DeFi, payments, tokenization, Soroban, governance, and project launches — curated daily from publications, project blogs, and community channels across the Stellar blockchain ecosystem.
SDF published a guidebook for regulators on designing CBDCs, explaining how central bank digital currencies can improve financial inclusion through open blockchains like Stellar, with features like programmability, compliance controls, and privacy protections.
Stellar Protocol 17 introduced asset clawback functionality, enabling authorized entities to recover digital securities for regulatory compliance, fraud prevention, and lost key recovery. Co-authored by Securrency, this feature addresses institutional adoption concerns and regulatory requirements for custodying digital assets.
Stellar Development Foundation awarded Vottun an $850k grant to build a Stellar-powered cross-border payment solution for the Spanish regulatory sandbox, with PwC providing guidance on banking and financial services compliance.
Seth Hertlein from the Stellar Development Foundation spoke at a Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Panama about blockchain, illicit finance, and financial inclusion. He presented data showing cryptocurrency crime is minimal (0.34% of transactions) and argued policymakers should focus on blockchain's benefits for the unbanked rather than overreacting to crime risks.
SDF convened Ukrainian financial leaders with blockchain experts to discuss virtual asset strategy ahead of new legislation. The event featured industry practitioners sharing real-world use cases on compliance, tokenization, CBDCs, and stablecoins to help shape Ukraine's emerging virtual asset ecosystem.
Stellar Protocol 17 introduced Asset Clawback on June 1st, 2021, enabling issuers to recover tokens from holders with opt-in consent. This feature facilitates regulated asset issuance like bonds and equities while maintaining transparency through visible account flags.
The Stellar public network successfully upgraded to Protocol 17 on June 1, 2021, introducing Asset Clawback—a feature enabling businesses to issue regulated financial instruments like bonds and equities while maintaining compliance capabilities.
Two Stellar Community Fund finalists, Mojoflower and Blocknify, showcase innovative use cases beyond payments: Mojoflower tokenizes share ownership for Icelandic regulators, while Blocknify uses Stellar as an immutable notary for e-signatures and document verification.
The Stellar Development Foundation responds to FATF's draft guidance on virtual assets and VASPs, arguing the proposal lacks evidence, threatens financial inclusion, and represents regulatory turf-protection rather than genuine financial crime prevention.
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 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.
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.
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.
Stellar community will vote on Protocol 13, a network upgrade enabling exchanges and asset issuers to enforce fine-grained control over regulated asset trading, including preventing unauthorized purchases while preserving existing orders and supporting security token compliance.
The Stellar Development Foundation partnered with Elliptic to integrate crypto-asset risk management and AML compliance tools into the Stellar network, enabling businesses to conduct enhanced compliance checks on assets from issuance to redemption while maintaining the network's built-in compliance functionality.
The Stellar Foundation partnered with blockchain forensics firm Elliptic to help Stellar-based businesses screen transactions for money laundering, sanctions, and compliance risks. The service is optional for businesses; XLM wallet users won't be automatically surveilled. Stellar argues regulatory compliance and privacy can coexist.
The Stellar Development Foundation appointed Lin-Hua Wu (Dropbox CCO) and Ronaldo Lemos (Brazilian tech lawyer and academic) to its board of directors, expanding the board to five members to strengthen governance in communications, policy, and regulatory affairs.
The Stellar Development Foundation joined the Blockchain Association, a crypto industry lobbying group, to advocate for favorable blockchain regulation and policy with US policymakers and Congress.
The Stellar Development Foundation joined the Blockchain Association to advocate for smart regulatory policy and help policymakers understand blockchain's potential to enhance the financial system and promote equitable access.
Saldo, a Mexican government-approved app, enables 20,000 migrant workers in the U.S. to send remittances home via Stellar's network using peso-backed stablecoins. At Stellar Meridian conference, builders emphasized regulatory compliance as essential for real-world adoption, contrasting with crypto's move-fast ethos.
Major cryptocurrency exchanges formed the Crypto Ratings Council to rate digital assets on a scale of 1-5 based on securities likelihood. Stellar scored 3.75, indicating moderate securities risk, while Bitcoin scored 1 (lowest risk) and XRP scored 4 (highest risk).
Coinbase expanded XLM and LINK trading to New York residents after regulatory approval. Both tokens were previously unavailable in the state due to strict financial regulations, but are now accessible alongside other US jurisdictions.
Anchorage, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed institutional crypto custodian, is now supporting Stellar and Tezos assets. The firm offers staking rewards between 1-7% and aims to compete with Coinbase and BitGo for institutional investors.
The Stellar Development Foundation met with U.S. policymakers and regulators in Washington, DC to discuss blockchain regulation and the Stellar Network. SDF emphasized distinguishing between base protocols (which should remain unregulated) and applications built on top (which should follow existing compliance standards) to enable innovation while protecting consumers.
TokenSoft, a compliance platform for crypto startups, is now officially supporting token launches on the Stellar protocol. The company previously focused on Ethereum-based projects but cited Stellar's maturity and growing demand from entrepreneurs as reasons for expanding support.
The Stellar Development Foundation obtained Sharia compliance certification from the Shariyah Review Bureau, making Stellar the first distributed ledger protocol certified for Islamic finance in money transfer and asset tokenization. This enables Islamic financial institutions across the Gulf Cooperation Council and Southeast Asia to integrate Stellar technology into their compliant offerings.
