Since inception and foray of Bitcoin into the mainstream, several cryptocurrencies and Altcoin have been introduced in the crypto market. There are roughly around 5000 different cryptocurrencies. But, only a handful of them have made it into the list of the top 10 cryptos of 2021. One such digital coin is Stellar Lumens.
What is Stellar Lumens?
Stellar or Stellar Lumens is an open-source, decentralized platform used for cross-border crypto and fiat currency transactions. Stellar Lumens was launched by Jed McCaleb, co-founder of Ripple and founder of Mt.Gox, in 2014.
Stellar and Lumens are two different terms with different frameworks. Stellar is the protocol or the network, while Lumens (XLM) is the network’s native cryptocurrency. Similar to the Ethereum network’s Ether, Lumens powers the Stellar ecosystem.
People often get confused between Stellar and Lumens (the network and the currency.) And, this is because, initially, Stellar’s native digital coin was called Stellar (STR), which later became Lumens (XLM).
How Does Stellar Lumens Work?
Transactions on the Stellar protocol or blockchain are verified using the Stellar Consensus Protocol or SCP. Stellar transactions are open-sourced and decentralized and are facilitated with the help of anchors.
Stellar ‘anchors’ are entities trusted by the platform’s users. These anchors are in charge of the users’ deposits that are credited into the blockchain. Simply put, anchors bridge the currencies (cryptos and fiat) to the Stellar blockchain.
Where Can I Buy Stellar Lumens?
Stellar’s native tokens Lumens (XLM) can be purchased or exchanged at most of the cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, Kraken, Coinbase, Coincheck, among others. Some of the Stellar decentralized exchanges (Stellar DEX UIs) like Stellar X (trading platform) allows users to buy Lumens with USD. Listed below are the common steps involved in buying Lumens with USD.
How to Buy Stellar Lumens With USD?
As mentioned above, most of the well-known crypto exchanges enable users to buy Lumens. The common steps involved are as follows:-
Step 1: Registering with a Stellar Wallet
Crypto wallets are of different types like hardware, software, or online wallets. Based on your requirement, you can choose either provided the wallet has provisions for sending, receiving, and storing Stellar Lumens.
Step 2: Buying Lumens (XLM)
There are many crypto exchanges like Coinbase, CEX.io, Binance, eToro, etc., where you can buy XLM using fiat currency. Based on your preference, you can register with the exchange for buying Lumens using fiat money.
Stellar Lumens Mass Adoption
Stellar’s primary use is enabling cross-border transactions. And for this reason, it has partnered with IBM. This partnership aims to create a large-scale global payments hub for both fiat and digital currencies. Crypto analysts and experts consider Stellar Lumens an intermediary platform that enables the trade and exchange of various currencies in the fastest, easiest ways and at significantly low costs.
Lumens powers the cross-border transactions on the Stellar protocol. With many individuals and even financial institutions adopting blockchain networks for cross-border transactions, platforms like Stellar are gaining immense popularity. That said, the value of Lumens is expected to soar with more and more financial institutions collaborating with Stellar.
How Will It Affect the Price of XLM?
According to Stellar Lumens prediction, Stellar has already established itself as a low-cost, faster, and easy-to-use payment network for international transactions. And Lumens is the currency that powers the Stellar protocol, meaning XLM powers the cross-border transactions.
Rather than opting for conventional global payment systems, both individuals and financial institutions prefer platforms like Stellar. And, the reasons for the same are mentioned above. Moreover, XLM is one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies of 2021. Hence, one can safely say that the price of Lumens will likely grow in 2021 and the years following based on Stellar Lumens prediction.
Conclusion
Stellar is a cross-border payments protocol, which is powered by its native currency, Lumens or XLM. It has collaborated with well-known names like IBM, HDFC, among others. Since then, more individuals and financial institutions are seemingly preferring Stellar for faster and low-cost international money transfers. That said, Lumens is one of the top 10 cryptos worth buying in 2021.