Stellar (XLM)

Send money globally for a fraction of a penny.

What is Stellar?

Stellar is a blockchain network built specifically for moving money across borders cheaply and quickly. Transactions settle in 3-5 seconds and cost 0.00001 XLM — a fee so small it is effectively free. This focus on payments has attracted partnerships with major financial institutions and money transfer companies.

The network includes a built-in decentralized exchange where any asset can be traded, and a path-payment system that automatically finds the best conversion route between currencies. This means someone can send USD and the recipient can receive EUR, with the network handling the conversion atomically.

XLM is used for transaction fees (tiny as they are) and as a bridge currency between different assets on the network. Stellar has processed billions of transactions since its launch and continues to expand its reach in international payments.

How Stellar Works

Stellar uses a consensus protocol called SCP (Stellar Consensus Protocol) that is different from both proof-of-work and typical proof-of-stake. Instead of miners or validators competing, nodes form trust relationships and agree on transactions through overlapping quorum slices — like a network of friends who collectively agree on what happened. This makes the network extremely fast and energy-efficient while remaining decentralized.

Stellar Ecosystem

Cross-border payments and remittances with near-zero fees
Built-in decentralized exchange for trading any tokenized asset
Anchor network connecting fiat currencies to the Stellar blockchain
MoneyGram partnership for crypto-to-cash conversions globally
Soroban smart contract platform for DeFi and dApps

Team & Development

Stellar was co-founded by Jed McCaleb (also co-founder of Ripple and Mt. Gox) and Joyce Kim in 2014. The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), a nonprofit based in San Francisco, oversees the project. McCaleb designed Stellar to focus on financial inclusion and cross-border payments for underserved populations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Stellar different from XRP?

Both focus on payments, but Stellar targets financial inclusion and individual users while XRP focuses on institutional banking. Stellar is governed by a nonprofit, uses a different consensus mechanism (SCP), and has a built-in decentralized exchange.

What wallet should I use for XLM?

LOBSTR is the most popular Stellar wallet. StellarTerm and Solar Wallet are also good options. Ledger hardware wallets support XLM for cold storage.

Is there a minimum balance for XLM?

Yes. Stellar requires a minimum balance of 1 XLM to activate a wallet address, plus 0.5 XLM for each trustline (connection to other assets on the network). This reserve prevents network spam.

Can I sell or swap XLM?

Yes. Swaps supports selling XLM for fiat currencies and swapping it for other tokens. Compare rates from multiple providers.

Buy Stellar on Swaps

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