Stellar Ecosystem
News

Ondo Finance has launched USDY, its yield-bearing stablecoin, on the Stellar network, enabling users to access 5.3% APY on tokenized U.S. Treasuries. The integration unlocks new use cases in payments, treasury management, collateralization, and cross-border transactions on Stellar.

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) #38 round received 83 submissions and awarded $2,568,750 worth of XLM to 24 innovative projects. Funded initiatives span DeFi platforms, wallets, payment solutions, real-world applications like food delivery and remittances, and developer tools for the Stellar ecosystem. This round highlights the rapid evolution and community commitment to building practical utility on Stellar.

21X, Europe's first fully regulated DLT trading and settlement system, has launched on the Stellar network as its second blockchain, enabling institutional trading of tokenized securities on a regulated secondary market in the EU.

EquitX introduces synthetic stocks (xAssets) on the Stellar blockchain, enabling users to gain exposure to real-world equities like Tesla without owning actual shares. The platform supports long, short, swing, and passive investment strategies through minting, trading on DEXs, and stability pools. It emphasizes maintaining collateral ratios above 110% to avoid liquidation while offering DeFi accessibility.

Blockchain benefits both financial institutions seeking efficiency and the 1.4 billion unbanked needing accessibility, as emphasized by Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon. Institutional adoption by firms like Franklin Templeton and BlackRock validates infrastructure that also enables fast, low-cost remittances and humanitarian aid. Success requires intentional design serving both ends of the financial spectrum.

EquitX has received two awards totaling $150,000 from the Stellar Community Fund to develop its Synthetic Stocks Protocol on the Stellar blockchain. The protocol enables synthetic small-cap equities like xUSD and xTesla using collateralized debt positions backed by XLM. This bridges traditional markets with DeFi, leveraging Stellar's low-cost blockspace, DEXs, and Soroban smart contracts.

XLM dropped 2.72% to $0.358 as Stellar's Protocol 23 upgrade failed to reverse bearish momentum. Liquidations and macro headwinds are pressuring the token toward critical support at $0.30-$0.32.

Metafyed, a blockchain tokenization platform for private credit and real-world assets, has secured USD 5.5 million in funding from leading investors including Block Tides and venture DAOs. The company is incubated by Cyberport Hong Kong, Draper, and the Stellar Development Foundation, focusing on SMBs in Asia. The funding will expand their marketplace, strengthen compliance, and enhance AI-powered features.

Normal announces the hiring of full-stack engineer Jay Malve to bolster its team ahead of the Normal Protocol's launch on the Stellar blockchain mainnet. Jay, a hackathon winner with blockchain experience from ETH Denver, will enhance platform usability and development. The protocol offers custom crypto indexes, trading of top 200 cryptocurrencies, and DeFi features like lending and borrowing.

Stablecoins have surged to $250 billion in market value, driven by regulatory clarity from the GENIUS Act. The article explores how stablecoins work, their advantages over traditional banking systems, and their role in enabling financial inclusion, cross-border payments, and emerging DeFi innovations on networks like Stellar.

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has invested in UK-regulated digital asset platform Archax to advance tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) on the Stellar blockchain. Archax has integrated Stellar into its tokenization tools and launched a tokenized Aberdeen money market fund on the network. This partnership supports the rapidly growing RWA market, projected to reach trillions by 2030.

TD Markets Exchange has launched ZARC Coin, a South African Rand-pegged stablecoin on the Stellar network, in partnership with Shift Markets. The asset offers up to 7.5% APY and enables cross-border payments, remittances, and wealth preservation with 24/7 liquidity and local on/off ramps.

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) #37 round awarded $1,861,405 worth of XLM to 19 innovative projects building on the Stellar blockchain. Projects span DeFi protocols, privacy solutions, real-world assets, wallets, and developer tools. Out of 76 submissions, 43 were first-time applicants, showcasing the vibrant Stellar ecosystem.

HoneyCoin announces a $4.9 million funding round led by Flourish Ventures, with participation from Visa Ventures, Stellar Development Foundation, and others. The company, a full-stack payment orchestration platform using stablecoins and traditional rails, processes over $150M monthly across 45+ countries. Founded during COVID, it has achieved product-market fit serving millions of users in emerging markets, especially Africa.

