Pornhub Drops Tether (USDT) for USDC in Payout Shift: What It Means for Creators

Adult content platform Pornhub has discontinued Tether (USDT) as a payout method for creators, replacing it with USD Coin (USDC) issued by Circle. The change was confirmed by OnlyFans creator Gracie Hartie, who shared a screenshot of an email allegedly sent by Pornhub.

In the email, Pornhub stated that the shift to USDC was intended to improve payment reliability. The company emphasized that USDC is a fully-backed, MiCA-compliant, and regulated stablecoin, making it a more secure option for earnings.

"USDC is a fully-backed, MiCA-compliant and regulated stablecoin, making it a more secure option for your earnings."

Hartie’s tweet about the change, posted on April 21, 2026, included a screenshot of the email and a link to the announcement. A Japanese trader also confirmed receiving the same email from Pornhub.

Pornhub’s model program page has been updated to reflect the change. The page now lists USDC as the primary stablecoin option, alongside other payment methods such as Paxum, Verge, and Cosmo. Previously, USDT was the sole stablecoin option on the platform.

Pornhub adopted USDT for payouts in 2020 following PayPal’s decision to terminate its services for the platform. At the time, Pornhub stated:

"Since PayPal’s decision to stop payouts to thousands of Models two months ago, we’ve been hustling to…offer you more options."

During its USDT integration, Pornhub partnered with Justin Sun’s TronLink wallet to facilitate payments. However, this partnership is no longer mentioned on Pornhub’s model program page.

Broader Trends in Stablecoin Shifts

The switch from USDT to USDC by Pornhub reflects a growing trend in the cryptocurrency space. Earlier in April 2026, the hacked Drift Protocol announced a $127.5 million bailout funded by Tether (USDT). As part of the deal, Drift transitioned its settlement asset from USDC to USDT. The protocol had suffered a $285 million exploit, allegedly linked to North Korean hackers who compromised a multisig wallet.

Protos has reached out to Pornhub and Tether for comment but has not yet received a response. The publication will update the article if further information becomes available.

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