Canadian platform made it possible for companies to pay their global workforce in cryptocurrency
Workers may soon treat cryptocurrency like RRSP or 401(k) contributions, allocating part of their paycheque to digital assets through a new payroll option from Borderless AI.
Borderless AI, a Canadian Employer of Record (EOR) and global payroll platform, is making it possible for companies to pay their domestic and international workforce in cryptocurrency through what it calls Crypto-Native Payroll.
The offering is described as a new way for talent to allocate their pay and a first step toward more flexible payout options for companies around the world.
The company links this to a wider change in how workers want to receive and manage their pay.
Borderless AI co-founder and CEO Willson Cross says there is “a fundamental shift in the global employment market,” with workers now focused on pay that matches their “investment and currency preferences.”
He argues that “a one-size-fits-all no longer applies” in a global workforce with different “currencies and savings options,” and that employers who offer flexible choices, “including crypto,” are better placed to “build an invested workforce.”
For employers hiring across borders, the company positions payout flexibility as a payroll-design and compliance issue.
For growing companies, hiring top global talent is the first step.
But the efficiency and flexibility of payroll systems can be challenging to navigate as companies seek competitive offerings for potential employees while avoiding compliance risks.
Borderless AI compares Crypto-Native Payroll to other payroll-native allocations such as RRSPs or 401(k)s, which are allocated before payroll is finalized, ensuring that employees receive the confirmed amount directly.
When set up post payroll, employees are taking on additional time to transfer funds and are subject to exchange conditions.
Borderless AI’s Crypto-Native Payroll brings flexible and transparent controls directly to employees' fingertips, all while ensuring companies remain compliant.
Employees can now have full visibility into where their earnings go on one platform.
Features include the ability to submit and manage contribution requests in one platform, see clear statuses for each request (for example, In Review, Approved, Processed), understand exactly when changes will apply based on payroll timelines, and update or stop contributions at any time before the payroll lock date.
The launch comes as global cryptocurrency adoption is growing, with global transaction volumes projected to exceed $3 trillion and nearly 559 million users worldwide.
In the US, four out of 10 merchants accept cryptocurrency at checkout, while in Switzerland and Japan, bitcoin is not legal tender, but accepted by some merchants.
The company frames crypto as just one piece of a broader move to bring greater flexibility and options for employees to make consistent, timed contributions to their preferred saving or investing format.
Payroll Contributions is described as a step towards Borderless AI implementing flexible payroll experiences into the global hiring process, reflecting how employees want to use and save their earnings.
