How Polynomial Research Paid Its Contractors From Crypto and Scoped Full-Time Hiring Before Committing
About Polynomial Research
Polynomial builds on-chain derivatives products for decentralised finance. Its platform automates derivative strategies to create products that earn passive yield on a range of digital assets. Like many DeFi teams, Polynomial holds its treasury in crypto and works with contractors spread across different markets. That setup works well for building the product. Paying the people who build it is harder.
The Challenge: A Crypto Treasury, Contractors Who Need Local Currency
Polynomial's contractors needed regular pay in their own currencies, straight into their bank accounts. Polynomial's funds sat in crypto. Getting from one to the other each cycle needed an off-ramp, a conversion and a payout, and Polynomial had no internal process for any of it.
A bigger question was sitting right next to this one. The team was weighing whether to make full-time hires in two new markets. Each had its own employment costs, statutory rules and hiring norms. Committing toeither without a clear picture is how expansion budgets go wrong. The payment problem needed fixing first. The expansion question needed someone with market knowledge.
The Solution: Payments Handled, Expansion Scoped
Gloroots took over the full payment chain. Each cycle, it off-ramped Polynomial's crypto, converted it to the right local currency and paid every contractor. Polynomial didn't need to build a conversion process or chase payouts.
With payments running, Gloroots worked through the full-time hiring question with the team. It laid out what employment would cost in each market, what compliance would involve and how an Employer of Record could structure the hires. Leadership could compare both markets side by side. With both pieces in place, the outcome came down to two things: clean payouts and a better-informed decision.
Holding your treasury in crypto?
Gloroots pays your contractors in their local currency, every cycle.
Book a free consultation →
The Results: Contractors Paid, Expansion Call Made With Real Data
Polynomial's contractors were paid correctly and on time from a crypto treasury. Its leadership got the numbers it needed to decide on full-time hiring.
What Polynomial Research got:
- 100% of contractors paid in local currency from crypto
- Off-ramp and payouts handled with zero errors or delays
- Full-time hiring scoped in both candidate markets, covering cost, compliance and structure
- A confident expansion decision, made with real data instead of guesswork
Fixing payments got Polynomial through the next cycle. Scoping the expansion helped it plan the next year. In the end, its decision-makers made the right call for the business.
What This Means for Crypto-Native Teams Planning to Grow
Web3 teams often start with contractors paid from a crypto treasury. Sooner or later, the question of full-time hires comes up. The two problems usually land on the same desk at the same time. Treating them separately means fixing the urgent one and guessing at the important one. Polynomial's case shows the value of one partner who can handle payouts today and lay out the true cost of hiring tomorrow. If you're paying contractors from crypto and thinking about full-time hires, get the numbers before you commit.
Ready to hire globally?
Gloroots lets you employ talent in 150+ countries, compliant from day one.
Book a free demo →
FAQs
Can a company pay contractors from a crypto treasury?
Yes. Gloroots can off-ramp your crypto, convert it into each contractor's local currency and pay it into their bank account. You don't need to build that process in-house. Polynomial Research paid its contractors this way.
What does off-ramping mean for contractor payments?
Off-ramping is converting crypto into regular currency so it can be sent through the banking system. For contractor payments, it's the step between your treasury and each contractor's bank account. A payments provider handles it each cycle.
How do you scope the cost of hiring full-time in a new market?
Scoping covers statutory employment costs, compliance rules and how the hires could be structured. A key choice is between an Employer of Record and setting up your own entity. Comparing these across markets shows the real commitment before you decide.
Can one provider handle contractor payments and expansion planning?
Yes. Gloroots can run your contractor payouts and can also advise on full-time employment costs and compliance. You get one relationship for today's payments and tomorrow's hiring plans.
Why scope a market before making full-time hires?
Without a clear view of cost and compliance, a company can commit to a market that's more expensive or complex than expected. Scoping first turns the decision into an informed one, whichever way it goes.
Ready to Hire Globally?
Gloroots helps you hire employees, manage contractors, run global payroll, and stay compliant across 150+ countries.