This article argues that USD Coin (USDC) is the best stablecoin to hold in 2025 due to its transparency, regulatory compliance, multi-chain availability including Stellar, and growing adoption in emerging markets. It contrasts USDC with alternatives like USDT and DAI, highlighting risks in less transparent or volatile stablecoins. USDC's institutional support and real-world utility in remittances and DeFi make it a standout choice.

Hoops Finance, originating from a hackathon demo, has rapidly grown into a leading DeFi infrastructure on Stellar mainnet, securing $150K in Stellar Community Fund grants and winning multiple hackathons. The platform boasts strong traction with thousands of daily API requests, high user engagement, and tracks over $25M in TVL. It offers risk-assessed savings, AI analytics, and tools like Comet Swap to simplify DeFi for the masses.

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) #36 round received 53 submissions and awarded $2,088,654 worth of XLM to 23 innovative projects. Funded initiatives span stablecoin payments, DeFi infrastructure, cross-border remittances, compliance tools, and Soroban smart contract enhancements. Highlights include Stables, Splyce Finance, and Uniblock, showcasing the ecosystem's growing sophistication.

Stellar Development Foundation announces major executive hires: José Fernández da Ponte (former PayPal blockchain head) as President and Chief Growth Officer, and Jason Karsh (ex-Block) as Chief Marketing Officer. The announcements coincide with XLM rallying over 80% and Franklin Templeton's $446M tokenized U.S. Treasuries integration on Stellar.

Dobprotocol is a Web3 platform combining AI, tokenization, and blockchain to enable the 'Economy of Machines,' where physical devices like EV chargers and autonomous scooters become tokenized, income-generating assets. Selected for the Stellar Community Fund's SCF Kickstart program, it offers transparent, fractional ownership and real-time monitoring of machine performance. Founders highlight the program's role in strategic alignment and rapid development.

Normal announces the hiring of skilled developer Niko Gorjan to strengthen its team and leadership structure. Niko's expertise is key to the upcoming launch of the Normal Protocol on the Stellar blockchain mainnet in August 2025. The protocol offers custom crypto indexes, trading of top 200 cryptocurrencies, and lending/borrowing without centralized exchanges.

Raja Chakravorti, Chief Business Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation, discusses how Stellar's fast, low-cost blockchain is enabling financial inclusion globally, with use cases ranging from institutional adoption by Franklin Templeton to UN-backed humanitarian aid delivery in crisis zones.

Normal secures its second Stellar Community Fund grant of $80,000 (SCF #35) to launch its Crypto Index Protocol on the Stellar network. The protocol enables seamless global onboarding, local fiat support, and cost-effective diversified crypto index investing. Building on Stellar's ecosystem with partnerships like LOBSTR, Aquarius, and Beans, Normal aims to make crypto accessible worldwide.

The Stellar Community Fund Kickstart #11, held in March 2025, was a five-day virtual program that accelerated 13 blockchain startups from 9 countries through design sprints focused on MVP development, UX, architecture, GTM, and SCF submissions. All participants received Kickstart Awards, with standout projects like XHIBIT, Vaquita, WYT Network, Peridot Finance, and Dobprotocol recognized for their innovation on the Stellar ecosystem. Participants praised the program's organization and mentorship.

Stellar is advancing its blockchain with a public roadmap emphasizing scalability, usability, and developer tools like Soroban optimizations, Freighter wallet, AI assistants Stella and Contract Copilot, and integrations with OpenZeppelin. It powers real-world assets with $522 million on-chain and $17 billion in volume across 70 countries. The ecosystem offers robust support via the Stellar Community Fund and production-ready infrastructure.

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) #35 round received 77 submissions and awarded $1,840,348 worth of XLM to 21 innovative projects. Funded initiatives span payments, DeFi, cross-chain infrastructure, wallets, and developer tools on the Stellar network. Highlights include AirGap's secure cold wallet, Wirex Pay's Visa-supported payment solution, and Cobo's institutional custody integration.