Stellar ecosystem recap from Istanbul covering Berlin Blockchain Week, the Istanbul hackathon with 67 submissions, Beans Earn integration with Blend, DeFi Index launch, Scaffold Stellar updates, and upcoming Hack Meridian in Rio de Janeiro with 50K in prizes.
Three hosts from the Stellar Development Foundation and community recorded their June ecosystem recap live from Istanbul during Istanbul Blockchain Week. Key highlights include the Stellar Europa chapter launch at Berlin Blockchain Week, a successful 36-hour hackathon in Istanbul with 67 submissions and innovative projects like Socialfy and credit reporting systems. Major product launches discussed: Beans Earn integration with Blend for DeFi yield, DeFi Index for automated yield optimization, Scaffold Stellar developer tooling with OpenZeppelin integration, and PyUSD coming to Stellar later this year. Protocol 23 upgrade scheduled for August 28 mainnet with eight caps including archived entry restoration in Blend. Additional ecosystem updates include Yellowcard and Visa partnership for cross-border payments, Aquarius Vote Delegation feature, Stellar Beat replacement services, Ledger Tax reporting tool, and Ubix seed funding. Hack Meridian registration opened for September 16-17 in Rio de Janeiro with 50K in prizes.
