Stellar advances sovereign currencies onchain with Protocol 24; Chainlink boosts market data access

What Shipped

October has been an exciting month in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, with several important updates and developments shaping the landscape. One of the standout news stories comes from the Stellar network, which recently published a podcast about Etherfuse. This ambitious project aims to bring 100 sovereign currencies—meaning official national currencies like dollars, euros, or yen—onto the blockchain. By doing this, Etherfuse hopes to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent.

Additionally, Stellar rolled out its Protocol 24 upgrade guide, which is a technical update designed to improve the network’s speed, security, and ease of use. Protocol upgrades like this are important because they keep the blockchain network competitive and ready for new applications.

In ecosystem news, Stellar also announced the Stellar i³ Awards 2025, recognizing innovators and projects building on its platform. This kind of encouragement helps foster creativity and growth within the community.

On another front, Chainlink—a decentralized oracle network that connects real-world data to blockchains—released their Quarterly Review for Q3 2025, highlighting their progress and new partnerships. They also won the Swift Hackathon 2025 Business Challenge, showcasing their growing influence in the financial sector. Furthermore, Chainlink introduced DataLink, a new feature aimed at bringing institutional market data onchain, which means making it directly accessible on blockchain networks.

Bitcoin made headlines again by climbing above $110,000, with a recent article from CoinDesk titled Bitcoin Climbs to $111K as Whipsaw Action in Crypto Continues. This shows the resilience and continued interest in the world’s first cryptocurrency, despite the market’s typical ups and downs.

Institutional interest is also growing, as CME Group reported that crypto options trading recently hit $9 billion, with Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Ripple (XRP) setting new records. This kind of engagement from big financial players often signals growing maturity and acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

Why It Matters

These developments are important because they point to increasing adoption and integration of blockchain technology into mainstream finance and everyday life. Bringing sovereign currencies onchain, as Etherfuse aims to do, could revolutionize how money moves globally. It means faster transactions without the usual bank delays and lower fees, which is especially helpful for people and businesses that rely on international payments.

Upgrades like Stellar’s Protocol 24 keep networks efficient and secure, which is critical as more users and applications join these platforms. A strong and reliable blockchain encourages developers to build new tools and services, expanding the ecosystem further.

Chainlink’s new DataLink and its success in hackathons show that connecting real-world data to blockchains is becoming more sophisticated. This opens the door for smart contracts—programs that automatically execute agreements—to handle complex financial products and deliver real-time market insights. Institutional involvement, like the surge in CME crypto options, helps bring stability and credibility to the market, making it safer for everyday investors.

Bitcoin’s price increase reflects growing confidence in digital assets as an alternative investment. While volatility remains a feature of crypto markets, steady interest from both retail and institutional investors suggests long-term optimism.

Builders’ Corner

If you’re a developer or someone curious about getting involved in blockchain projects, now is a great time to explore. Here are some concrete examples and opportunities:

Explore Stellar’s Protocol 24: Check out the upgrade guide to understand new features and how to build faster, more secure apps on Stellar.
Get involved with Etherfuse: This project aims to tokenize national currencies, which means creating digital versions of money on blockchain. This can open up new use cases like borderless payments and programmable money.
Try Chainlink’s DataLink: If your project needs reliable market data, Chainlink’s new service can help you access trusted information directly onchain, making your smart contracts smarter.
Follow Ripple and Stellar: Both organizations are working on improving cross-border payments and decentralized finance (DeFi). Their developer communities often provide tutorials, grants, and hackathons to support new builders.
Watch Hedera and Flare Networks: Although their token prices dipped slightly, both platforms are known for unique consensus mechanisms and smart contract capabilities worth exploring for innovative projects.

Quick Prices (As of October 23, 2025, 9:00 PM ET)

Bitcoin (BTC): $110,542 (+2.48% in 24h)
Ethereum (ETH): $3,870 (+1.41% in 24h)
Ripple (XRP): $2.40 (+1.35% in 24h)
Stellar (XLM): $0.31 (+0.66% in 24h)
XDC Network (XDC): $0.062 (+0.92% in 24h)
Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.165 (-0.63% in 24h)
Flare Networks (FLR): $0.017 (-0.61% in 24h)

What to Watch

Looking ahead, several areas deserve your attention:

Expansion of Onchain Sovereign Currencies: How Etherfuse progresses could influence the future of digital money and payments worldwide.
Stellar’s Network Upgrades: Keep an eye on how Protocol 24 impacts transaction speeds and developer adoption.
Chainlink’s Institutional Partnerships: Their work on bringing market data onchain could transform decentralized finance by making it more reliable and transparent.
Institutional Crypto Trading: Continued growth in CME crypto options may bring new financial products and greater market stability.
Price Movements of Key Tokens: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Stellar have shown positive momentum, but always remember crypto markets can be volatile.

TL;DR: Stellar is making big moves by upgrading its protocol and pushing to bring 100 national currencies onto blockchain through Etherfuse. Chainlink is strengthening its role in providing trusted market data, winning industry awards and launching new services. Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Ripple are seeing healthy price gains, supported by growing institutional interest. For builders and investors alike, these developments highlight a maturing crypto ecosystem with exciting opportunities ahead.

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Stellar advances sovereign currencies onchain with Protocol 24; Chainlink boosts market data access