Stellar Ecosystem
News

Stellar Development Foundation awarded Vottun an $850k grant to build a Stellar-powered cross-border payment solution for the Spanish regulatory sandbox, with PwC providing guidance on banking and financial services compliance.

Answerly closes SCF panel voting with milestones from three years of self-funded operation: a community of 50,000 members, 20,000 active users, and token listings on five major exchanges. Founders Raza Rizvi and Zain Haider seek SCF support to accelerate Stellar DEX integration and build partnerships across the Stellar ecosystem.

Bitt and the Stellar Development Foundation were selected as finalists in Singapore's Global CBDC Challenge to develop a retail central bank digital currency solution using Bitt's Digital Currency Management System integrated with the Stellar network.

Velo Labs, TEMPO Payments, and Bitazza have opened a remittance corridor between the EU and Thailand on Stellar, enabling fast cross-border transactions for a $17 billion market connecting 600 million customers.

Bitso, a leading Latin American exchange, is integrating Stellar USDC to offer cheaper and faster cross-border payments between the US and Mexico, benefiting its 2+ million users through reduced transaction costs and improved interoperability across the region.

THORWallet now supports Stellar asset management with single and multisig wallets, enabling XLM and USDC swaps on mobile. The integration includes Blend protocol access for yield generation, bringing institutional-grade DeFi security to Stellar.

Stellar Development Foundation and Advent International are reportedly considering acquiring MoneyGram, the global money transfer company. The move reflects growing interest in integrating blockchain technology with legacy cross-border payment infrastructure.

Stellar Development Foundation has contacted MoneyGram International about a potential acquisition in partnership with private equity firm Advent, according to Bloomberg. The deal would represent a significant move into remittances and could reshape the competitive landscape following Ripple's previous investment and subsequent exit from MoneyGram.

Project Venus is a DeFi protocol on Stellar using Turing Signing Servers (TSS) to enable trustless smart contracts without an on-chain VM. It implements short-term FX forwards to improve capital efficiency for Stellar-based financial institutions like remittance companies. TSS leverages off-chain servers (turrets) combined with Stellar's multi-sig for efficient DeFi.

Liquid exchange now offers Stellar USDC with fee-free withdrawals, enabling customers to save $12-15 per transaction and settle in seconds compared to Ethereum-based USDC.

The Stellar Development Foundation joined the Association of Ukrainian Banks as a member, formalizing its advisory role in helping Ukraine develop blockchain and virtual asset capabilities alongside the country's banking system.

SDF convened Ukrainian financial leaders with blockchain experts to discuss virtual asset strategy ahead of new legislation. The event featured industry practitioners sharing real-world use cases on compliance, tokenization, CBDCs, and stablecoins to help shape Ukraine's emerging virtual asset ecosystem.

Visa partnered with fintech startup Tala to expand crypto adoption in emerging markets, providing USDC stablecoin access through Tala's digital wallet and enabling Visa-issued payment cards linked to the wallet.

SDF CEO reflects on two years leading the organization, highlighting key milestones including the first Meridian conference, quarterly transparency calls, and the network's resilience during the April 2021 validator halt. The post emphasizes SDF's commitment to openness, ecosystem collaboration, and building a decentralized network.

The Stellar Development Foundation responds to FATF's draft guidance on virtual assets and VASPs, arguing the proposal lacks evidence, threatens financial inclusion, and represents regulatory turf-protection rather than genuine financial crime prevention.

SDF reported strong Q1 2021 results across all strategic pillars, including USDC launch on Stellar, $6.5M in Enterprise Fund investments, and record network growth with 160% increase in payments and 196% increase in DEX volume.

Velo Labs, a Stellar-based cross-border settlement protocol backed by Thai conglomerate CP Group, has acquired Interstellar, a Stellar payment startup, in a nine-figure deal. The merger brings Interstellar's leadership to Velo and aims to accelerate blockchain remittance development across Southeast Asia.

Circle has launched USDC stablecoin on the Stellar network, making it immediately available on Stellar's decentralized exchange and tradeable across 9,000+ ecosystem assets. The integration includes Circle's API services and Account offering for global payments and treasury operations.

Circle and the Stellar Development Foundation announced USDC is now live on Stellar, immediately available on Stellar's DEX and integrated wallets. The stablecoin pairs USDC's $6B circulation with Stellar's 1.5B+ processed operations, enabling cross-border payments and new business opportunities across the ecosystem.

The Stellar Development Foundation published its 2021 strategic roadmap, outlining three core pillars: supporting Stellar's robustness and usability, building trust in the blockchain, and fostering sustainable use cases. SDF commits to quarterly transparency updates and accountability tracking throughout the year.

Signal is experimenting with integrating MobileCoin, a privacy cryptocurrency built on a modified version of Stellar's consensus algorithm, into its messaging platform. CEO Moxie Marlinspike cautioned that any payments feature would require careful consideration, though the firm has only conducted preliminary experiments so far.

Wirex and the Stellar Development Foundation released research revealing cryptocurrency adoption insights, finding 74% view crypto as viable for money transfers and 86% feel safe using it, challenging age and security concerns.