Stellar is navigating renewed selling pressure even as the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) announced a strategic investment in Marketnode. The move aims to expand Stellar’s presence in the evolving institutional digital finance landscape in Asia-Pacific, but so far, XLM trades below major technical levels as sellers remain in control.
Stellar partners with Marketnode in push for institutional adoption
At Meridian 2026, held on October 28 and 29, the SDF revealed it has invested in Marketnode, a prominent operator of digital market infrastructure in Asia-Pacific. Marketnode is supported by major financial firms, including Euroclear, HSBC, SGX Group, and Temasek.
Marketnode specializes in building digital financial infrastructure, with a focus on enabling institutions to issue and manage tokenized products. SDF stated that its backing of Marketnode is expected to increase institutional access to tokenized assets on the Stellar network throughout the region.
José Fernández da Ponte, President and Chief Growth Officer of SDF, underscored the partnership’s potential, highlighting Marketnode’s strong connections to regional financial institutions and infrastructure needed to bring financial products onchain.
Marketnode brings together deep connectivity across the region’s financial institutions with the infrastructure needed to issue, distribute, and service financial products onchain, according to SDF President José Fernández da Ponte.
While this development is seen as a potential long-term catalyst for Stellar, analysts caution that it does not guarantee immediate price recovery or demand for XLM. The network’s ability to draw sustained institutional interest remains to be seen in coming months.
Mini dictionary: Marketnode is a fintech company based in Asia-Pacific specializing in digital market infrastructure. It works with major financial institutions to provide issuance, servicing, and distribution of tokenized and digital financial products.
XLM price trades below key moving averages
XLM is trading at $0.1715, marking a decline of 0.52% over the most recent daily session. The token remains beneath its major exponential moving averages, a technical setup often seen as a signal of persisting downward momentum.
On the daily chart, the 20-day EMA stands at $0.1801, while the 50-day and 100-day EMAs are tightly clustered at $0.1873 and $0.1875, respectively. The 200-day EMA is positioned at $0.1904. With XLM currently below all these levels, multiple resistance barriers lie ahead for potential recovery efforts.
| EMA Period | Price |
|---|---|
| 20-day | $0.1801 |
| 50-day | $0.1873 |
| 100-day | $0.1875 |
| 200-day | $0.1904 |
| Current XLM Price | $0.1715 |
To move higher, XLM first needs to regain the 20-day EMA at $0.1801 and then test resistance around $0.1873–$0.1904. Conversely, losing support at the recent daily low of $0.1669 could open the way to further declines toward the $0.1600 level.
Bears control momentum as RSI and open interest decline
The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) for XLM stands at 37.41, only marginally above its moving average but well below the neutral 50 threshold. This suggests that bearish momentum remains dominant for now. The indicator is also moving closer to the oversold level of 30, while a rise above 50 would signal improved sentiment.
Meanwhile, data from CoinGlass shows open interest in XLM futures contracts falling from more than $300 million in early October to roughly $210 million by October 29. As open interest fell, XLM’s price dropped from $0.22 down to the current $0.17 range, highlighting weaker speculative activity.
| Date | XLM Price | Open Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Early October | $0.22 | $300 million+ |
| October 29 | $0.17 | $210 million |
Large liquidation events were more pronounced in late May, while recent activity has been relatively subdued. This suggests that the current price drop has not led to dramatic forced liquidations, but buyers have yet to step in meaningfully.
Looking ahead, XLM’s prospects depend on whether it can defend the $0.1669 support and reclaim its short-term moving averages. A move above $0.1801 would target resistance near $0.1904. However, if the token falls under $0.1669, additional downside toward $0.1600 could materialize.
Despite SDF’s partnership with Marketnode and ambitions to broaden institutional access, the technical outlook remains cautious. Clear confirmation of returning demand is needed before a sustained recovery can take shape.
