What’s Behind Stellar’s Massive 80% Jump This Past Week?

• Stellar has surged 80% in the past 7 days, fueled by Franklin Templeton’s move to tokenize $446 million in US Treasuries on its network.
• XLM open interest surged 150%, reflecting strong bullish sentiment and increasing institutional adoption.

Stellar (XLM) has seen a price surge of over 80% in the past seven days, and this wasn’t without significant support. One of the main catalysts came from PayPal’s major announcement last June that it would launch its PYUSD stablecoin on the Stellar network—after clearing regulatory approval, of course.

If that happens, users will be able to enjoy super-low transaction fees, around $0.001, in the more than 180 countries supported by the network. What does this mean? Cross-border transfers will be faster, cheaper, and less costly.

Since then, many eyes have been on XLM, especially since the Stellar network is designed for global payment efficiency. It’s no surprise that traders have begun taking long positions. According to CoinMarketCap data, open interest in the XLM futures market has increased 150% since June, reaching $345 million. This can be read as a strong signal that many market players see opportunities in leverage.

Stellar’s Protocol 23 Could Redefine DeFi Possibilities

It’s not just about PayPal’s stablecoin. The Stellar network is also preparing to become even more sophisticated with a significant technical update. An upgrade called Protocol 23 is scheduled to go live on August 14, 2025. It focuses on optimizing the Soroban smart contract—which could pave the way for more DeFi activity. If you still think DeFi is solely about Ethereum, it might be time to broaden your perspective.

Meanwhile, on-chain data from DeFiLlama also shows that Stellar is experiencing new activity. The Total Value Locked (TVL) on the network has surpassed $90 million. There’s also been an increase in stablecoin usage, which is driving network activity. This is a sign that more and more people are using Stellar not only for trading, but also for more tangible things.

On the other hand, a recent report from CNF states that Stellar is becoming a leading player in the real-world asset (RWA) sector, alongside Chainlink, Avalanche, and Axelar. The market? It’s estimated to reach $30 trillion by 2030, encompassing stocks, bonds, real estate, and even gold.

Franklin Templeton has even tokenized $446 million worth of US government bonds through the Stellar network—which, of course, provides validation from major institutions.

Judging from the roadmap released earlier this year, the Stellar Foundation’s focus is quite clear. They are targeting strengthening in three main areas: real-world assets, increasing the number of monthly active addresses, and, of course, the DeFi sector.

With the combination of technical expertise, institutional support, and potential global partnerships like PayPal, Stellar has more than enough ammunition to become a major player.