Stellar's Role in the Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWA) Boom

The global financial system is undergoing its most significant transformation since the invention of the stock exchange. Over $400 trillion in real-world assets—stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, private credit—are being digitized and brought on-chain, creating unprecedented opportunities for liquidity, efficiency, and accessibility.

This isn't speculation. This is happening right now.

In 2022, the tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market was worth $5 billion. By June 2025, it reached $24 billion—a staggering 380% increase in just three years. Industry projections suggest the market could reach $4-30 trillion by 2030, representing a fundamental restructuring of how value is represented, traded, and settled globally.

At the center of this revolution is Stellar: a blockchain purpose-built for tokenized assets. With over $3 billion in RWA value, partnerships with Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree managing hundreds of millions in tokenized securities, and infrastructure specifically designed for compliant asset issuance, Stellar has positioned itself as the premier settlement layer for real-world finance.

Let me take you through exactly how Stellar became the institutional blockchain of choice for tokenization—and why the world's largest asset managers are betting billions on its infrastructure.

Part 1: Understanding the RWA Revolution

Before diving into Stellar's role, we need to understand what's driving the RWA boom and why it matters.

What Are Real-World Assets (RWAs)?

Real-world assets are tangible or financial assets from the traditional economy—things that exist off-chain—represented as tokens on a blockchain. They're digital twins of real-world value.

Categories of RWAs:

1. U.S. Treasury Securities: Government bonds tokenized as blockchain assets

   • Market Share: 34% ($8.2 billion as of April 2025)
   • Growth: 539% from January 2024 to April 2025
   • Leading Projects: Franklin Templeton BENJI, BlackRock BUIDL, Ondo OUSG

2. Private Credit: Loans, receivables, and debt instruments

   • Market Share: 57% (~$13.7 billion as of August 2024)
   • Use Cases: Invoice financing, trade finance, supply chain receivables
   • Leading Projects: Centrifuge, Maple Finance, Goldfinch

3. Real Estate: Tokenized properties enabling fractional ownership

   • Market Share: 6%
   • Use Cases: Commercial properties, REITs, rental income streams
   • Leading Projects: RedSwan Digital ($100M tokenized), RealT, Lofty

4. Commodities: Physical assets like gold, silver, oil

   • Market Share: 3% ($1.1 billion in commodity-backed tokens)
   • Dominant Players: Tether Gold (XAUT), PAX Gold (PAXG)

5. Equities: Tokenized stocks enabling 24/7 trading

   • Market Share: 1%
   • Examples: Tokenized Nvidia, Apple, Tesla shares

6. Corporate Bonds: Investment-grade and high-yield debt

   • Emerging Category
   • Examples: ABN AMRO APOC Bond, tokenized corporate credit

The Growth Trajectory: From $5B to $24B in Three Years

The numbers tell a compelling story:

2020: $85 million in tokenized RWAs
2022: $5 billion (59x growth)
December 2024: $15.2 billion (excluding stablecoins)
June 2025: $24 billion (380% growth since 2022)
2030 Projections: $4-30 trillion (Standard Chartered, BCG estimates)

If we include stablecoins (which are technically tokenized fiat currencies), the total tokenized market reached $217.26 billion by December 2024, with over 140.53 million stablecoin holder accounts globally.

This isn't incremental growth. This is exponential adoption driven by institutional demand.

Why Now? The Perfect Storm of Catalysts

Several factors converged to make 2024-2025 the breakout period for RWAs:

1. Regulatory Clarity

After years of uncertainty, regulators began providing frameworks for compliant tokenization:

• EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets): Comprehensive regulatory framework effective June 2024
• U.S. SAB122: SEC rescinded SAB121, which had prevented banks from providing crypto custody
• Switzerland's DLT Act: Established legal framework for tokenized securities
• Singapore's Project Guardian: MAS partnered with 24 financial institutions to pilot tokenization

These regulations created legal pathways for institutions to tokenize assets without existential regulatory risk.

