Stellar mainnet upgraded to Protocol 20, introducing Soroban smart contract platform built on WebAssembly and Rust. The upgrade enables custom code execution while preserving Stellar's payments infrastructure and institutional compliance focus.
Stellar validators approved Protocol 20, activating Soroban smart contracts on mainnet. Unlike competitors adopting Ethereum L2s or the EVM, Stellar built a custom WebAssembly runtime in Rust to maintain differentiation while enabling decentralized app development. Soroban launches conservatively at 10 TPS on top of Stellar's existing 200 TPS, with parallel execution planned for future versions. The platform targets institutional adoption through compliance-first design and integration with existing Stellar infrastructure like USDC, wallets, and cross-border payment rails rather than competing for DeFi speculation.