DeFi, payments, tokenization, Soroban, governance, and project launches — curated daily from publications, project blogs, and community channels across the Stellar blockchain ecosystem.
Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America's largest digital asset platform, now enables USD Coin trading on the Stellar network with transaction fees of a fraction of one cent, expanding USDC accessibility and liquidity for the region.
Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America's largest digital assets platform, now offers USDC on the Stellar network, enabling customers to transact with fees of a fraction of a cent. This marks the first time the exchange has offered the same asset across multiple networks.
The Stellar Development Foundation joined Mercado Bitcoin's CBDC consortium for Brazil's LIFT Challenge to develop a digital Real. The initiative aims to demonstrate instant settlement and delivery versus payment for crypto-assets, with a pilot potentially launching in Q4 2022.
Mercado Bitcoin partners with Stellar Development Foundation on LIFT Challenge Real Digital, exploring CBDC use cases for Brazil's central bank digital currency launching in H2 2022.
DFS Lab and the Stellar Development Foundation are launching their second Blockchain Bootcamp in April 2022, bringing together 10 African startups to build payment and financial inclusion solutions on Stellar over three days, with winners receiving prizes and demo day pitching opportunities.
SDF spotlights two women building on Stellar: Mercedes Madanire in business development and Jeesun Kim in frontend development. They discuss their roles at Vesseo, a USDC wallet for Latin America, and share insights on representation and career growth in blockchain.
The Stellar Development Foundation and Wirex released a 2022 cryptocurrency adoption report surveying 8,257 people across the UK, US, Singapore, and Mexico. Key findings show 81% of the general population has heard of crypto, 39% own or have owned it, and adoption is spreading beyond the stereotypical young male demographic to women and older adults.
Velo Labs and Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX) partnered to improve cross-border payments to the Philippines using blockchain technology, targeting the $34 billion annual remittance market with faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions.
Stellar CEO Denelle Dixon announced that Stellar is working with Ukraine to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) using the hryvnia, with ongoing efforts despite delays from the conflict. The initiative involves partnerships with Bitt and Tascombank, and Ukraine has simultaneously seen significant growth in crypto adoption for donations and military purchases.
A comprehensive overview of Africa's rapidly growing Web3 economy, highlighting major blockchain protocols (including Stellar), venture capital investments, NGO partnerships, and government initiatives shaping the continent's crypto and blockchain landscape.
The Stellar Development Foundation launched a $30 million matching fund for early-stage companies building on Stellar, with initial investments in cross-border payments and fintech platforms serving emerging markets.
The Stellar Development Foundation launched a $30 million Matching Fund to co-invest with lead investors in early-stage companies building on Stellar, with in…
SDF launched a $30 million Matching Fund to co-invest in early-stage companies building on Stellar, with first investments supporting payroll, remittances, NF…
DFS Lab and the Stellar Development Foundation launched a second Blockchain Bootcamp for African startups to build on Stellar, offering $5,000-$20,000 XLM prizes and follow-on funding opportunities. The virtual three-day sprint runs April 26-28, 2022, with applications due March 27.
Tribal, a fintech platform serving SMBs in emerging markets, raised $60 million in Series B funding led by SoftBank Latin America Fund. The company plans to expand across Latin America, building on its cross-border payment system with Bitso and the Stellar Development Foundation.
Tribal, a B2B fintech platform for emerging markets, raised $40 million in debt funding from the Stellar Development Foundation and Partners for Growth, including $20 million in Stellar USDC to provide cheaper capital access to SMBs across Latin America.
The Stellar Development Foundation announced that Stellar blockchain will power Ukraine's central bank digital currency pilot, led by FinTech firm Bitt and TASCOMBANK under central bank supervision. This positions Ukraine ahead of most European nations in CBDC development.
Tribal Credit, Bitso, and the Stellar Development Foundation partnered to launch a cross-border B2B payment platform enabling Mexican businesses to send payments in pesos to the U.S. and receive dollars, leveraging Stellar's blockchain network for faster, cheaper transactions.
Tribal Credit, Bitso, and the Stellar Development Foundation launched a cross-border payment system enabling SMBs in Mexico and the U.S. to transact using USDC stablecoins, reducing costs and settlement times for international payments.
Flutterwave launched two new remittance corridors between Europe and Africa on the Stellar network, partnering with TEMPO to enable cost-effective money transfers using Stellar USDC. The expansion aims to strengthen Pan-African digital payments infrastructure and reduce remittance costs to sub-Saharan Africa.
The Stellar Development Foundation announced a new Matching Fund track within its Enterprise Fund to co-invest up to $500K alongside lead investors in early-stage companies building on Stellar. The fund targets pre-Series B startups globally, particularly in emerging markets, with expedited processing and a one-year integration timeline.
Arf and Tempo Payments launched a Stellar-based payment corridor from Europe to the Philippines using Circle's Stellar USDC, enabling compliant cross-border transactions with near-zero fees and instant settlement.
Anclap launched the first Peruvian sol stablecoin on Stellar, 100% backed by local currency. The digital asset is exchangeable for multiple Latin American currencies and wallets, advancing Anclap's goal to build a cross-border payment network reducing remittance costs.
DFS Lab is hosting a three-day Blockchain Bootcamp in collaboration with the Stellar Development Foundation for nine African startups building financial solutions on Stellar. Winners will receive prizes and pitch to investors at a demo day.
Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon discusses how El Salvador's bitcoin adoption opens doors for broader cryptocurrency use, particularly stablecoins and remittances. She highlights how stablecoins on Stellar can reduce remittance costs from 7-8% to pennies, enabling faster cross-border payments.