2. Institutional Adoption

Major financial institutions moved from exploration to production:

• BlackRock: Launched BUIDL fund with $2.9 billion in tokenized treasuries
• Franklin Templeton: BENJI token surpassed $496.3 million (launched 2021)
• JPMorgan: Processing billions in repo transactions on Onyx blockchain
• Apollo Global: Exploring tokenization for alternative assets
• WisdomTree: 13 tokenized funds on Stellar with $100B+ AUM

When the world's largest asset managers deploy real capital on blockchain rails, it signals market maturity.

3. Yield Environment

Rising interest rates in 2023-2024 made yield-bearing assets attractive again. Institutional investors sought:

• U.S. Treasury yields (4-5% APY) with blockchain efficiency
• Private credit yields (8-12%) with on-chain transparency
• Real estate yields with fractional ownership and instant liquidity

Tokenized assets provide TradFi returns with DeFi infrastructure—the best of both worlds.

4. Infrastructure Maturity

Blockchain technology reached production readiness:

• Layer 1 networks handling thousands of transactions per second
• Sub-second finality enabling real-time settlement
• Transaction costs under $0.01 making microtransactions viable
• Smart contracts enabling programmable compliance

Stellar's infrastructure—5,000+ TPS, 3-5 second finality, $0.00001 per transaction—exemplifies this maturity.

5. Capital Efficiency Gains

Tokenization eliminates inefficiencies in traditional finance:

• Settlement Time: T+0 vs. T+2 or T+3
• Market Hours: 24/7/365 vs. limited market hours
• Minimum Investments: $100 vs. $100,000+
• Intermediary Costs: 40-60% reduction in operational costs
• Global Accessibility: Borderless investment vs. geographic restrictions

Franklin Templeton cut recordkeeping costs from $50,000 per 50,000 transactions to $120 by using Stellar—a 99.76% cost reduction.

These aren't marginal improvements. These are transformational efficiency gains.

Part 2: Why Stellar? The Architecture Built for Tokenization

Stellar wasn't accidentally positioned for the RWA boom. It was designed from inception to tokenize and move real-world assets globally.

The Core Design Principles

When Jed McCaleb founded Stellar in 2014, he envisioned a network that could:

1. Move any asset between any two points on Earth
2. Settle transactions in 3-5 seconds with near-zero costs
3. Support thousands of transactions per second
4. Enable compliant asset issuance with built-in controls
5. Operate 24/7/365 without downtime

A decade later, Stellar delivers on all five.

Built-In Tokenization Infrastructure

Unlike general-purpose blockchains that added tokenization as an afterthought, Stellar's protocol natively supports asset issuance:

Asset Issuance Model:

• Any account can issue an asset by simply defining it on the network
• Assets are identified by an issuer's public key + asset code
• Issuers maintain 1:1 reserves of the real-world asset they're tokenizing
• Users hold tokenized representations in their Stellar wallets

Example: Franklin Templeton issues BENJI tokens. Each BENJI represents one share of the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund. Franklin Templeton's Stellar account is the issuer. Users hold BENJI in their wallets. Redemptions return shares of the underlying fund.

This model is elegant: no complex smart contracts required, minimal operational overhead, and maximum security through simplicity.

Compliance-First Architecture

Traditional blockchains struggle with regulatory compliance. Stellar built it into the protocol layer:

Native Asset Controls:

1. Authorization Flags: Issuers can require approval before accounts can hold or transact their assets

   • Use Case: KYC/AML verification before allowing trades
   • Example: WisdomTree uses authorization to ensure only verified users transact their tokenized funds

2. Clawback: Issuers can revoke assets from accounts if legally required

   • Use Case: Court orders, regulatory enforcement, fraud prevention
   • Example: Recovering stolen assets or complying with sanctions

3. Freeze: Issuers can freeze specific accounts from transacting their assets

   • Use Case: Suspicious activity investigations, regulatory holds
   • Example: Temporarily freezing accounts during AML reviews

4. Regulated Asset Standard (SEP-8): Framework for compliant asset transfers

   • Enables transaction-level approvals
   • Supports jurisdiction-based restrictions
   • Facilitates automated compliance checks

These features aren't just nice-to-haves. They're essential for institutions operating under strict regulatory oversight.

