Bitwage
Bitwage is a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency payroll and global workforce payments platform founded in 2014, enabling businesses and freelancers across nearly 200 countries to send and receive wages in crypto, stablecoins, or local currency. It serves 4,500+ companies and 90,000+ workers, and was acquired by Paystand in November 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Bitwage does
Bitwage is a cryptocurrency payroll and global workforce payments platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco. The company enables businesses and individual workers to send and receive payments across nearly 200 countries in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currencies. Its core technology stack centers on a multi-currency payroll distribution engine that supports same-day payouts with worker-controlled allocation across currencies, full KYC/KYB identity verification including UBO checks, SHA256-signed webhook event notifications, idempotent write operations for payroll endpoints, and an API-first platform enabling partner integrations with HRIS, EOR, freelance marketplace, and time-tracking platforms. Supporting integrations include Gemini (custody/exchange since 2017), Coins.ph (Philippine Peso off-ramp), Stellar (USDC), and TRON (USDT).
The company monetizes primarily through exchange rate spreads — a 1% base rate on most platform conversions (0% on BTC, excluded on USD-to-USD-pegged stablecoin pairs) plus an additional 1% on cross-border international transactions — supplemented by payroll processing fees and an affiliate revenue-share program offering up to 25% of referred-customer revenue. Bitwage serves three primary customer segments: individual workers and freelancers seeking flexible payment methods and reduced wire costs; employers — ranging from SMBs to enterprises — paying global teams and seeking crypto-native compensation options including W-2 crypto benefits and crypto-funded payroll; and platform partners embedding Bitwage's infrastructure via the Partner API. As of the most recent disclosure, the platform has processed over $400M in cumulative payroll for more than 90,000 registered workers and 4,500 registered companies.
In November 2025, Paystand — a blockchain-based B2B payments network processing over $20 billion in annual payment volume across more than one million businesses — acquired Bitwage, integrating its stablecoin payroll and cross-border FX capabilities into Paystand's enterprise payments stack. Post-acquisition, Bitwage has accelerated product velocity with new local-currency support (CLP, SGD, HKD, TRY, AUD, COP), a Stablecoin Pay Portal for USDC/USDT funding, and USD balance funding for instant payroll processing. The combined entity targets enterprise-grade, compliant cross-border settlement using stablecoins, positioning Bitwage's infrastructure as a stablecoin settlement and FX layer within Paystand's broader B2B payments offering.
Bitwage firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bitwage
- Legal name
- Bitwage
- Website
- https://bitwage.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bitwage is a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency payroll and global workforce payments platform founded in 2014, enabling businesses and freelancers across nearly 200 countries to send and receive wages in crypto, stablecoins, or local currency. It serves 4,500+ companies and 90,000+ workers, and was acquired by Paystand in November 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bitwage industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crypto Payroll Software
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Payroll Services (541214)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Payroll & Contractor Payments (Crypto) (FSADAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- B2B Crypto Payouts, Mass Payments & Treasury Disbursements (FSADAIAF), Instant Payouts & Earned Wage Access (EWA) (FSAMAKAM), Invoice, Billing & Subscription Payments (Crypto) (FSADAIAG), Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA), Enterprise Payments & Tokenized Money (stablecoins, tokenized deposits, CBDC rails) (FSAPAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Bitwage is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bitwage business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exchange Rate Spreads: Bitwage generates revenue through exchange rate spreads on cryptocurrency conversions. A base rate spread of 1% applies to all platform conversions except between USD and USD-pegged stablecoins. Additional spreads apply for different transaction types and geographies.
- Payroll Processing Fees: Fees charged on payroll processing transactions for businesses paying global workforces. The platform processes payroll funded in local currencies, stablecoins, or crypto currencies.
