Stellar, a blockchain company that facilitates fast, low-cost, and energy-efficient transactions, has announced a string of developments, from regional partnerships to real-world asset (RWA) integrations, that have made its momentum hard to ignore.
On 17 April 2025, AEON Group, South Asia’s largest retail conglomerate, announced its partnership with Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) to facilitate the introduction and implementation of a blockchain-based payment infrastructure across the region.
Through this collaboration, the companies hope to bring XLM and USDC payments to AEON stores. The project will start in Malaysia and will slowly trickle down throughout Southeast Asia, with the pilot project launching in the second half of 2025.
The partnership will initially focus on the rollout of USDC, the stablecoin issued by Circle, to enhance fiat-to-crypto on-ramps. This move is expected to facilitate the movement of the unbanked population in the region to deeply integrate within the blockchain network. Users eager for instant, cost-effective transactions, free from the limitations of traditional banking systems, are expected to adapt to this project quickly.
#AEON partners with @StellarOrg and @BuildOnStellar to accelerate global #cryptopayments!
Now supporting $XLM & #Stellar-USDC across 10K+ brands & 20M+ QR-enabled stores in Southeast Asia, expanding to Africa & LATAM.
Crypto payments just got simpler, faster, and global.
… pic.twitter.com/2lzV7LiVK2
— AEON.XYZ (@AEON_Community) April 17, 2025
Through the partnership, both Stellar and AEON intend to implement blockchain capabilities to showcase the transformation possible in legacy payment systems in high-volume retail environments. Stellar’s technology will serve as the underlying protocol for settlement and cross-border remittances.
Moreover, Stellar has also announced high-profile partnerships with leading industry players in Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and Traditional Finance (TradFi), including Mastercard, Stripe, and Paxos.
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Market Demand For Stellar Token On The Rise
Responding to the growing significance of the Stellar ecosystem on the development front, the market activity is showing a strong investor demand.
A recent 49.5 million token on-chain transfer has analysts suggesting a possible whale accumulation. While its purpose remains unknown, the sheer volume of the trade indicates an increase in the market demand for Stellar’s native token.
What’s interesting, however, is that this activity is not in isolation. Reportedly, whales drew attention when they moved 245 million XLM in less than five minutes, only 48 hours before the latest movement. One instance in particular stood out where a whale transferred 90 million XLM to dead wallets. At current market prices, the single transfer of 90 million XLM is valued at $21 million, representing a considerable amount of token removal from active circulation.
Whale confidence, stable prices, and calculated token manoeuvres have set the stage for Stellar’s potential growth and adoption within today’s contested cryptocurrency market.
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SDF Sets Sights On Global Payments, Asset Tokenisation, DeFi
Parallel to this expansion in real-world utility, Stellar is anticipating a $3 billion influx of tokenised RWA’s on its blockchain in 2025. This projection reflects a growing institutional interest in leveraging Stellar’s infrastructure for on-chain assets like fiat currencies, equities, and bonds.
Additionally, the SDF is focusing its efforts on three primary sectors: global payments, asset tokenisation, and the development of a secure and efficient DeFi ecosystem. Tokenisation of real-world assets has gained significant traction as both traditional and crypto-native institutions seek scalable blockchain networks that can accommodate regulatory frameworks.
The $3 billion forecast aligns with the broader crypto market’s shift toward real-world utility, where the emphasis is no longer just on speculative trading but on sustainable, long-term adoption.
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Key Takeaways
- Stellar partners with AEON to enable payments in XLM and USDC in Southeast Asia.
- Stellar anticipates a $3 billion influx of tokenised real-world assets on its blockchain in 2025.
- SDF is prioritising global payments, asset tokenisation, and DeFi ecosystem development.
The post Stellar And AEON Partnership Brings USDC And XLM Payments To SouthEast Asia appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