The Built-In Decentralized Exchange (DEX)

Stellar's protocol includes a native order book DEX—no smart contracts, no external protocols. This is critical for RWA liquidity:

How It Works:

• Users can create buy/sell orders for any asset pair
• The network automatically finds the best exchange path
• Trades settle atomically in 3-5 seconds
• No intermediary custody—assets never leave user control

Path Payments: Automatic Currency Conversion

Stellar's path payment feature is revolutionary for cross-border RWA transactions:

Scenario: You hold USD and want to buy a tokenized Brazilian Treasury (TESOURO). The seller only accepts BRL (Brazilian Real).

Traditional Finance:

1. Convert USD to BRL at bank (1-3% fee, 1-3 days)
2. Wire BRL to Brazilian broker (additional fees, 2-4 days)
3. Purchase TESOURO (brokerage fees)
4. Settlement (T+2)

Total Time: 5-9 days. Total Cost: 2-5% in fees.

Stellar Path Payment:

1. Submit payment: "Send USD, recipient receives BRL equivalent in TESOURO"
2. Stellar automatically routes: USD → USDC → XLM → BRL → TESOURO
3. Atomic settlement in 3-5 seconds
4. Cost: ~$0.00001

Total Time: 5 seconds. Total Cost: Essentially zero.

This infrastructure makes cross-border RWA trading as seamless as sending an email.

The Anchor Model: Bridging TradFi and Blockchain

Stellar's ecosystem relies on "anchors"—regulated entities that bridge traditional finance and blockchain:

What Anchors Do:

• Hold real-world assets in custody (e.g., USD in bank accounts)
• Issue tokenized representations on Stellar (e.g., USDC, BENJI, tokenized gold)
• Handle redemptions (convert tokens back to real-world assets)
• Manage KYC/AML compliance

Examples of Anchors:

• Circle: Issues USDC stablecoin (backed 1:1 by USD reserves)
• Franklin Templeton: Issues BENJI (backed 1:1 by fund shares)
• WisdomTree: Issues tokenized funds (backed 1:1 by underlying assets)
• MoneyGram: Provides cash-to-crypto on/off ramps

Anchors provide trust, legal certainty, and fiat liquidity—solving the hardest problems in blockchain adoption.

Smart Contracts (Soroban): Programmable RWAs

In February 2024, Stellar launched Soroban—a smart contract platform built on Rust and WebAssembly—adding programmability while maintaining Stellar's performance and cost advantages.

What Soroban Enables for RWAs:

1. Automated Compliance: Smart contracts can enforce transfer restrictions, jurisdiction rules, and accredited investor requirements automatically

2. Programmable Yields: Interest payments, dividends, and coupon distributions can be automated and distributed to token holders instantly

3. DeFi Integration: Tokenized RWAs can be used as collateral in lending protocols, yield strategies, and liquidity pools

4. Conditional Payments: Escrow arrangements, milestone-based releases, and multi-signature treasury management

Real-World Example:

Ondo Finance's USDY (United States Dollar Yield) token on Stellar:

• Backed by short-term U.S. Treasuries
• Pays 4-5% APY automatically via Soroban smart contracts
• Users can mint/redeem 24/7
• Can be used as collateral in DeFi protocols

Soroban brings Ethereum-style programmability to Stellar's speed and cost structure—perfect for sophisticated RWA products.

Part 3: The Institutional Adoption Wave

Theory is one thing. Real-world adoption with billions in capital is another. Let's examine the institutions building on Stellar.

Franklin Templeton: The Pioneer ($496.3M in Tokenized Treasuries)

Franklin Templeton, a $1.5 trillion asset manager, wasn't just early to blockchain—they were first.

The Launch (2021):

In April 2021, Franklin Templeton launched the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX)—the first SEC-registered mutual fund to use blockchain for share transaction recordkeeping.

Ticker: FOBXX (trades on Nasdaq)
Token: BENJI (each token = one fund share)
Blockchain: Stellar
Current AUM: $780 million across multiple chains ($496.3M on Stellar as of October 2025)

Why Stellar?

Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, explained their blockchain selection criteria:

• Speed: 3-5 second settlement vs. T+2 in traditional markets
• Cost: 99.76% reduction in operational expenses
• Compliance: Native asset controls meet SEC requirements
• Accessibility: 24/7 trading enables global investor participation
• Minimum Investment: Reduced from institutional minimums to $204

The Impact:

Franklin Templeton's success demonstrated several critical points:

1. Regulatory Viability: The SEC approved blockchain-native fund structures
2. Operational Efficiency: Recordkeeping costs dropped from $50,000 to $120 per 50,000 transactions
3. Investor Demand: AUM grew from $270M (2023) to $780M (2025)
4. Multi-Chain Strategy: FOBXX expanded to 8 blockchains including Ethereum, Avalanche, Polygon, and Solana—but Stellar remains the largest

The Competitive Positioning:

BENJI competes directly with:

• BlackRock's BUIDL ($2.9B)
• Ondo's OUSG ($1B+)
• Other tokenized Treasury products

What differentiates BENJI:

• SEC-registered '40 Act fund (not an offshore vehicle)
• Longest track record (launched 2021 vs. competitors in 2023-2024)
• Stable $1 NAV maintenance (functions like a yield-bearing stablecoin)

Franklin Templeton proved that traditional asset managers can successfully tokenize real-world assets at scale using public blockchains. That proof of concept opened the floodgates.

WisdomTree: 13 Tokenized Funds on Stellar ($100B+ AUM Firm)

WisdomTree, managing over $100 billion globally, took a different approach: building an entire ecosystem of tokenized products.

WisdomTree Prime™: The Unified Financial Platform

Launched in 2022, WisdomTree Prime is a retail financial app that integrates:

• Traditional fiat currencies
• Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum)
• Tokenized funds (13 blockchain-enabled funds)
• Tokenized commodities (WisdomTree Gold)

All on one platform. All powered by Stellar.

The 13 Tokenized Funds:

WisdomTree tokenized a diverse range of investment products:

1. Equity Funds: U.S. large-cap, international equities
2. Fixed Income Funds: Government bonds, corporate credit
3. Commodity Funds: Precious metals exposure
4. Multi-Asset Funds: Diversified portfolios

Each fund is:

• SEC-registered
• Backed 1:1 by underlying assets
• Tradable 24/7 on Stellar
• Convertible to fiat instantly

Why WisdomTree Chose Stellar:

From WisdomTree's case study:

"We selected Stellar because of its native asset controls, relatively low cost, and operational performance. The Stellar network enables us to customize tokenized assets to meet internal business needs while providing customers a unified platform."

Specific advantages cited:

• Native Asset Controls: Authorization flags ensure only verified users transact
• Cost Efficiency: Transaction costs measured in fractions of a cent
• Interoperability: Global ecosystem of wallets, exchanges, and on/off ramps
• Immutability: Secure, auditable transaction history
• Speed: Near-instant conversion between tokenized and fiat assets

The User Experience:

Traditional Investment Flow:

1. Open brokerage account (days for KYC/AML)
2. Fund account via bank transfer (1-3 days)
3. Search for desired fund
4. Place order during market hours
5. Settlement T+1 or T+2

WisdomTree Prime Flow:

1. Download app, complete KYC (minutes)
2. Deposit fiat or crypto (instant for crypto, hours for ACH)
3. Browse 13 tokenized funds + crypto + gold
4. Execute trade instantly, 24/7
5. Settlement in 3-5 seconds

This UX improvement is transformational for retail investors in markets with limited access to international assets.

Strategic Vision:

WisdomTree isn't just tokenizing existing products. They're reimagining what investment platforms can be:

• Unified custody of fiat, crypto, and tokenized assets
• No separate on/off ramping between asset classes
• Seamless conversion between traditional and digital assets
• Financial services (spending, saving, investing) in one app

Stellar's infrastructure makes this vision possible.

Ondo Finance: $1B+ TVL, Multi-Chain RWA Powerhouse

Ondo Finance represents the next generation of RWA issuers: crypto-native companies bringing institutional-grade yields on-chain.

