Pornhub, one of the world's most visited adult websites, has replaced Tether's USDT with Circle's USDC for creator payouts across its platform. The change surfaced on April 21, 2026, through an email screenshot shared by creator Gracie Hartie.
In the email, Pornhub stated that USDC would make payouts "more reliable" and described the stablecoin as fully backed, MiCA-compliant, and heavily regulated. Pornhub's model payment page now lists USDC alongside Paxum, Verge, and Cosmo, while USDT has been removed.
This is Pornhub's second major stablecoin transition. The platform initially adopted USDT in 2020 after PayPal cut ties with thousands of creators, using Justin Sun's TronLink wallet for payment integration. That infrastructure partnership is no longer active.
Pornhub processes payouts to creators in countries where traditional banking often fails or blocks transactions. The shift to USDC reflects a changing regulatory environment, where banking partners and payment processors increasingly require compliance. Circle secured an Electronic Money Institution license in France, allowing USDC to remain listed on European exchanges, while Tether did not pursue equivalent authorization under MiCA.
Despite the switch, USDT remains the dominant stablecoin by market cap – roughly $188 billion against USDC's $78 billion. USDT grew 2.1% over the past month while USDC grew 1.4%. Tether recently injected $127.5 million into the hacked Drift Protocol, requiring it to transition settlement assets from USDC to USDT, showing aggressive defense of its DeFi position.
The Pornhub case highlights a broader trend: USDT dominates in DeFi liquidity and emerging market rails, while USDC is winning institutional platform migrations in regulated markets, driven by compliance requirements.
