Pebl, the AI-first global employment and payroll platform, has launched crypto-ready payroll in response to evolving employee expectations around how they want to be paid — a shift that could have significant implications for HR operations and business competitiveness. The announcement coincides with new data from Pebl’s Beyond Salary: How the World Wants to Get Paid Report. It shows a rising demand for pay flexibility in timing, currency, and form.
The survey of over 400 HR and finance professionals in the U.S., U.K., and Germany reveals that 60% of respondents believe that employees are increasingly demanding more flexibility not only in how they are paid but also in when they are paid.
Redefining Payroll for a Borderless Workforce
Traditional payroll infrastructure was built for a predictable, 9-to-5 world: fixed salaries, single national currencies, and local bank accounts. But as companies hire talent globally — including remote workers and contractors — these systems are increasingly misaligned with workforce preferences. Pebl’s crypto-ready payroll enables employers to process compliant wage payments in local fiat currency while giving employees the option to receive funds into licensed bank accounts or digital wallets, where they can independently convert to crypto — without the employer holding digital assets on its balance sheet.
This approach helps organizations offer pay flexibility at scale while mitigating the compliance, treasury, and custody risks traditionally associated with crypto payroll. Rather than acting as a direct salary payout in cryptocurrency, Pebl’s solution ensures payroll tax, foreign exchange, and reporting are handled in each jurisdiction before funds are deposited to the recipient’s account.
Why Employers Are Taking Notice
The shift toward crypto and alternative pay models is not purely theoretical. According to Pebl’s findings:
29% of employees want the option to choose the currency in which they’re paid
44% value access to earned wages
15% express interest in being paid in crypto assets
Moreover, nearly one in five employers are actively exploring alternative payroll models, signaling that flexible pay is moving toward strategic adoption rather than experimentation.
Industry trends also show a broader uptake of digital asset payroll solutions. For example, the use of stablecoins for payroll has grown sharply, with companies deploying such methods to cut cross-border costs and speed settlement times. Corporate adoption of stablecoin payroll reportedly grew by nearly 6.8× year-over-year in 2025, illustrating rising corporate confidence in crypto-based payment rails.
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Impact on the HR Industry
For HR professionals, Pebl’s initiative highlights a widening role for payroll strategy as a talent attraction and retention tool rather than just a back-office function. With employee expectations evolving, HR teams will need to rethink compensation frameworks to include:
Flexible pay timing, such as on-demand access
Multi-currency payroll options for globally distributed teams
Alternative compensation structures, such as token equity or digital currencies
These trends are in line with general research indicating that payroll operations are shifting from transactional to strategic and transformational roles, where technology and data analytics allow payroll to make a positive impact on workforce engagement and financial wellness.
HR leaders who are agile in their payroll approaches can place their organizations at a competitive advantage as employers of choice, especially among the younger, more tech-savvy talent pools who tend to consider financial freedom and choice as key drivers of employment.
Broader Business Implications
From a business point of view, crypto-ready payroll can enhance business efficiency and minimize payroll expenses related to foreign exchange and banking charges, which are usually difficult for traditional fiat currency payroll systems to achieve. Additionally, increased payroll flexibility also reflects the adaptability and innovativeness of an organization, thus strengthening employer branding and aligning organizational compensation practices with the expectations of the modern workforce.
As the global talent market continues to change, organizations that adopt flexible and compliant payroll solutions, including crypto-ready payroll solutions, are in a better position to engage, empower, and retain their employees.