The Products:

1. OUSG (Ondo Short-Term US Government Treasuries)

   • Tokenized short-term U.S. Treasuries
   • Primarily invested in BlackRock's BUIDL fund
   • Also holds Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, and Wellington Management treasuries
   • Market Cap: $1B+ across multiple chains
   • Available on: Ethereum, Mantle, Arbitrum, Stellar, XRP Ledger

2. USDY (United States Dollar Yield)

   • Yield-bearing stablecoin backed by Treasuries
   • Pays ~4-5% APY automatically
   • 24/7 minting and redemption
   • Available on: Ethereum, Solana, Stellar, Mantle, others

Why Ondo Launched on Stellar:

Ondo's multi-chain strategy includes Stellar for specific advantages:

• Low Transaction Costs: Crucial for small-balance accounts earning yield
• Fast Settlement: Instant yield distribution every 24 hours
• DeFi Composability: USDY can be used as collateral in Soroban lending protocols
• Cross-Border Settlement: Stellar's anchor network enables global fiat on/off ramps

The Integration with Flux Finance:

Ondo built Flux Finance—a lending protocol on Stellar using Soroban smart contracts—enabling:

• Lending USDY and earning yield on both principal and interest
• Borrowing against OUSG as collateral
• Leveraged yield strategies for sophisticated investors

Performance Metrics:

• Total TVL: Exceeded $1 billion in March 2025
• Growth: 1,500% in 2024 alone
• Market Share: ~25% of tokenized U.S. Treasury market
• Multi-Chain Presence: 7+ blockchains

Ondo's success demonstrates that crypto-native companies can compete with traditional asset managers by leveraging superior infrastructure.

Other Major RWA Projects on Stellar

Mercado Bitcoin: $200M Tokenization Pipeline

Latin America's largest crypto exchange is tokenizing $200M in Brazilian assets:

• Tokenized Brazilian government bonds (TESOURO)
• Tokenized corporate debt
• Tokenized real estate

Why Stellar: Cross-border settlement between BRL and other currencies at near-zero cost.

RedSwan Digital: $100M in Tokenized Real Estate

RedSwan has tokenized over $100M in commercial real estate properties, enabling:

• Fractional ownership starting at $5,000
• 24/7 secondary market trading
• Automated rental income distribution

Etherfuse: Mexican and Brazilian Debt

Etherfuse tokenized:

• Mexican government bonds (CETES)
• Brazilian treasuries (TESOURO)
• Providing institutional investors access to emerging market debt with blockchain efficiency

Archax, 21X, Bitbond, Cashlink, Tokenforge:

Regulated platforms facilitating RWA issuance and secondary trading on Stellar:

• Archax: UK-regulated digital securities exchange
• 21X: German-regulated token exchange
• Bitbond: Tokenization-as-a-Service platform
• Cashlink: Digital securities issuance and management
• Tokenforge: Enterprise tokenization infrastructure

This ecosystem of regulated issuers, exchanges, and infrastructure providers creates a full-stack solution for institutional RWA adoption.

Part 4: The Numbers: Stellar's RWA Growth Trajectory

Let's quantify Stellar's position in the RWA market.

Current State (October 2025)

Total RWA Value on Stellar: $533 million in tokenized assets on-chain

Total RWA Access via Stellar: Over $3 billion in real-world instruments accessible through Stellar-based platforms

Market Share by Asset Class:

• U.S. Treasuries: 94.8% of Stellar's RWA market

  • Franklin Templeton BENJI: $496.3M (906 holders)
  • WisdomTree Tokenized Treasuries: Multiple funds
  • Ondo USDY: Multi-chain presence including Stellar

• Equity Funds: 5%+

  • WisdomTree's equity funds
  • Tokenized stocks via partnerships

• Real Estate: Emerging category

  • RedSwan: $100M tokenized
  • Others in pipeline

• International Debt: Growing rapidly

  • Etherfuse CETES (Mexico)
  • Etherfuse TESOURO (Brazil)
  • Mercado Bitcoin pipeline

The 2025 Growth Target

In April 2025, the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) announced an ambitious goal:

Target: $3 billion in RWA value on Stellar by end of 2025
Starting Point: $290 million (December 2024)
Required Growth: 10.34x increase in one year

Lauren Thorbjornsen, VP and Chief of Staff at SDF, stated: "We have a goal of powering $3 billion in real-world asset value on Stellar in 2025. That would be more than a 10x increase from the $290 million in RWA we had in Stellar at the end of December 2024."

