Educational guide for new builders joining the Stellar ecosystem. Explains the three pillars of Stellar (SDF, independent validators/developers, and global community), then focuses on the Stellar Community Fund—how it works as a grants program, evaluation criteria, and the step-by-step process for submitting projects and connecting with other builders.
Hola Stellar episode 5 is an educational video for builders starting their journey on Stellar. The video outlines the ecosystem's structure: three pillars supporting the open network—the Stellar Development Foundation (non-profit developing the protocol), independent validators and developers (network maintainers and application builders), and a global community of local chapters, hackathons, and programs. The video then dives into the Stellar Community Fund, a grants program financing projects globally with no startup requirement—only an idea, MVP, and drive to build. Evaluation criteria emphasized include innovation (solving real problems), implementation quality (functional MVP requirement), impact (who benefits, especially financial inclusion), and community engagement (active teams open to collaboration). The video walks through the submission process at communityfund.stellar.org, highlighting the importance of connecting with builders via Stellar Developers Discord, participating in public governance discussions, and attending SDF office hours. The closing frames building on Stellar as a movement to reimagine global finance through code and community.
