What shipped
Several exciting updates have arrived in the blockchain space, especially around well-known projects like Stellar, Hedera, Ripple, Flare Network, and XDC Network. Notably, Stellar recently unveiled Meridian Pay, a scalable smart wallet designed to make digital asset management easier and more efficient. This wallet supports smart contracts, which are self-executing agreements coded on the blockchain, helping users interact seamlessly with decentralized apps.
Additionally, Stellar highlighted creative uses of smart contracts at Meridian 2025, showcasing how NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are being integrated into art and digital collectibles. NFTs are unique digital items secured on the blockchain, often used to prove ownership of art or collectibles.
On the Hedera front, developers received a boost with the announcement of support for Swift 6 in the Hiero Swift SDK, making it simpler for developers building iOS apps to integrate Hedera’s fast and secure blockchain technology. Hedera also shared January 2026 developer highlights and participated in Davos 2026 to promote digital trust worldwide.
Meanwhile, Ripple and Stellar continue to lead innovation in cross-border payments, with new insights shared on how blockchain technology improves these transactions by making them faster, cheaper, and more transparent.
Why it matters
These developments are important because they bring blockchain technology closer to everyday users and businesses. For example, a smart wallet like Meridian Pay simplifies managing cryptocurrencies and interacting with decentralized finance (DeFi) apps, which can otherwise be complex for newcomers. By supporting smart contracts and NFTs, Stellar is expanding the practical and creative uses of blockchain, encouraging more people to explore this technology.
Hedera’s improvements for developers mean more apps can be built efficiently, increasing the overall utility and adoption of blockchain solutions. Their focus on digital trust at global events like Davos highlights the growing recognition that blockchain can help secure digital identities and transactions worldwide.
Ripple and Stellar’s work on cross-border payments addresses a major pain point in global finance: sending money across countries quickly and cheaply. Traditional methods can be slow and expensive, but blockchain offers a transparent and efficient alternative.
Builders’ corner
- Meridian Pay on Stellar: Developers and users can explore this new smart wallet to manage assets and use smart contracts easily. It’s designed to scale, handling more users without slowing down.
- Smart contracts & NFTs: Artists and creators can use Stellar’s platform to mint and trade unique digital art, opening new revenue streams and digital ownership models.
- Hedera’s Swift SDK: iOS developers can now build apps integrating Hedera’s blockchain with updated tools supporting the latest Swift 6 programming language.
- Cross-border payments: Builders working on payment solutions can learn from Ripple and Stellar’s approaches to make international money transfers faster and more cost-effective.
- Stablecoin issuance: Stellar’s ecosystem also supports issuing stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the US dollar, providing less price volatility.
Quick prices
As of February 9, 2026, here’s a quick snapshot of some popular cryptocurrencies. Note that prices can fluctuate:
- Bitcoin: $69,546 (down about 1% in 24 hours)
- Ethereum: $2,039 (down about 3%)
- Ripple (XRP): $1.40 (down about 3%)
- Stellar (XLM): $0.16 (down about 2.6%)
- Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.09 (down about 1.7%)
- Flare Network (FLR): $0.0095 (down about 1.6%)
- XDC Network (XDC): $0.036 (almost unchanged)
While prices have seen small dips recently, the overall momentum in innovation and adoption remains strong.
What to watch
- Continued growth of Meridian Pay: Watch how this smart wallet develops and how users adopt it for everyday crypto activities.
- Hedera’s developer ecosystem: Keep an eye on new apps and tools built with the updated Swift SDK and other developer resources.
- Cross-border payment solutions: Ripple and Stellar’s ongoing efforts to streamline international transfers could reshape global finance.
- Stablecoin trends: Stablecoins remain critical for reducing volatility in digital payments; new stablecoin projects on Stellar and other networks might emerge.
- Regulatory environment: Recent news highlights regulatory attention on crypto exchanges, especially following large incidents like the $44 billion bitcoin blunder in South Korea. Staying informed about regulations helps investors and users navigate safely.
TL;DR: Stellar launched Meridian Pay, a smart wallet aimed at making crypto easier to use, while Hedera improved developer tools with Swift 6 support. Ripple and Stellar continue innovating in cross-border payments. Despite slight recent price dips, the blockchain ecosystem is growing with new tools, apps, and use cases, making it an exciting time for both beginners and experienced investors to explore.
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