- Affiliate Commission Revenue: Affiliates earn up to 25% of Bitwage's revenue from transactions processed by referred qualified leads, creating a referral-based revenue sharing model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | US, EU & UK Domestic Transactions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | International Transactions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Base Platform Rate |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bitwage product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bitwage is a global payroll and workforce payments platform that enables individuals, freelancers, businesses, and integrated platforms to send and receive wages across nearly 200 countries in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currency. It offers Individual Payroll, Business Global Payroll, W2 Crypto Benefits, Crypto-Funded Payroll, and a Partner API for embedding crypto payroll and payouts into HRIS, EOR, freelance marketplaces, and time tracking platforms. Revenue is generated via exchange-rate spreads and per-transaction payroll processing fees.
Product overview
Bitwage is a cryptocurrency payroll and global workforce payments platform that enables businesses and individuals to send and receive payments across nearly 200 countries. The platform operates as a unified solution with multiple integrated modules: the core Individual and Business Global Payroll products allow users to receive payments in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currencies; the W2 Crypto Benefits and Crypto-Funded Payroll add-on modules extend functionality for employers seeking crypto-native compensation options; the Payroll and Beyond module adds invoice and expense management; and the Partner API (including Direct Deposit API and Payouts API) enables payroll providers, HRIS systems, EOR platforms, and marketplaces to white-label or integrate Bitwage's payment infrastructure. The platform also operates affiliate and referral programs for user acquisition. Bitwage was acquired by Paystand in November 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Individual Payroll Allows individual users (freelancers, contractors, and employees) to receive international payments from employers or clients in their preferred mix of cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currencies across nearly 200 countries with same-day options.
- Business Global Payroll Enables businesses to pay their global workforce across nearly 200 countries with same-day payment options, supporting cryptocurrency, stablecoins, and local currency payouts with flexible multi-currency allocation for each worker.
- W2 Crypto Benefits Allows US employers to offer employees the flexibility of receiving part or all of their wages in cryptocurrency alongside traditional payments, with seamless integration into existing payroll systems.
- Crypto-Funded Payroll Enables businesses to fund payroll with cryptocurrency or stablecoins (BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT) while allowing workers to receive payments in local currency or crypto, integrating into existing financial tools without disruption.
- Payroll and Beyond (Invoicing & Expense Management) Extends Bitwage beyond core payroll services to help businesses manage invoices, expenses, and automate accounting for a streamlined workforce management solution, including recurring and immutable invoicing.
- Bitwage Partner API API-first integration platform allowing partners (payroll providers, HRIS systems, EOR platforms, time tracking, freelance platforms, and marketplaces) to integrate Bitwage payroll and payment processing into their applications via OAuth 2.0 and API key authentication to automate payroll creation, employee invites, and full payment lifecycle.
- Direct Deposit API API enabling cryptocurrency direct deposit and invoicing on partner platforms. Allows wallets and exchanges to enable direct deposit, turn on USD and EUR onramps through payroll, and provides new ways for companies to deposit funds.
- Payouts API API enabling crypto payroll and payouts directly on partner platforms with full API integration to control the entire user experience, ideal for payroll, HRIS, global EOR, time tracking, freelance platforms, and marketplaces.
Quantifiable outcome
- Save on wire fees with competitive exchange rates
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Bitwage
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bitwage technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Bitwage partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.
- PaystandflagshipPaystand acquired Bitwage in late 2025 to expand its stablecoin payment capabilities and enterprise-grade stablecoin settlement offerings. Bitwage processes payments for over 90,000 workers and 4,500 businesses across approximately 200 countries. The combined entity enables fast, compliant cross-border settlements using stablecoins.
- ConsensyscoreBitwage partnered with Consensys (reported in February 2025 as part of Bitcoin breaking $100K milestone), expanding its capabilities for Ethereum-based services and blockchain integration.
- Coins.phcoreBitwage integration with Coins.ph enables Philippine workers to receive payroll in Philippine Pesos. Bitcoin sent to Coins.ph wallet is automatically converted to pesos for withdrawal.
- GeminimajorGemini has served as Bitwage's custody and exchange provider for over 8 years, enabling Bitwage to continue transforming the world of remote work through cryptocurrency payroll services.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bitwage competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Deel: Deel is a global payroll and EOR platform that also offers stablecoin salary payouts (via MoonPay partnership, as). It is the most direct competitor to Bitwage's global payroll offering, serving a similar employer/contractor base across many of the same countries.
