Stellar Ecosystem
News

The Stellar Development Foundation is accepting applications for its Female Founders Matching Fund, which provides $200K–$500K investments to female-led projects building on Stellar. Applicants must submit detailed information about their project, fundraising status, and planned Stellar integration.

The Stellar Development Foundation invested in MoneyGram International as a minority investor during MoneyGram's go-private transaction, securing a board seat to support MoneyGram's blockchain and digital expansion.

The Stellar Development Foundation partnered with PwC US to create a framework for assessing blockchain protocols' electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The guide addresses CBDCs' potential for financial inclusion, interoperability, and sustainability on open networks.

UNHCR and the UN's technology provider UNICC are piloting Stellar Aid Assist, a blockchain-based cash disbursement solution using the Stellar network and USDC stablecoin to deliver humanitarian aid directly to displaced persons in Ukraine. The program enables instant bulk transfers, eliminates banking requirements, and provides full transaction traceability.

The Stellar Development Foundation has published a comprehensive guidebook for policymakers and regulators on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), addressing the growing global interest in government-backed digital assets on blockchain.

GetPaid is a Stellar-powered marketplace connecting African digital professionals with global companies, enabling cross-border payments in multiple currencies with fast settlement and low fees. The platform leverages Stellar's Anchor platform and SEP standards to provide accessible financial services to freelancers, creators, and traders in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

Félix, a WhatsApp-based remittance platform, partners with Bitso to enable faster and cheaper cross-border payments from the US to Latin America using USDC on the Stellar network. The solution reduces remittance times from hours or days to seconds while dramatically lowering transaction fees.

MoneyGram International has launched MoneyGram Ramps, a cash-to-crypto on and off-ramp service powered by the Stellar blockchain and USDC stablecoin. The service enables unbanked and underbanked populations to convert physical cash to digital assets at MoneyGram's 480,000+ locations worldwide, addressing the critical last-mile problem in blockchain adoption.

Stellar leads all blockchains with 322,000 off-ramps and 475,000+ total cash-to-crypto ramps globally, with particular strength in underserved regions like Africa, Asia, and South America where traditional finance infrastructure is limited.

Vesseo is a wallet app built on Stellar by Sunship, Inc. (a Stellar Development Foundation subsidiary) that enables Argentines to easily purchase and hold USDC stablecoins to protect against peso inflation. The app leverages Stellar's speed, low fees, and integrations with anchors like Settle and Circle to provide a simple user experience for accessing dollar-backed value.

Stellar addresses financial exclusion by enabling unbanked and underbanked populations to access digital financial services through on and off-ramps, asset tokenization, and partnerships with services like MoneyGram and Stellar Aid Assist, though 1.4 billion unbanked people globally means much work remains.

This article explains what anchors are on the Stellar network—organizations that bridge traditional banking systems to Stellar, enabling users to exchange fiat currency for digital assets. It covers anchor types, benefits, and how to become one through the Anchor Platform.

Beans publishes a step-by-step tutorial on how to deposit and withdraw cash through MoneyGram integration, enabling users to move money in and out of their non-custodial app with zero fees.

Meridian 2023, Stellar's fifth annual conference, returns September 26-28 in Madrid with the theme 'Unlocking Human Potential.' Actor Idris Elba will open the event, which celebrates builders creating real-world blockchain solutions for financial inclusion.

The Stellar Development Foundation explains why on and off-ramps are critical infrastructure for crypto adoption, highlighting how they enable conversion between fiat and digital currencies. SDF emphasizes that accessible ramps are essential for financial inclusion, especially for the 2 billion unbanked workers globally who rely on cash.

Argentina's economic instability and poor official exchange rates drive citizens to seek better alternatives for currency exchange. Beans, a non-custodial wallet on the Stellar blockchain, uses stablecoins like USDC to enable tax-free, market-rate conversions between USD and ARS, often surpassing the blue dollar rate. This allows faster, cheaper cross-border transfers with added features like free transactions and interest-bearing savings.

Mary Saracco, Co-Founder and CFO of Latamex, shares her founder journey building Latin America's largest fiat gateway on Stellar. Her experience at the World Bank and frustrations with cross-border banking friction inspired her to create blockchain-enabled financial services for her home region.

An overview of the Stellar network, its foundation, and thriving ecosystem. The article explains Stellar's blockchain technology, the Stellar Development Foundation's role in supporting growth, and highlights real-world applications across various sectors.

The Stellar Development Foundation announced Meridian 2023, its 5th annual conference scheduled for September 26-28 in Madrid, Spain. The event will feature 400+ attendees, 100+ speakers including actor Idris Elba, and focus on how blockchain technology can unlock human potential and increase financial access.

SDF celebrated Consensus 2023 in Austin, showcasing Stellar's real-world utility beyond payments. CEO Denelle Dixon discussed blockchain's role in humanitarian aid, while the team highlighted Stellar Aid Assist and partnerships with major players like Franklin Templeton.

QolaQ's mutual aid platform integrates Soroban smart contracts, leveraging parallel processing, low fees, energy efficiency, and global asset access for transparent decentralized fund distribution on Stellar.