The Problem: Paying Global Talent in Stablecoins Without Local Entities or Compliance Risk

When OpenSea Foundation expanded operations into Dubai, it faced a challenge shared by many modern organizations — not just those in crypto: how to hire, pay, and support international talent quickly and compliantly, while giving workers the flexibility to receive part or all of their pay in stablecoins like USDC or USDT.

Employees and contractors increasingly prefer stablecoins for the same reasons businesses do:

• near-instant settlement,
• minimal cross-border fees, and
• protection from local currency volatility.

But the road to offering it legally is complex.

1. Local employment law barriers: In most countries, including the UAE, only licensed local entities can legally employ residents.
2. Regulatory ambiguity: Labor ministries and tax authorities still require payroll to be recorded in local fiat currency — even if payment happens on-chain.
3. Visa and residency friction: Without a local sponsor or entity, foreign workers can’t obtain legal work authorization.
4. Operational friction: Payroll, FX, and tax filings can take weeks when routed through traditional banks and legacy EOR providers.

OpenSea Foundation, like many globally distributed companies, wanted a compliant solution that balanced speed, flexibility, and legality.

The Approach: Toku’s Employer of Record + Stablecoin Payroll Infrastructure

Toku provided a turnkey solution: a fully compliant EOR and stablecoin payroll platform that allows organizations to legally employ and pay workers in over 100 countries — including the UAE — without setting up local entities.

1. Local employment and visa sponsorship through Toku’s EOR

OpenSea Foundation’s Dubai-based contributors were legally employed by Toku’s UAE entity, which handled:

• Employment contracts (in both English and Arabic),
• Work visa sponsorship and renewals,
• Health insurance and statutory benefits,
• Ministry of Human Resources registration and end-of-service benefits.

This enabled contributors to live and work in Dubai legally, while OpenSea retained full operational control and flexibility.

2. Dual-layer compliant payroll

Toku’s system maintains both a fiat compliance layer and a stablecoin settlement layer:

• Salaries are recorded in AED (fiat) to comply with UAE labor law and the Wage Protection System (WPS).
• Net pay is settled in USDC to contributors’ verified wallets via Toku’s regulated custodial partners.

This structure ensures payroll compliance with labor, AML, and tax authorities — even when funds move on-chain.

3. Speed and flexibility

Toku’s platform allowed OpenSea to onboard, sponsor visas, and run stablecoin payroll fast, compared to the months required by traditional EORs or entity incorporation. The system supports instant, global payroll funding via fiat or stablecoins, with full transparency and auditability.

4. Reporting and compliance automation

Each payroll run generates a complete audit trail: payslips, tax filings, FX conversions, and wallet transactions, all reconciled automatically. Finance teams can export compliant data for auditors, regulators, or internal reporting in seconds.

The Results: Compliant Global Payroll, On-Chain Speed

Toku enabled OpenSea Foundation to hire globally, pay instantly, and stay compliant, all through a single platform. This model is now being adopted by both crypto-native and traditional enterprises who want to modernize their global payroll systems.

Key Takeaways for Any Global Employer

• Stablecoin payroll isn’t just for crypto companies.
  Any organization — from tech startups to multinational enterprises — can now pay talent in stablecoins while staying compliant with labor, tax, and FX laws.
  
  
• EOR is the compliance unlock.
  Toku’s network of legal entities allows companies to employ talent in over 100 countries without setting up subsidiaries or local bank accounts.
  
  
• Visa and immigration support built in.
  Toku can sponsor work visas directly under its entities, enabling faster and legally valid cross-border hiring.
  
  
• Speed and transparency as the new standard.
  Payroll runs in hours instead of days, with instant stablecoin settlement and automatic regulatory reporting.
  
  

Scalable across industries.
Toku now powers compliant stablecoin payroll and employment infrastructure for organizations in technology, finance, gaming, AI, and non-profit sectors — not just Web3.