Remote Job Paid in Crypto: Your Wallet, Network and Cash-Out Checklist

You've passed the interviews, signed the offer, and the email from HR asks for "your USDC wallet address and preferred chain". Congratulations. Now's the time to set things up properly, because sorting out a wrong-network payment after your first payday is nobody's idea of fun.

Here's the checklist we'd give a friend.

1. The wallet

You need somewhere to receive the money where you control what happens next. Options:

• An app that gives you deposit addresses and pays naira, such as KWIQ. The money lands in your KWIQ wallet and you sell when you choose.
• A self-custody wallet you control with a seed phrase. More control, more responsibility.

Whichever you use, open it now and find your deposit address for the coin you'll be paid in. Our guide to finding your USDT wallet address shows where to look.

Before you move on, check you have:

• the address, copied and saved somewhere safe;
• the network, written down in plain words, such as "TRON (TRC20)".

2. The contract terms

Before the first payment, get these in writing (an email is fine):

• Currency: USDT, USDC or another coin.
• Network: which one they'll send on. It must match your address. Compare the options in TRC20 vs BEP20 vs ERC20.
• Amount: in dollars, and whether 1 USDT counts as $1.
• Who pays the network fee: ideally the sender, so you get the full amount.
• Pay date and what happens if a payment fails.

3. The test payment

Ask for a small test payment before the first full one. When it arrives, look it up yourself on an explorer, for example on Tronscan or BscScan. Check the token is the real USDT or USDC, the amount and the receiving address. Then confirm to payroll that the full payment can go ahead.

4. Records

Start a simple spreadsheet on day one:

Date	Amount	Coin and network	TXID	Naira received (if sold)

Keep your payslips or invoices with it. If your bank ever asks where money came from, or when you sort out your taxes, you'll be glad. Our post on crypto income and your bank explains why.

5. Your cash-out plan

Decide now how you'll handle each payday, so you don't make it up every month:

• How much goes to naira straight away for rent, bills and family;
• How much you keep in dollars as savings;
• When you sell the rest: all at once, or in parts through the month. We weigh that up in month-end cash-out: all at once or in batches?

On KWIQ, you see the rate and the exact naira amount before you confirm, swapping to naira is free, and naira hits your bank account in just 4 seconds.

6. Security

Your phone is now where your salary lands. Treat it that way:

• a strong screen lock, and app PINs you don't share;
• two-factor authentication on your email;
• never share your seed phrase or one-time codes with anyone, including "HR" or "support";
• be wary of messages asking you to "verify your wallet" by connecting it to a website.

KWIQ asks for your transaction PIN before any money moves out of your account, and the email address on your account can't be changed, so nobody can take your account over by switching it.

Bonus: what to tell payroll

My wallet details for salary: Coin: USDT Network: TRON (TRC20) Address: [paste your address] Please send a small test first. Thank you!

More for remote workers

If you also take freelance clients, read crypto for freelancers in Nigeria. When your first payday lands, download the KWIQ app to sell it for naira, or sign up on the web.