Stellar is a sophisticated blockchain network launched by Jed McCaleb and Joyce Kim in 2014 with a goal to make cross-border payments available to everyone across the world. Its cryptocurrency Stellar lumens (or XML) is ideal for instantaneous transactions with low fees. While the project is similar to Ripple (XRP), the codebase behind it is original and being developed by the Stellar Development Foundation. The smallest unit of measurement is a stroop, which is one ten-millionth of a lumen.
Having begun his work on the digital currency in 2011, McCaleb went on to found Ripple and serve as its CTO until 2013. However, due to disagreements with the stakeholders, he abandoned Ripple to start a non-profit organization that would deliver a largely similar service, but with less centralization and an open-source codebase. Unlike Ripple and its control of the validators, Stellar employs its own Stellar Consensus Protocol, which allows the selection of trustworthy nodes without any central authority. Moreover, Stellar has inflation pools, which are lumens weekly distributed to “elected” users at an annual rate of 1%. This is a negligible amount that cannot have a significant impact on the coin’s price but will increase its utility in the long run.
Another reason why Stellar is set to remain a strong player in the crypto world is because of the numerous use cases it has to offer. The most important one is the ability to swiftly process international remittances, which is particularly beneficial to people in countries with poor banking infrastructure or lack of thereof. Furthermore, Stellar was one of the first networks to pioneer a working implementation of a decentralized exchange. There are currently four clients that allow trading coins, tokens, fiat currencies, and even commodities. Fast and free, they open up endless opportunities for individuals and businesses alike. The latter may take advantage of lumens as mobile money, especially in micropayments. Stellar is easily scalable, has a transaction speed of around 3-5 seconds, and charges little for the service, with fees going to an inflation pool.
Among the projects’ main strengths are its partners. In 2017, IBM has begun working with a number of international banks to provide so-called blockchain banking based on lumens. Stellar also partnered with Deloitte to build a cross-border payments app, with lumens being used to conduct transactions. More recently, SatoshiPay announced it will use Stellar to facilitate direct low-cost payments between clients and publishers. As more and more companies are turning to this technology, the coin will undoubtedly grow in adoption and market capitalization. By providing a cheap reliable service and focusing on expanding the operation Stellar is solidifying its position as the payment network for the underbanked.
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