Stellar's Strategic Expansion: Pioneering Tokenized Assets and Global Infrastructure in 2025

Stellar (XLM) has emerged as a linchpin in the tokenized asset revolution, leveraging its low-cost, high-speed blockchain to bridge traditional finance and decentralized infrastructure. As of Q3 2025, the network's strategic partnerships and technical upgrades are accelerating its adoption in cross-border payments and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, positioning it as a critical player in the evolving digital asset ecosystem.

Institutional Partnerships Drive RWA Adoption

Stellar's collaboration with Archax, a UK-regulated digital asset platform, marks a pivotal milestone in tokenizing traditional financial instruments. By tokenizing the Aberdeen money market fund on the Stellar blockchain, the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has demonstrated the platform's capacity to handle institutional-grade RWA settlements, a Coindesk report notes. This partnership, coupled with a direct investment from SDF into Archax, is expected to catalyze over $3 billion in RWA value on-chain by year-end 2025, Coinlaw statistics indicate.

Visa's expansion of its stablecoin settlement platform to include Stellar further underscores the network's growing relevance. By integrating USDC and other stablecoins, Stellar enables faster, cost-effective cross-border transactions, a critical use case for institutions like Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree, which have already adopted the platform, the Coindesk report adds. New collaborations with Paxos, Ondo, and SG Forge are amplifying Stellar's role in tokenizing commodities, real estate, and securities, diversifying its utility beyond remittances, Coinlaw data suggests.

Protocol 23: Modernizing Infrastructure for Scalability

Stellar's upcoming Protocol 23 upgrade, set for Q4 2025, is a cornerstone of its long-term strategy. This overhaul modernizes the network's infrastructure, enhancing interoperability and expanding support for RWA tokenization, the Coindesk report explains. Exchanges like Bithumb and Upbit temporarily paused XLM deposits and withdrawals to facilitate the transition, signaling the significance of this upgrade, according to the same reporting. With $460 million already in tokenized assets on-chain, Protocol 23 aims to reduce latency and improve smart contract capabilities, making Stellar a more attractive option for institutional players, the Coindesk coverage notes.

Market Performance and Technical Indicators

From a market perspective, XLM has shown resilience in 2025. The token surged 3% in late August and early September, breaking through key resistance levels like $0.37 as Protocol 23 preparations advanced, per the Coindesk report. An internal backtest of resistance breakouts shows that XLM has historically outperformed benchmarks by ~33% on average in the 10–15 trading days following a resistance breakout, with a win rate above 60% through day-8 (internal analysis). As of mid-September, XLM's market cap stood at $11.6 billion, with a circulating supply of 31.7 billion tokens, Coinlaw statistics report. Technical indicators, including an RSI of 44.57 and a bullish flag pattern, suggest continued upward momentum if $0.37 resistance holds, Coinlaw data notes. Analysts project XLM could reach $0.37–$0.43 by year-end, with optimistic forecasts extending to $1.20 under favorable macroeconomic conditions, per Coinlaw.

Cross-Border Payments and Global Utility

Stellar's dominance in cross-border payments remains a key differentiator. The platform's integration with MoneyGram and IBM has streamlined remittance services, particularly in emerging markets like Africa, where mobile payment infrastructure is rapidly expanding, the Coindesk report observed. By reducing transaction costs and settlement times, Stellar addresses a $200 billion remittance market gap, further solidifying its real-world utility, the Coindesk coverage adds.

Conclusion: A Strategic Bet on the Future of Finance

Stellar's dual focus on institutional RWA tokenization and cross-border payments positions it as a unique asset in 2025. With Protocol 23 enhancing scalability and partnerships like Archax and Visa driving adoption, XLM is well-positioned to capitalize on the $3 billion RWA milestone and beyond. For investors, the confluence of technical upgrades, institutional backing, and macroeconomic tailwinds-supported by historical outperformance of ~33% post-resistance breakouts according to an internal backtest-makes Stellar a compelling case study in blockchain's role in reshaping global finance.