Stellar Counts Down to Major Smart Contract Upgrade
Stellar is counting down to a major upgrade that will make it easier for builders writing smart contracts on the blockchain, while a change under the hood will help the network reach consensus faster as it continues to scale.
Mastercard, MoneyGram, and UK Treasury Pick Different Blockchains for Payments
Mastercard selected XRP's ledger for card settlement, MoneyGram chose Stellar for its dollar stablecoin, and the UK Treasury endorsed Hedera for FX collateral, while Swift bypassed all three networks by building its own blockchain ledger on Consensys' Linea with 17 banks set to pilot live transactions. XRP leads institutional investment with five spot ETFs holding nearly $1 billion, whereas XLM has no dedicated ETF and all three coins are down over 59% in the past year, with XRP price down about 65% over the past year. Stellar reported $5.5 billion in stablecoin payments in the first quarter, up 72% year-over-year, but neither Ripple nor Hedera publishes comparable figures. Ripple processes about $16 trillion annually across its payment and clearing businesses, yet digital assets including XRP make up close to zero percent of that volume. The SEC and CFTC issued joint guidance in March treating XRP, XLM, and HBAR as digital commodities, clearing the way for institutional holdings.
XRP Outshines Stellar as Better Altcoin Buy Despite Stellar's Tokenized Asset Lead
XRP is the better altcoin buy compared to Stellar, even though Stellar currently holds a larger share of tokenized real-world assets. Stellar hosts nearly $3 billion in tradeable tokenized assets, up almost tenfold from the start of 2025, and was selected by the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation in May 2026 as the first public blockchain to host tokenized Russell 1000 stocks, major index ETFs, and Treasuries, with a full rollout targeted for the first half of 2027. However, the XRP Ledger's total tokenized asset value has climbed to $323 million, and Ripple's $1.2 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road, rebranded as Ripple Prime, gives it institutional financing rails that Stellar's nonprofit sponsor cannot match. Spot XRP ETFs have also pulled in more than $1.4 billion in cumulative net inflows, while comparable ETFs do not yet exist for Stellar. The verdict may be revisited if DTCC's Stellar integration produces meaningful transaction volume through 2027 and 2028.
Stellar Golden Cross Confirmed, Signaling Potential Momentum Shift
Stellar has confirmed a golden cross, a key bullish technical signal. The crossover occurred when the shorter-term moving average moved above the longer-term trend indicator, suggesting a possible change in momentum after months of weakness.
Tradable to Tokenize Up to $1 Billion in Private Credit on Stellar
Tradable has announced it will tokenize up to $1 billion worth of private credit assets on the Stellar blockchain. The partnership builds on Tradable's existing $1.7 billion tokenized private credit portfolio, which already spans roughly 30 institutional deals. Total on-chain real-world assets on Stellar have grown to approximately $3 billion, putting it close to Solana as competition in tokenization among major blockchains intensifies.
MoneyGram Joins Stellar Network as Tier 1 Validator
Payments giant MoneyGram has joined the Stellar network as a Tier 1 validator. The announcement marks a significant expansion of MoneyGram's involvement with blockchain-based payment infrastructure, as it becomes one of the select entities responsible for validating transactions on the Stellar blockchain. Stellar, often viewed as a rival to Ripple, now counts the global money transfer firm among its network validators, a move that could enhance the network's credibility and utility in cross-border payments.
Repay Holdings Completes First Stablecoin Payment Proof of Concept
Repay Holdings has completed its first successful proof of concept for accepting stablecoin payments via its platform. The demonstration involved a consumer-to-business transaction on the Stellar blockchain using USD Coin, a fiat-backed stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. The proof of concept utilized the company's existing technology stack and provided an interface where consumers could authorize payments through a browser wallet extension. Upon confirmation, both the Stellar and REPAY systems reflected the completed transaction, with funds made available to the client's wallet shortly thereafter. Repay Holdings is a payments technology company offering solutions such as debit and credit card processing, ACH processing, and digital wallet services.
Stellar June Reversal Could Be Hidden Blessing After Missed DTCC Breakout
Stellar (XLM) has handed investors an unexpected gift disguised as market panic, and while the project's team is preparing to launch complex financial infrastructure under the umbrella of DTCC, the coin's price is showing a steep decline.
XRP and Stellar Price Synchronization Has Broken Down
The long-standing synchronized price dynamics between XRP and Stellar (XLM) have been disrupted, according to a report. The two crypto payments giants previously moved in tandem, a relationship once noted by former Ripple CTO David Schwartz, but that correlation is now a thing of the past.
Stellar Surges 30% in a Week, Briefly Overtakes Zcash in Market Rankings
Stellar's XLM token rose as much as 10% in the past day, contributing to a weekly gain of 30% that momentarily pushed its market capitalization above that of privacy token Zcash. The jump followed positive developments and briefly moved Stellar ahead of Zcash in cryptocurrency market rankings.
Stellar Spikes to $0.249 on Tokenization Breakthrough and Short Squeeze
Stellar's XLM token surged 10% in 24 hours to $0.249, extending its weekly gain to over 36% and making it the top crypto performer of the day. The rally was driven by Stellar's progress in real-world asset tokenization and a short squeeze that forced mass liquidation of bearish positions.