Wirex lists XLM in Stellar partnership, launching local-fiat based stablecoins
Crypto exchange Wirex listed Stellar Lumens (XLM), making it the ninth cryptocurrency to be integrated on the trading platform. In the Apr. 24th announcement, the exchange revealed the listing was part of a broader partnership with Stellar.
Big Plans for Stellar Partnership
However, the release of a secure Wirex #XLM account is just the FIRST phase of a revolutionary new partnership between Wirex and the @StellarOrg network..
⏩ https://t.co/RiIeGJ4VlU#Cryptocurrency #Blockchain #Innovation #Stablecoins #Tokens #Tokenisation pic.twitter.com/kjdd4x1Fd0
— Wirex (@wirexapp) April 25, 2019
According to Wirex, the partnership will enable the launch of 26 fiat-backed stablecoins on Stellar, expanding opportunities available to its retail and corporate customers.
Stablecoins, which achieved widespread popularity during the bear market of 2018 are now a fixture in the crypto trading scene. These stablecoins can retain the properties of cryptocurrency without the same volatility the characterize the crypto markets, making them excellent intermediaries for trading.
The new partnership hopes to take this acceptance to a new level and make stablecoins even more popular.
Pavel Matveev, co-founder of Wirex, says the reason stablecoins are not more popular is that most of them can only be exchanged for the USD, thus limiting its usage. Stablecoins, as they exist now, are not suitable for making trans-border exchanges and payments as they do not support a wide range of fiat currencies from other countries.
With this new partnership, Wirex will offer different fiat-based stablecoins including GBP, USD, SGD, HKD and EUR. This will make international transactions with stablecoins faster and more convenient.
Long Term Goals
Wirex revealed that it chose the Stellar blockchain because of its high level of existing compliance, enabling Wirex to operate within regulatory parameters. Both companies also share similar goals of pushing crypto adoption into mainstream society.
An excerpt from Wednesday’s announcement reads:
“The 26 stablecoins represent the first fiat-pegged cryptocurrencies that can be used seamlessly in day-to-day life – online, at ATMs and in shops, restaurants and supermarkets – thanks to the Wirex Visa card. They are also the first stablecoins that can be instantly converted into digital or traditional currencies at OTC and interbank rates, making them even more suitable for moving money around the world.”
Assuming all goes according to plan, this could well be the start of an interesting new period in the evolution of crypto from a speculative asset class to a worldwide means of payment.