MetaMask, which counts more than 30 million monthly active users, has made Stellar a default blockchain across both its mobile app and browser extension, beginning October 29. This update allows users to access Stellar’s payments infrastructure with a single tap and expands MetaMask’s multichain strategy.
Automatic XLM Account Integration
MetaMask’s integration with Stellar means eligible users now automatically receive an XLM address in their existing multichain wallets, generated from their current recovery phrase. Both new and existing MetaMask users can access, hold, send, receive, and swap XLM, USDC on Stellar, and Soroban-based tokens, along with their assets on Ethereum. There is no need for a separate account setup or remembering additional seed phrases. Users can also import legacy XLM accounts if desired.
This marks a turning point for Stellar, which until now was only accessible through MetaMask via third-party Snaps. The default inclusion now brings Stellar’s functionality directly into the MetaMask core wallet experience. According to Gal Eldar, Chief Product Officer at MetaMask, reducing barriers to entry aligns with the wallet’s broader vision of Open Money. Eldar noted, “Where you are born should not dictate what money you can hold or what it costs to move it. XLM has spent a decade building infrastructure at scale.”
Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, commented that users now gain access to a network facilitating billions in real-world payment value through instant transactions and minimal network fees.
XLM’s blockchain differs from Ethereum-based networks, relying on accounts and trustlines to move assets with three-to-five second finality and transaction fees substantially below one cent. Data from Circle indicates over $650 million in USDC is currently issued on Stellar, reflecting its reach in cross-border payments and stablecoin activity.
Mini dictionary: Soroban — Soroban is the smart contracts platform on Stellar, designed to enable advanced decentralized applications and drive interoperability, supporting new use cases beyond payments.
Expanding Institutional and Developer Momentum
Several major financial and DeFi institutions have recently advanced their involvement with Stellar. Curve Finance unveiled its first non-EVM deployment on Stellar’s Soroban, broadening access to decentralized exchange liquidity. Securitize also plans to issue tokenized securities on Stellar, leveraging its significant experience with over $5 billion in assets across clients such as BlackRock, BNY, Apollo, and Hamilton Lane.
The network is at the center of Bermuda’s fully on-chain economic plan, and U.S. Bank recently launched a US Dollar-based digital currency pilot (USBDC) using Stellar. Asset managers Franklin Templeton and WisdomTree already offer tokenized money-market investments natively on Stellar, indicating institutional adoption is building alongside technical integration.
| Institution | Stellar Use Case | Asset Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | USDC on Stellar | $650 million+ |
| Securitize | Tokenized securities infrastructure | $5 billion+ |
| Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree | Tokenized money-market funds | N/A |
Market Impact and Next Steps
For developers, the update grants direct access to Stellar’s Soroban contracts via MetaMask, while eliminating friction associated with seed phrase management and onboarding. On the user side, it signals MetaMask’s commitment to supporting non-EVM chains alongside Ethereum, with Solana already available and Stellar now joining as the second major default chain outside the EVM ecosystem.
Future trends to monitor include the number of XLM accounts funded via MetaMask, swap volumes between Stellar and EVM networks, as well as USDC transaction flow, which can be tracked through Artemis and DefiLlama data. DeFi total value locked (TVL) on Stellar is still modest, standing below $150 million, keeping near-term upside focused on payment flows and real-world asset (RWA) integrations.
Potential milestones ahead could be the introduction of MetaMask Card spending in XLM or USDC, closer integration of Soroban-based dApps, and broader fiat on- and off-ramp coverage through Stellar’s 80+ supported endpoints. Stellar processed over $18 billion in payment volume in the third quarter of 2025 according to the Stellar Development Foundation, signaling the network’s shift from speculation to real-world utility at scale.
The Stellar Development Foundation emphasized that default integration with MetaMask is expected to make Stellar’s rails even more seamless and accessible for global users and institutions.
