DeFi, payments, tokenization, Soroban, governance, and project launches — curated daily from publications, project blogs, and community channels across the Stellar blockchain ecosystem.
Tala, Visa, Circle, and the Stellar Development Foundation announced a partnership to bring USDC stablecoin access and Visa card integration to Tala's 6 million customers in emerging markets, enabling affordable cross-border transfers and merchant payments.
SDF CEO reflects on two years leading the organization, highlighting key milestones including the first Meridian conference, quarterly transparency calls, and the network's resilience during the April 2021 validator halt. The post emphasizes SDF's commitment to openness, ecosystem collaboration, and building a decentralized network.
Stellar Community Fund Seed Round finalists Leaf Global Fintech and Task.io are building wallet and NGO payment solutions on Stellar. Leaf enables cross-border remittances via USSD on basic phones; Task streamlines nonprofit operations with transparent payment tracking and donor accountability.
SDF invested $3 million in Tribal Credit, a fintech platform building blockchain products on Stellar to provide banking and cross-border payment services to SMEs in Latin America and emerging markets.
The Stellar Development Foundation emphasizes financial literacy as a critical component of equitable financial access, highlighting that 57% of American adults lack basic financial knowledge. SDF is launching initiatives to partner with organizations and advocate for legislation prioritizing financial literacy education alongside blockchain technology adoption.
The Stellar Development Foundation submitted a supplemental comment letter to FinCEN opposing proposed cryptocurrency transaction reporting rules, arguing they're unsuited for blockchain and could harm financial inclusion.
The Stellar Development Foundation participated in the National Briefing of Women of Color in Blockchain, highlighting the need for greater diversity in blockchain leadership and discussing how blockchain technology can drive financial inclusion for underserved communities and small businesses.
Stellar USDC and FinClusive launched a stablecoin-focused banking partnership enabling businesses to access digital currency with embedded compliance controls, combining accounts and payments services with KYC/AML requirements for regulatory-compliant cross-border transactions.
SDF and Wirex surveyed 3,834 cryptocurrency users to understand cross-border payment needs. Key findings: users want transaction fees below 1%, 86% feel safe using crypto, but 75% are unaware of stablecoins despite mainstream crypto adoption.
Wirex and the Stellar Development Foundation released research revealing cryptocurrency adoption insights, finding 74% view crypto as viable for money transfers and 86% feel safe using it, challenging age and security concerns.
The Stellar Development Foundation submitted a formal comment letter to FinCEN opposing a proposed rule on convertible virtual currency transactions, arguing the regulation misunderstands blockchain architecture and would harm innovation, financial inclusion, and law enforcement effectiveness.
The Stellar Development Foundation criticized FinCEN's proposed rule on convertible virtual currency transactions, arguing it was developed without sufficient industry input and would hinder law enforcement while stifling blockchain innovation and financial inclusion.
The Stellar Development Foundation opposes the STABLE Act, arguing it would grant banks a monopoly over stablecoins and harm consumers by reducing competition and innovation rather than protecting them.
Meridian 2020, SDF's annual conference, brought together global leaders including Tim Berners-Lee and former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to discuss blockchain's role in financial inclusion, cross-border payments, and solving real-world challenges through open networks and decentralized technology.
Stellar Development Foundation announces Meridian 2020, a virtual conference from November 16-20 featuring keynotes from Reid Hoffman, Tim Berners-Lee, and other global leaders to discuss payments, financial inclusion, CBDCs, and blockchain policy.
Lettuce Pay, a Stellar Community Fund grantee, surveyed 130 U.S. small business owners on cryptocurrency payment acceptance. Key findings: 30% have been asked to accept crypto, 75% would if it instantly settled to USD, and two-thirds believe crypto will become mainstream in five years. The company is building a product to let merchants accept crypto while dealing only with USD.
Stellar ecosystem leaders debate custodial vs. non-custodial key management approaches in a roundtable discussion, exploring how CAP-27 and SEP-30 support different solutions and which the SDF should prioritize for financial inclusion and adoption.
Denelle Dixon, CEO of Stellar Development Foundation, spoke at the IMF World Bank Annual Meetings on a panel about cross-border payments, emphasizing that private sector innovation must prioritize use cases, interoperability, and developer-friendly technology to enable financial inclusion through permissionless networks.
Velo Labs, a Stellar-based fintech platform, announced a partnership with Terra to build a next-generation payment system. The team has also partnered with Band Protocol for FX data oracles and Matrixport Cactus for custodial services, advancing its federated credit exchange network for Southeast Asian remittances.
SDF board members discuss strategies for achieving network effects in blockchain, emphasizing the importance of critical mass, user trust, and open networks like Stellar to serve underbanked populations in developing markets.
Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, briefed the House Financial Services Committee on blockchain's role in transforming payments, focusing on how Stellar enables fast, low-cost cross-border remittances through real-world examples like Cowrie in Nigeria and Tempo in Europe.
The Stellar Development Foundation and FinClusive partner to enable compliant financial access through Stellar's blockchain. FinClusive provides a comprehensive compliance toolkit and on-off ramp services for anchors, addressing de-risking practices that exclude underserved populations from financial services.
Registration is now open for Meridian 2020, Stellar Development Foundation's Nov. 16-20 conference exploring how innovation, inclusion, and governance can drive social and economic change. Featured speakers include former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
The Stellar Development Foundation announced Meridian 2020, its second annual virtual conference (November 16-20), designed as a global forum to address systemic challenges through diverse perspectives and collaborative action on financial inclusion, cross-border payments, and equitable access to financial systems.
The Stellar Development Foundation reaffirms its commitment to economic equality and financial inclusion, stating that technology is central to solving systemic inequities and that the organization stands in solidarity with those seeking justice and equality.
Stellar Development Foundation invested $550K in SatoshiPay, an early Stellar adopter expanding from micropayments into B2B cross-border payments. The investment marks SDF's third Enterprise Fund deployment.
Stellar co-founder Jed McCaleb stated at Consensus: Distributed that no crypto projects are currently making a real difference in people's lives beyond speculation. He argued crypto startups should focus on building useful products rather than bank partnerships and business development deals.
The Stellar Development Foundation invested $5 million in Abra, a crypto financial services app operating in 155 countries, to support Abra's integration with the Stellar blockchain and expand financial services globally.
