Stellar sees massive transaction volume surge

On-Chain Activity Hits New Highs

@StellarOrg recorded up to 3.7 million transactions on August 20, with 124,270 active users on the network that day, according to DefiLlama data. The figure reflects genuine on-chain activity rather than idle capacity, underscoring the network's growing utility as a payments and settlement layer.

$XLM is currently priced at $0.191, giving the token a market capitalisation of $6.58 billion. Daily on-chain fees came in at $1,216, while the 30-day average sits at $32,800, consistent with the network's longstanding design of keeping transaction costs minimal. Average fees on Stellar have stayed near $0.0001 per transaction, about one hundredth of a cent.

TVL Growth Points to Expanding DeFi Footprint

Total value locked on the Stellar network stands at $260.16 million, up 12.33% over the past 30 days. DEX volume reached $3.42 million over the last 24 hours, reflecting sustained trading demand across the network's decentralised exchange layer.

The TVL expansion fits a broader trend that has been building across 2026. Stellar's DeFi TVL reached a new all-time high in June 2026, surpassing $240 million. Much of that growth has been driven by real-world asset tokenisation. RWA market cap on Stellar, excluding stablecoins, climbed 91% quarter over quarter, from roughly $796 million at the end of 2025 to $1.52 billion at quarter-end, and later crossed $2 billion.

The network's stablecoin footprint has also expanded significantly. Stellar's stablecoin market cap increased 22% quarter over quarter from $244 million to $297 million, driven by USDC growth and the launch of SG-FORGE's EURCV on the network in March 2026.

On the institutional side, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), which clears and settles virtually every US securities transaction, announced on May 27, 2026, that it will bring DTC-custodied assets onto the Stellar network. The move is expected to bring Russell 1000 stocks, major ETFs, and US Treasuries onto the chain by the first half of 2027.

All on-chain statistics sourced from DefiLlama as of August 20, 2026.

Sources:
DefiLlama: Stellar Chain Overview (TVL, Fees, DEX Volume)
Messari: State of Stellar Q1 2026
Sentora Research: Stellar Institutional Infrastructure Analysis