Stellar Ecosystem
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Stellar Aid Assist is a blockchain-powered aid disbursement system launched on the Stellar network that enables transparent and efficient delivery of cash assistance to vulnerable populations. The initiative, deployed with UNHCR in Ukraine, marks a year of impact in demonstrating Stellar's real-world humanitarian applications.

A Stellar Development Foundation leader reflects on their five-year tenure, highlighting SDF's strategic focus on building a viable ecosystem through payments infrastructure, on/off-ramps, and real-world assets. The post celebrates Stellar's growth metrics and the recent launch of Soroban smart contracts as the next phase of ecosystem expansion.

Zebec Network recaps a transformative month featuring a full rebrand, migration to the new $ZBCN token now live on major exchanges, release of their V2 whitepaper, and product upgrades. They highlight a Stellar Foundation grant for WageLink's cross-border remittance integration, enhancements to Zebec Instant Card with new tokens and currencies, and community rewards via airdrops. The update also covers their 'Future of Money' interview series and upcoming events.

The Stellar Development Foundation visited Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya in February to meet with ecosystem builders, creators, and fintech innovators. The trip highlighted local solutions addressing payment challenges, financial inclusion, and creative economy opportunities across Africa.

Stellar Aid Assist, a blockchain solution for crisis aid disbursement, has been nominated for Best Use of Web3 at the 28th Annual Webby Awards. The platform has already delivered over $2 million in aid to Ukraine-displaced individuals through UNHCR. Voting is open through April 18th.

MYKOBO announces SEPA rails support for Circle’s EURC stablecoin on the Stellar blockchain, enabling European users to deposit and withdraw Euros via the LOBSTR wallet. EURC is fully reserved and redeemable 1:1 for Euro, issued on multiple chains including Stellar. This enhances Euro stablecoin interoperability and accessibility on Stellar.

Velo Labs announced partnerships between its Orbit crypto merchant network and major POS providers, targeting 500,000 users by year-end. Orbit enables QR code-based cryptocurrency payments at retail points of sale with instant fiat conversion for merchants.

Yellow Card, Africa's largest stablecoin on/off ramp, is integrating USDC on the Stellar network to enable faster, cheaper cross-border payments and remittances across 20 African countries. The integration offers near-zero fees and 3-second settlement times.

BiGGER, an Australian software development company, deployed the Stellar Disbursement Platform to streamline payroll for its 100+ contractors across South America, reducing monthly processing time from 8 hours to minutes. The company now hosts SDP instances for humanitarian organizations like Casa Tochan, enabling efficient digital aid distribution.

HoneyCoin wins Stellar Community Fund Round 21 award for launching Flights, a pioneering feature enabling flight ticket purchases to 150+ countries using Stellar assets like USDC and EURC. The award recognizes their innovative work on the Peer platform. They thank the Stellar community and tease more features ahead.

Beans, a non-custodial wallet on the Stellar blockchain, announces a partnership with Kado to enable new deposit options including debit/credit cards, ACH in the USA, and PIX in Brazil. This integration offers users faster, cheaper ways to on-ramp fiat into Stellar for international transfers. The collaboration enhances accessibility and competitive rates for global remittances.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) partnered with the Stellar Development Foundation to pilot a blockchain-powered cash assistance program in Ukraine using Stellar Aid Assist and the Stellar Disbursement Platform, reaching 167 households with digital aid delivery that achieved 100% recipient satisfaction.

This article explains how Stellar's blockchain technology enables fast, low-cost cross-border payments by combining a frictionless blockchain pathway with local anchor partners for currency conversion. It contrasts Stellar's approach with traditional SWIFT wire transfers and highlights key advantages including settlement in seconds, minimal transaction costs, and full transparency.

Stablecoins are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2028, with major players like Circle, PayPal, Ripple, and JPMorgan expanding adoption through partnerships and regulatory clarity. MoneyGram is launching a Stellar blockchain wallet for cross-border payments in early 2024.

Stellar Aid Assist, launched one year ago in Ukraine with UNHCR, has successfully disbursed $1.1 million in aid to over 1,500 internally displaced people. The initiative's success led to the development and open-sourcing of the Stellar Disbursement Platform, enabling bulk payments across borders for governments, organizations, and companies.

Beans collaborates with the Stellar Foundation and Friends With Benefits to support Casa Tochan's migrant shelter using the Stellar Disbursement Platform. The initiative leverages the Beans wallet for fee-free, instant fund disbursements, highlighting blockchain's humanitarian potential. This partnership demonstrates accessible financial services for global good.

Stasis Euro (EURS), the top Euro stablecoin by market cap at $136M, is now live on Stellar Network. Despite leading in market cap, EURS ranks third in daily trading volume, with Stasis positioning it for DeFi use cases on Stellar.

STASIS has integrated its EURS euro stablecoin with the Stellar network, bringing a regulated, 1:1 euro-backed digital asset to Stellar's payment infrastructure. EURS, backed by liquid euro reserves at the Lithuanian Central Bank, enables fast, low-cost transactions globally.

Australian crypto companies Upside and Stables announce a partnership to deliver Web3 education, events, and content, while providing Stables a Melbourne base at Upside HQ. Stables offers a digital wallet for spending, sending, and earning stablecoins, aiding businesses with treasury and payroll. The collaboration aims to boost crypto adoption in Australia.

The Stellar Disbursement Platform (SDP), integrated with Beans, enables businesses and organizations to send thousands of cross-border payments instantly via the Stellar ledger. It supports payroll, micro-payments, and humanitarian aid with user-friendly features like dynamic links for recipients without blockchain experience. Beans offers versatile withdrawals in cash, bank transfers, or crypto across 180+ countries.

Decaf, a non-custodial wallet built on Stellar, is empowering Latin Americans with seamless fiat-to-crypto on and off-ramps through MoneyGram integration. The article showcases real-world impact in San Francisco, Colombia, where the platform enables financial inclusion for unbanked populations.

The Stellar Development Foundation joined the CALP Network as its first Layer 1 blockchain member, advancing humanitarian cash and voucher assistance programs. SDF's Stellar Aid Assist platform, powered by the Stellar Disbursement Platform, enables rapid, low-cost digital payments to crisis-affected populations worldwide.

The Stellar Development Foundation announced updates to the Stellar Disbursement Platform (SDP), an open-source tool for bulk payments that now supports supplier payouts, global payroll, government transfers, and enterprise remittances. The platform features self-hosting, on-demand wallet creation, multi-level access controls, and support for any Stellar-based digital asset.

Beans App and Boss Money wallet have integrated with the Stellar Disbursement Platform, enabling global bulk payments and financial access across 185+ countries and 10+ African nations respectively.

MoneyGram announced a non-custodial digital wallet launching Q1 2024 on Stellar, enabling users to convert between fiat and stablecoins with cash-out at 180+ countries. The wallet integrates MoneyGram's compliance screening and fiat on/off-ramp services.

Circle launched EURC, its euro-backed stablecoin, on Stellar as the third blockchain after Ethereum and Avalanche. The stablecoin enables 24/7 global transactions with low costs and near-instant settlement, with integration into aid disbursement systems and expansion by Ripio to Spain.