Stellar Ecosystem
News

The US Department of Commerce has posted quarterly GDP data on the Stellar network for the first time in US government history, creating an immutable and publicly auditable record of critical economic data. This development demonstrates government adoption of blockchain technology and enables new use cases in DeFi, automated trading, and real-world asset tokenization.

VersaBank is testing USDVB, a tokenized deposit token representing U.S. dollars held at the bank, on Ethereum, Algorand, and Stellar blockchains. Unlike stablecoins, the tokens are federally insured, earn interest, and function as bank liabilities subject to banking regulations.

Stellar has emerged as the leading blockchain for enterprise stablecoin payments, with major institutional adoption including PayPal's PYUSD launch and Visa's integration. The network offers compliance-first architecture, predictable costs, and global ramp infrastructure that make it ideal for regulated financial institutions.

Vanish Trade, a privacy-first trading platform on Solana, partners with Range for real-time risk screening to balance privacy and compliance. Range provides cross-chain intelligence, sanctions monitoring, and KYB/KYT analytics to prevent illicit activity while protecting legitimate traders. Range also supports Stellar and other ecosystems in onchain compliance.

Range announces a partnership with zeroShadow to integrate forensic-grade incident intelligence into its blockchain security platform. This collaboration enhances threat detection and incident response for ecosystems including Stellar. Real-time data from zeroShadow's investigations will improve Range's Transaction Security and Risk API products.

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.

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.

Cheesecake Labs expands its five-year partnership with Stellar Development Foundation, serving as official ambassador at Blockchain Rio 2025 and Meridian 2025. The company has built multiple solutions on Stellar including MoneyGram Wallet, Vesseo Wallet, and MBRL stablecoin, positioning itself to capitalize on stablecoin opportunities following the GENIUS Act.

COCA hosted its first 2025 community AMA with 2,000+ questions about cashback rewards, stablecoin options, and upcoming features. The team clarified eligibility rules, announced plans for tiered loyalty rewards, COCA Travel discounts, and improved merchant transparency in-app.

Visa expanded stablecoin settlement support to include PYUSD, USDG, and EURC on Avalanche and Stellar networks, joining existing Ethereum and Solana support. The move reflects growing institutional adoption of stablecoins following the U.S. GENIUS Act regulatory framework.

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.

The International AIDS Society (IAS) partnered with Stellar Disbursement Platform and Decaf wallet to distribute $49,480 in USDC stablecoins to 248 scholarship recipients from over 50 countries at the 2025 IAS Conference in Kigali. This blockchain solution replaced inefficient cash envelopes and long queues with seamless, secure digital payments achieving 100% delivery success across 425 transactions. The initiative highlights Stellar's potential for modernizing global disbursements for NGOs.

The International AIDS Society (IAS) successfully distributed scholarships to 248 recipients across 50+ countries using USDC stablecoins via the Stellar Disbursement Platform and Decaf Wallet, eliminating cash handling and achieving 100% payment delivery with zero failures.

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.

human.tech integrates privacy-preserving identity tools like Human ID, Human Passport, and Human Wallet with the Stellar blockchain to verify humans, simplify onboarding, and enable compliance. These zero-knowledge proof-based solutions address identity gaps for the unbanked, enhancing Stellar's applications in remittances, humanitarian aid, and tokenized assets. Supported by Stellar's Community Fund, the tools are now live and rolling out progressively.

Pacto is a non-custodial, decentralized peer-to-peer exchange for Stellar-based stablecoins, built in 48 hours at the Casa Builder Hackathon using Trustless Work. It enables merchants and users to trade stablecoins for local fiat via on-chain smart escrow contracts without intermediaries. The open-source project supports community ramps, merchant off-ramps, and DAO payouts.