Progress Check (October 2025):

• Current: $533M+ on-chain
• 10 months elapsed, 2 months remaining
• Growth rate: 83.8% achieved toward $3B goal
• Trajectory: On track if major partnerships materialize

Transaction Volume: $110B Target

Beyond static value locked, Stellar aims to power $110 billion in RWA transaction volume in 2025.

This metric captures:

• Primary issuances
• Secondary market trades
• Cross-border settlements
• DeFi transactions using RWA collateral

Why volume matters: Static TVL shows locked capital. Transaction volume shows actual economic activity—the real measure of adoption.

Competitive Positioning

How does Stellar compare to other RWA blockchains?

RWA Market by Blockchain (As of August 2024):

1. Ethereum: Dominant player

   • Tokenized Treasuries: 52.9% market share
   • Total RWAs: ~$15B+ (excluding stablecoins)
   • Leaders: BlackRock BUIDL, Ondo OUSG, MakerDAO RWA vaults

2. Stellar: Second major player

   • Tokenized Treasuries: 35.8% market share
   • Total RWAs: $533M+ on-chain, $3B+ accessible
   • Leaders: Franklin Templeton BENJI, WisdomTree funds

3. Polygon, Avalanche, Others: Smaller but growing

   • Combined: ~10-15% market share
   • Focus: Cross-chain bridges, DeFi integrations

Stellar's Strategic Advantages:

While Ethereum dominates by total value, Stellar leads in:

• Cost Efficiency: 1,000x cheaper transactions than Ethereum
• Speed: 60x faster finality (3-5 seconds vs. 2-15 minutes)
• Compliance: Native asset controls vs. smart contract implementations
• Institutional Preference: Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree chose Stellar as primary issuance chain

The Projection: $30 Trillion by 2034

Standard Chartered projects the tokenized RWA market will reach $30 trillion by 2034—roughly 10-30% of global financial assets.

If Stellar maintains its current 35.8% market share in tokenized treasuries and expands proportionally to other RWA categories, Stellar could facilitate:

• Conservative Estimate (10% market share): $3 trillion by 2034
• Moderate Estimate (20% market share): $6 trillion by 2034
• Optimistic Estimate (30% market share): $9 trillion by 2034

Even the conservative estimate represents 5,600x growth from today's $533M.

Part 5: The Ecosystem: Infrastructure Enabling RWA Growth

Stellar's RWA success isn't just about the blockchain—it's about the entire ecosystem of tools, partners, and services.

Interoperability: Bridging Multiple Blockchains

LayerZero Integration:

Stellar partnered with LayerZero for cross-chain messaging, enabling:

• Seamless asset transfers between Stellar and Ethereum/Polygon/Avalanche
• Unified liquidity pools across multiple chains
• Single-click user experience for cross-chain RWA trades

Axelar Integration:

Axelar provides decentralized cross-chain communication, allowing:

• Trustless asset bridges
• Interoperable smart contracts
• Multi-chain RWA portfolios

Circle's USDC Omnichain:

Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) enables native USDC transfers between Stellar, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche, and Base—creating unified stablecoin liquidity critical for RWA trading.

Oracles: Real-World Data On-Chain

Band Protocol:

Band provides price feeds and external data to Stellar, enabling:

• Accurate NAV (Net Asset Value) calculations for tokenized funds
• Real-time exchange rates for cross-border settlements
• Interest rate data for yield-bearing assets

RedStone:

RedStone's modular oracle architecture delivers:

• High-frequency price updates (every few seconds)
• Gas-efficient data delivery
• Custom data feeds for specialized RWAs

Chainlink (Via Bridges):

Chainlink's extensive oracle network can be accessed via cross-chain bridges, providing:

• Verified asset prices
• Proof-of-reserves data
• External API integrations

Custody: Institutional-Grade Asset Security

Anchorage Digital:

Anchorage provides regulated digital asset custody for:

• XLM token holdings
• Tokenized RWAs
• Multi-signature institutional wallets

BitGo:

BitGo offers:

• Qualified custody services
• Multi-signature security
• Insurance coverage for digital assets

Fireblocks:

Fireblocks enables:

• Secure asset transfers
• MPC (multi-party computation) wallet technology
• Compliance workflows for regulated entities

Compliance Infrastructure

ERC-3643 Association Partnership:

In August 2025, Stellar joined the ERC-3643 Association—a consortium focused on permissioned token standards for compliant securities.

