Faraj, Stellar's senior advisor for the Middle East, discusses how the region is embracing blockchain faster than crypto skeptics expected. The UAE's open regulatory stance, combined with institutional wins like Franklin Templeton cutting money-market costs 99%, positions Stellar to lead on RWA tokenization and cross-border payments through 450,000+ MoneyGram locations.
The Middle East's adoption of blockchain contradicts the misconception that the region is hostile to crypto. Faraj explains how UAE regulators (VARA, ADGM) are actively supporting digital assets, creating an opportunity for Stellar to scale institutional finance. Stellar's proof points: Franklin Templeton's money-market fund went live in 2021, reducing costs 99% and dropping minimum ticket sizes from $20,000 to dozens of dollars. The UN partnership covers 14 pilot projects for aid disbursement and refugee assistance. Looking ahead, Faraj's goal is positioning Stellar in the top two RWA protocols as tokenization scales from billions to tens of trillions by 2030. The existing MoneyGram partnership—450,000 on/off-ramp locations across 170 countries—provides the infrastructure backbone for retail adoption and cross-border payments at fractions of a cent.
