Bitpay has launched a new mass payout product called Bitpay Send, expanding beyond payment processing into payroll and large-scale business disbursements. The Atlanta-based crypto payments company said the service is built for organizations that want to pay employees, affiliates, freelance contractors, and other recipients using blockchain-based payment rails.
The launch positions Bitpay more directly in the growing market for crypto-enabled payroll and global payouts. Rather than asking companies to purchase and manage digital assets themselves, Bitpay says businesses can fund payouts in fiat while the platform handles the blockchain-based settlement process. The company argues that this model helps organizations access faster and cheaper cross-border payments without taking on direct crypto custody or price-volatility risk.
A product aimed at payroll, affiliate payouts, and global settlements
According to Bitpay, Bitpay Send is designed as a mass payout service rather than a narrow payroll-only tool. The platform can be used for employee compensation, affiliate disbursements, contractor payments, customer cash-out requests, rewards, rebates, and settlement with marketplace sellers. That broader positioning suggests Bitpay is targeting not only employers, but also internet platforms and digital marketplaces that need to move funds to large numbers of recipients across multiple regions.
One of the early users highlighted by the company is Adgate Media, a business that connects digital advertisers with affiliates who earn rewards for user engagement. Adgate President Dan Sapozhnikov said many of the company’s affiliates had specifically requested to be paid in bitcoin, especially those located outside North America and Europe, where access to banking infrastructure may be limited or less convenient.
Sapozhnikov also explained that Adgate did not want to buy and hold crypto itself. In his view, having Bitpay manage that layer of operational and market risk played a major role in the decision to use Bitpay Send. He added that the service allows Adgate to pay affiliates in minutes rather than days, underscoring the product’s value proposition in time-sensitive international payouts.
Bitpay’s pitch: lower friction, faster payments, less crypto exposure
Bitpay CEO Stephen Pair framed the launch around the broader growth of blockchain payment adoption. He said businesses are increasingly turning to blockchain-based systems because they offer a simpler way to send and receive money on a global scale. In contrast, traditional international payment systems are often slow, expensive, and operationally cumbersome.
That message is central to Bitpay Send’s market pitch. The company says businesses can make mass payouts without needing to buy, own, or manage crypto directly, while recipients still receive blockchain-based payments more quickly and potentially at a lower cost. In practical terms, Bitpay is trying to solve a common institutional hesitation around crypto compensation: some companies may want the efficiency of blockchain settlement, but do not want treasury exposure to volatile assets or the burden of custody and compliance operations tied to holding them.
Bitpay also states that companies fund the payments in fiat, while the platform uses blockchain rails to deliver pre-tax payments. This structure is meant to reduce employer exposure to digital asset volatility and operational risk, while still giving workers or recipients the option to receive value through crypto wallets.
Fees, wallet access, and compliance requirements
For cross-border transactions, Bitpay said it will charge a 1% processing fee. The company noted that users do not need a bank account to use the platform, which may make the service attractive in regions where traditional banking access is uneven or where international transfers are difficult to manage.
However, recipients do need access to a crypto wallet and must have a Bitpay ID. The announcement also makes clear that customers are expected to provide the information necessary to satisfy Know-Your-Customer (KYC) requirements. That compliance component is especially important in payroll and high-volume business payouts, where payment providers must balance efficiency with regulatory obligations.
The need for wallet access also highlights a practical dividing line in crypto payroll adoption. While blockchain rails can accelerate settlement and reduce friction, the recipient side still depends on a certain level of digital asset readiness. In Bitpay’s model, that means workers, affiliates, or contractors must be equipped to receive and manage crypto-based payments.
Supported assets and competitive landscape
Bitpay said the new payout system supports several major digital assets, including BTC, BCH, ETH, and XRP, as well as some stablecoins. The inclusion of stablecoins could be particularly relevant for businesses and recipients that want blockchain-based settlement without the full price volatility associated with more market-sensitive cryptocurrencies.
The rollout also puts Bitpay into more direct competition with firms such as Bitwage, which already offers infrastructure for paying workers in digital assets including BTC and BCH. That competitive overlap suggests the crypto payroll segment is becoming more defined, with multiple providers now targeting business demand for alternative compensation and payout systems.
Still, Bitpay’s approach appears to lean heavily on its existing reputation in crypto payments. By extending from merchant payment processing into mass payouts, the company is building on an established payments foundation rather than entering payroll as a completely new player. This may help it appeal to organizations that are already familiar with crypto payment rails but have not yet implemented them for payroll or affiliate compensation.
Why the launch matters
Bitpay Send reflects a broader trend in the digital asset industry: the effort to move beyond trading and speculation into operational financial infrastructure. Payroll is one of the more practical use cases because it sits at the intersection of global labor markets, cross-border commerce, and demand for faster money movement.
For employers, the appeal lies in potential speed, lower international transfer friction, and reduced dependence on legacy banking systems. For recipients, especially those in regions with limited banking access, crypto payouts can offer an alternative route to receiving funds. For platforms and affiliate businesses, the value may be even more immediate, since mass payout logistics are often central to their day-to-day operations.
At the same time, the model does not eliminate every challenge. Users still need crypto wallets, businesses must satisfy compliance rules, and the experience ultimately depends on recipients being comfortable with digital asset-based payment flows. But Bitpay’s launch shows that service providers increasingly see those hurdles as manageable in exchange for the advantages of blockchain-based settlement.
In that sense, Bitpay Send is more than a product expansion. It is a signal that crypto payments infrastructure is continuing to evolve into specialized business tools—tools aimed not just at buying and selling with digital assets, but at running payroll, distributing rewards, and settling obligations across borders with greater speed and flexibility.