Stellar Ecosystem
News

Stellar Development Foundation, MoneyGram, and Techstars launched a three-year accelerator program targeting fintech startups building blockchain and digital payment solutions for Latin America, with applications opening July 25, 2022.

Shift Markets and Nexus Markets integrated USDC on Stellar, enabling institutional and retail clients to deposit, withdraw, and swap USDC across blockchains while earning yield through Nexus Vaults.

The Stellar Development Foundation published its 2022 strategic roadmap with three core pillars: increasing scalability and network innovation, activating more network participation, and promoting financial inclusion. The roadmap outlines SDF's commitment to supporting ecosystem growth while maintaining transparency through quarterly reports and regular updates.

Okcoin becomes the first US exchange to offer USDC deposits and withdrawals on Stellar, enabling faster and cheaper stablecoin transactions with near-zero fees and 5-second settlement times.

Stellar processed 2 billion operations in 2021, with relevant assets up 11.39% and transaction volume up 2.3x. The SDF invested $75.25M through its Enterprise Fund, launched educational programs reaching 10,000 students, and passed three protocol upgrades including AMM functionality and asset clawback features.

Velo Labs and FinClusive announced a strategic partnership to enable faster, cheaper cross-border payments by combining Velo's Stellar and BSC blockchain solutions with FinClusive's embedded compliance controls for remittances and value transfers.

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 partnered to launch instant, low-cost cross-border B2B payments between Mexico and the US using Stellar USDC, targeting SMBs in Latin America.

Meridian 2021, Stellar's annual conference, concluded with keynotes on climate and economy, a MoneyGram partnership announcement enabling cash on/off ramps via 400k+ agent locations, ecosystem builder sessions, regulatory debates, and SDF's 2022 strategic priorities focused on utility, participation, ecosystem growth, inclusion, and policy impact.

MoneyGram and the Stellar Development Foundation launched a live pilot enabling cash deposits and international payments via Stellar USDC with near-instant settlement, marking one of the fastest blockchain integrations for a major money transfer company.

The Stellar Development Foundation announced a $40M investment in Tala, a fintech company serving unbanked populations in Kenya, Mexico, India, and the Philippines. Tala will expand its digital banking platform to offer borrowing, saving, and payments using Stellar assets and USDC stablecoins.

The Stellar Development Foundation is partnering with academic institutions worldwide to build the next generation of blockchain developers. SDF VP Justin Rice explains the initiative aligns with the platform's mission to democratize access to financial infrastructure by empowering builders and creators.

MoneyGram announced it will use Stellar blockchain to enable USDC stablecoin payments and near-real-time settlement for its customers, with rollout beginning this year and international expansion in 2022.

MoneyGram partnered with Stellar Development Foundation and Circle to integrate USDC stablecoin on Stellar, enabling cash-to-USDC conversion at 400,000+ locations. The rollout begins in select markets in 2021, expanding internationally in 2022.

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.

Bitt and the Stellar Development Foundation were selected as finalists in Singapore's Global CBDC Challenge to develop a retail central bank digital currency solution using Bitt's Digital Currency Management System integrated with the Stellar network.

Velo Labs, TEMPO Payments, and Bitazza have opened a remittance corridor between the EU and Thailand on Stellar, enabling fast cross-border transactions for a $17 billion market connecting 600 million customers.

Bitso, a leading Latin American exchange, is integrating Stellar USDC to offer cheaper and faster cross-border payments between the US and Mexico, benefiting its 2+ million users through reduced transaction costs and improved interoperability across the region.

Stellar Development Foundation and Advent International are reportedly considering acquiring MoneyGram, the global money transfer company. The move reflects growing interest in integrating blockchain technology with legacy cross-border payment infrastructure.

Stellar Development Foundation has contacted MoneyGram International about a potential acquisition in partnership with private equity firm Advent, according to Bloomberg. The deal would represent a significant move into remittances and could reshape the competitive landscape following Ripple's previous investment and subsequent exit from MoneyGram.

Liquid exchange now offers Stellar USDC with fee-free withdrawals, enabling customers to save $12-15 per transaction and settle in seconds compared to Ethereum-based USDC.