[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, is reviewing stablecoins as a way to pay creator rewards.

On Aug. 21 (local time), blockchain media outlet CoinPost reported that X is internally reviewing whether it can use Circle's USDC and similar tokens for creator compensation.

The discussions are still at an early stage. CoinDesk reported that the payment structure, timing and final plan have not been decided. It is reviewing the possibility first without deciding how it would execute payments or when it would reflect them in the service.

The review is tied to X's overhaul of its compensation system. X closed new registrations for its long-running "revenue sharing" program on Aug. 7, and the program is expected to end completely around Sept. 7. A follow-on system called the "Original Content Reward Program" is designed to compensate writers who provide original ideas and expertise, reporting, creativity and commentary.

Stablecoins are being discussed as a payout method because of cross-border remittance costs and speed. The stablecoin market has surpassed $300 billion, and its use as an international payment method has expanded from small and mid-sized businesses to multinationals with overseas subsidiaries. The report also cited that stablecoins can reduce fees and foreign-exchange burdens compared with overseas transfers through existing banking networks, making them suitable for frequent small payments.

Stablecoin use is already under way in other business lines led by Elon Musk. SpaceX uses stablecoins to collect payments from overseas customers for Starlink, its satellite internet service targeting emerging markets. The report said such operational experience could also be cited as a possible influence on X's consideration of digital-asset-based payments for creator rewards.

In March, X recruited Benji Taylor, who led design at Coinbase's blockchain-based Base, as a design chief spanning X, xAI and SpaceX. It amounts to X absorbing some Web3 experience as it revisits platform design and payment experience.

The market is viewing X's compensation overhaul alongside its stablecoin review. With the existing program set to end, a key issue is how X will settle on a payout method for the new compensation system. If X adopts a stablecoin such as USDC, it could improve settlement efficiency for overseas users.

That leaves two points to watch. One is whether X will actually reflect stablecoins in the new rewards program. The other is, if it does, how it will redesign creator compensation in a structure that aligns with the end of the existing revenue-sharing system. With a transition in the compensation system expected, the stablecoin review is being read as a signal that X's approach to operating its creator ecosystem could change.