies, regulatory clarity will directly influence corporate choices.

Stablecoin landscape heats up, application scenarios become key battleground

This shift by Pornhub also highlights that the stablecoin market competition is entering a new stage. $USDC has recently been actively strengthening relationships with financial institutions and regulators, aiming to establish advantages in institutional markets; meanwhile, $USDT continues to maintain dominance through liquidity and global usage scale.

It’s worth noting that the replacement among stablecoins is not a one-way trend. Recent market examples show the opposite, such as some DeFi protocols shifting from $USDC to $USDT due to liquidity or funding considerations, indicating that different application scenarios have significant demands for various stablecoins.

In an environment where payments, trading, and asset allocation are increasingly integrated, stablecoins are no longer just on-chain dollar substitutes but part of the financial infrastructure. Pornhub’s decision, to some extent, reflects a reality: when crypto applications truly enter commercial scenarios, stability and compliance often outweigh “decentralized ideals.”

This content is generated by the Crypto Agent summarizing various sources, reviewed and edited by Crypto City. It is still in training, and may contain logical biases or informational errors. For reference only, not investment advice.