What This Enables:

• Cross-chain compliance between Stellar and Ethereum
• Standardized KYC/AML data sharing
• Interoperable transfer restrictions for regulated assets
• Global regulatory alignment

Tomer Weller, Chief Product Officer at SDF, stated: "Our partnership aims to scale tokenized RWAs in a secure and compliant manner while ensuring global regulatory alignment."

Regulated Asset Standard (SEP-8):

Stellar's native compliance framework enables:

• Transaction-level approvals
• Jurisdiction-based restrictions
• Automated regulatory reporting
• Issuer-controlled asset management

Developer Tools: Lowering the Barrier to Entry

Stellar Asset Sandbox:

No-code platform for tokenizing securities on Stellar testnet:

• Drag-and-drop asset creation
• Automated compliance configuration
• Simulated trading environments
• Production deployment pipelines

Soroban CLI:

Command-line interface for smart contract development:

• Rust-based contract compilation
• Local testing and debugging
• Mainnet deployment tools
• Performance optimization utilities

SDKs in Multiple Languages:

Official Stellar SDKs in:

• JavaScript/TypeScript
• Python
• Go
• Java
• C#
• Ruby

Third-party SDKs and libraries for dozens of other languages.

Documentation and Education:

• Comprehensive developer docs at developers.stellar.org
• Interactive tutorials and code examples
• Community forums and Discord channels
• Regular developer workshops and hackathons

Part 6: The Strategic Partnerships Driving Growth

Stellar's RWA ambitions are amplified by strategic partnerships with industry leaders.

Paxos: Stablecoin Infrastructure

Paxos, a leading regulated stablecoin issuer (USDP, PAXG), is expanding to Stellar to:

• Issue USDP (Pax Dollar) on Stellar for instant settlements
• Integrate PAXG (Pax Gold) for commodity-backed RWAs
• Leverage Stellar's speed for real-time payment applications

SG Forge (Société Générale): European Institutional Bridge

SG Forge, the blockchain innovation division of French banking giant Société Générale, is partnering with Stellar to:

• Explore tokenized bond issuances
• Develop cross-border CBDC pilots
• Create institutional-grade custody solutions
• Bridge European capital markets to blockchain infrastructure

MoneyGram: Global On/Off Ramp Network

MoneyGram's integration with Stellar provides critical fiat liquidity:

• 475,000+ physical locations across 170+ countries
• Cash-to-USDC conversion in seconds
• USDC-to-cash redemption globally
• Bridge between tokenized RWAs and traditional cash economy

Use Case: Investor in Nigeria buys tokenized U.S. Treasuries via Stellar, earns yield, and cashes out at any MoneyGram location worldwide.

IBM: Enterprise Blockchain Integration

IBM's World Wire payment network on Stellar connects:

• 50+ countries
• Financial institutions globally
• Cross-border payment corridors
• Corporate treasury management

IBM's endorsement validates Stellar's enterprise readiness.

Pi Network: Expanding User Base

Pi Network, building on Stellar Core infrastructure, plans February 2025 open mainnet launch. This could:

• Onboard millions of users to Stellar ecosystem
• Enable regulated trading of RWAs via Pi ecosystem
• Demonstrate scalability of Stellar Core at massive user scale

The Bottom Line

Real-world assets will redefine the global financial system.
And Stellar, by design and by execution, is positioned to become one of the most important settlement layers powering that future — a future where liquidity is global, investment access is universal, and financial markets operate at the speed of the internet.

The RWA boom has arrived.
And Stellar is one of the chains leading it.