- Remote.com: Remote.com is a global payroll, EOR, and contractor management platform operating in 80+ countries. It directly competes with Bitwage's Business Global Payroll product for employers paying international teams and is a candidate partner for Bitwage's API offering.
- Papaya Global: Papaya Global is a workforce management and global payroll platform serving enterprises paying employees and contractors worldwide. It is a direct competitor in multi-country employer payroll, with overlapping use cases on cross-border payments.
- Rise: Rise is a payroll and HR platform focused on paying international contractors in stablecoins and local currency. It targets a similar customer segment to Bitwage and is one of the closest pure-play crypto payroll competitors.
- Payroll4Crypto: Payroll4Crypto is a smaller dedicated crypto payroll provider offering employer services to pay teams in Bitcoin and other digital assets. It overlaps directly with Bitwage's Individual and Business Payroll products.
Emerging players
- Sablier: Sablier provides on-chain streaming payment infrastructure for salaries, grants, and vesting. It overlaps with Bitwage on crypto-native payroll, particularly for DAOs and Web3 organizations, but focuses more on streaming than payroll administration.
- Sila: Sila is a crypto banking and payments API platform that enables businesses to send and receive digital asset payments. It overlaps with Bitwage's developer/payments API offering as an emerging player in the same crypto payments infrastructure category.
Broad incumbents
- Wise: Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a large cross-border payments platform used by individuals and businesses for international transfers. It is an incumbent that competes with Bitwage's local-currency payout rails but does not offer crypto/stablecoin options.
- Payoneer: Payoneer is a cross-border payments and freelancer payout platform widely used by global contractors and marketplaces. It competes with Bitwage on local-currency payouts for international workforces but lacks crypto/stablecoin rails.
Others
- Circle: Circle, the issuer of USDC, provides the stablecoin infrastructure underlying much of Bitwage's stablecoin payroll product. It is an adjacent infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor, but could move down-stack into payroll-adjacent offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bitwage social profiles
Digital presenceBitwage financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bitwage leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Bitwage funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bitwage M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bitwage
What does Bitwage do?
Bitwage is a global payroll and workforce payments platform that enables individuals, freelancers, businesses, and integrated platforms to send and receive wages across nearly 200 countries in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or local currency. It offers Individual Payroll, Business Global Payroll, W2 Crypto Benefits, Crypto-Funded Payroll, and a Partner API for embedding crypto payroll and payouts into HRIS, EOR, freelance marketplaces, and time tracking platforms. Revenue is generated via exchange-rate spreads and per-transaction payroll processing fees.
Is Bitwage a public or private company?
Bitwage is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Bitwage founded?
Bitwage was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bitwage based?
Bitwage is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bitwage make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exchange Rate Spreads are the primary driver. The others are payroll Processing Fees and affiliate Commission Revenue.
Who are Bitwage's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Deel, Remote.com, Papaya Global, Rise and Payroll4Crypto. Emerging players are Sablier and Sila. Broad incumbents are Wise and Payoneer. Circle is listed as an others.
Does Bitwage have an API?
Yes. The Bitwage Partner API enables partners to integrate Bitwage payroll and payment processing into their applications. It supports: creating and managing users with full KYC verification; setting up payment distributions across fiat and cryptocurrency; creating and managing companies with KYB verification; running payroll for workers and vendors; and accepting crypto payments via merchant checkout. The API supports two authentication methods: API Key authentication (for server-to-server integrations) and OAuth 2.0 (for user-authorized access). It includes webhook support for real-time event notifications (payroll.created, user.create_user, user.payment_status_update, user.kyc_status_update, user.funding_account_status). The API supports idempotency for write operations and has both sandbox (https://api.sandbox.bitwage.com) and production (https://api2.bitwage.com) environments. Developer documentation is at developer.bitwage.com.
What industry is Bitwage in?
Bitwage's product category is Crypto Payroll Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAIAH, Payroll & Contractor Payments (Crypto), with a secondary code of FSADAIAF, B2B Crypto Payouts, Mass Payments & Treasury Disbursements. Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6200.