# National Minimum Wage (NMW) HMRC guidance at [NMWM09060](https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/national-minimum-wage-manual/nmwm09060) makes it clear that employees need to receive an actual money payment for National Minimum Wage (NMW) purposes. [CRYPTO10100](https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/cryptoassets-manual/crypto10100) confirms that HMRC do not consider cryptoassets to be money. [NMWM09060](https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/national-minimum-wage-manual/nmwm09060) also confirms that payment via vouchers, stamps or similar documents which can be exchanged for money, goods or services are not counted towards NMW. It is most likely that cryptoassets would meet this definition and are therefore not treated as meeting the NMW regulations. To avoid a NMW liability (criminal and civil) plus the risk of penalties, employer’s should consider paying part of an employee’s salary in fiat sterling (to cover NMW for their hours worked). It is recommended legal advice is sought on this matter and for drafting the employment contracts. In addition to covering the part payment in sterling and part payment in cryptoassets, clauses in the employment contract may address price fluctuations and regulatory issues. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.recap.io/uk-tax-guide-for-individuals/transaction-types/employment-income/national-minimum-wage-nmw.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.