Jed McCaleb, creator of Stellar, discusses the project's 2018 emergence as a mature blockchain platform after years of obscurity, highlighting partnerships with IBM and Blockchain.com, the Chain acquisition, and his vision for Stellar as a payments protocol connecting financial institutions.
This CoinDesk profile examines Jed McCaleb's journey from controversial early crypto figure to architect of Stellar, which became a quiet success story in 2018. The article covers major developments including IBM's Stellar-powered WorldWire payments system, Blockchain.com's $125 million XLM airdrop, and Stellar's acquisition of Chain and its founding team. McCaleb discusses his shift from microfinance focus to connecting existing financial firms and mobile wallets to the blockchain, the role of Interstellar as a business layer, and his long-term vision positioning Stellar at an early internet protocol stage. He emphasizes mission-driven development and plans for 2019 including sidechains and broader token support.
