In April 2025, the Stape platform team concluded that every sixth Russian would like to receive their salary in cryptocurrency. The BeInCrypto editorial team explored the pros and cons of being paid in crypto.
Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of receiving a salary in cryptocurrency was helped by Roman Nekrasov, co-founder of the ENCRY Foundation.
The advantages of receiving a salary in cryptocurrency are obvious, our interlocutor is convinced. It is a convenient way to receive payment from clients regardless of where they are:
"This method is relevant for those who work with clients from different countries and receive donations or payments from many subscribers located in different regions."
Influencers, bloggers, streamers — for them, cryptocurrency has become the optimal method of receiving payments, as it is convenient for both the recipient and the sender. A subscriber can simply scan a QR code or enter the wallet address and send a certain amount of coins, with the transfer fee being minimal regardless of where they live, which cannot be compared to what banks charge for money transfers.
Freelancers who work on one-off orders, the expert noted, have also switched to crypto in recent years because it is fast, convenient, cheap, and there is always access to their assets. This is the most convenient way to receive payments amidst the fragmentation of the payment system that the world has faced in recent years.
Unfortunately, the expert warns, there are also downsides. First of all, there is legal uncertainty. Officially, cryptocurrency is not permitted for use as a means of payment in Russia, and an employer cannot legally pay salaries in cryptocurrency. Consequently, both the one who pays the salary in crypto and the one who receives it cannot pay taxes — which is already a serious offense. Moreover, the participants in these labor relations find themselves without legal protection since the transfers occur "by agreement," without official documentation.
The expert also noted practical difficulties: to spend crypto, it needs to be cashed out, and for that, exchanges or P2P services are required.
"To exchange stablecoins for rubles, since you can't buy milk and bread with USDT, you'll have to turn to P2P exchanges, which is always a risky endeavor. An online exchange may lead to blocking by banks when withdrawing to a card," our interlocutor warns.
And finally, there is the risk associated with losing the password to a crypto wallet or it being hacked. Proving anything and regaining access to one's assets in the case of cryptocurrency, the expert warns, will be difficult, and sometimes impossible.