What Shipped
Welcome to your latest update on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency! Over the past few days, several exciting developments have taken place across some of the most notable blockchain networks, including Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, Flare Network, and XDC Network. These projects continue to build momentum, bringing new tools, partnerships, and ecosystem improvements that aim to make blockchain technology more accessible, efficient, and impactful for users and developers alike.
Here are some highlights:
- Stellar’s Stablecoin Issuance on Brale: Stellar shared a fascinating case study showing how a stablecoin issuance grew from $100 million to $1 billion. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the US dollar, providing a reliable way to use crypto for everyday transactions without worrying about price swings. You can learn more about this milestone on Stellar’s official blog here.
- Hedera Council Welcomes New Partners: Hedera, known for its fast and secure distributed ledger technology, announced four new members joining its governing council. These partners will help guide the network’s growth and ensure its decentralized and transparent operation. This kind of collaboration strengthens Hedera’s position in the blockchain space. Read more on Hedera’s blog here.
- McLaren Racing and Hedera Partnership: Hedera has teamed up with McLaren Racing to expand digital fan engagement. This innovative partnership aims to bring blockchain technology to sports fans through unique digital experiences, such as collectibles and interactive content, opening exciting new avenues for fan involvement.
- Stellar’s SCF v7.0 Launch: Stellar introduced an upgraded version of its Stellar Community Fund (SCF), which aims to provide faster funding paths for developers and support higher-quality projects. This means more opportunities for builders to create useful applications on Stellar’s blockchain.
- Ripple and Stellar Legal Insights: Stellar also shared an insightful article discussing the legal case for open blockchain networks, helping investors and developers understand the regulatory landscape better. This is important because clear legal frameworks support long-term growth and adoption.
Why It Matters
These updates highlight a few important trends in the blockchain world:
- Growth of Stablecoins: Stablecoins are becoming a vital bridge between traditional finance and crypto, enabling smoother payments and reducing volatility risks. Stellar’s success story shows how stablecoins can scale effectively on blockchain networks.
- Strong Governance and Partnerships: Hedera’s council expansion and partnerships like the one with McLaren Racing demonstrate how collaboration between blockchain projects and established companies can drive adoption and real-world use cases.
- Developer Support and Funding: Stellar’s upgraded SCF program focuses on empowering builders. By providing better funding options and support, networks encourage innovation and the creation of useful decentralized applications (dApps).
- Legal Clarity: Understanding the legal environment around open blockchain networks helps reduce uncertainty for investors and developers, paving the way for more mainstream adoption.
These developments show that blockchain technology is not just about price speculation—it’s about creating real tools and partnerships that improve how we interact with money, data, and each other.
Builders’ Corner
If you’re interested in building on blockchains like Stellar, Hedera, or Flare Network, here are some opportunities and tools to explore:
- Stellar Community Fund (SCF) v7.0: This program offers grants and support for projects aiming to build on Stellar. Whether you’re developing a new wallet, a payment app, or a stablecoin, SCF might be a great resource to help you get started.
- Hedera’s Smart Contract Automation: Hedera recently showcased real-world applications of protocol-level smart contract automation. This means you can build contracts that execute automatically based on predefined rules, which is useful for things like supply chain tracking or automated payments.
- Flare Network’s Interoperability: Flare is focused on connecting different blockchains together. If your project needs to interact with more than one blockchain, Flare’s network and tools can help facilitate that.
- Ripple and Stellar’s Payment Solutions: Both networks specialize in fast, low-cost cross-border payments. Builders interested in fintech or remittances can explore their developer tools and APIs for building payment apps.
For newcomers, it’s a good idea to start with the official documentation and community forums of these projects. Many also offer tutorials and example projects to help you learn the basics of blockchain development.
Quick Prices
Here’s a snapshot of recent prices and 24-hour changes for key cryptocurrencies as of January 23, 2026, 13:01 ET:
- Bitcoin (BTC): $90,476 (+1.17%)
- Ethereum (ETH): $2,982.58 (+0.85%)
- Flare Networks (FLR): $0.01045 (+1.30%)
- Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR): $0.11112 (+1.99%)
- Ripple (XRP): $1.95 (+1.03%)
- Stellar (XLM): $0.21574 (+0.94%)
- XDC Network (XDCE): $0.04167 (+3.47%)
Notice that many of these assets have seen steady positive movement, reflecting ongoing confidence in the blockchain ecosystem. Particularly, XDC Network and Hedera have shown notable gains, indicating growing interest.
What to Watch
Looking ahead, here are some key areas to keep an eye on:
- Bitcoin’s Market Cycle: Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao recently suggested that Bitcoin may break its traditional four-year cycle this year. This could signal new patterns in how Bitcoin’s price moves, affecting investment strategies.
- Bank of Japan’s Influence: Bitcoin surged to around $91,000 amid speculation of intervention by the Bank of Japan. Government actions like this can impact cryptocurrency markets, so it’s worth monitoring central bank policies.
- Chainlink’s Interoperability Advances: Chainlink continues to develop tools that connect blockchain data with real-world information, such as stock market data. Their work is crucial for expanding the utility of decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenization.
- Crypto Custodian BitGo’s Market Performance: BitGo’s shares fell below their IPO price recently, reminding investors to stay informed about the financial health of companies providing crypto services.
- New Projects and Partnerships: Keep an eye on announcements from Ripple, Stellar, Hedera, and others about new collaborations and product launches, as these often drive network growth and adoption.
Staying informed about these developments will help you make smarter decisions whether you’re investing, building, or just curious about the future of blockchain technology.
TL;DR: Stellar’s stablecoin growth, Hedera’s new council partners and McLaren partnership, and Stellar’s upgraded developer fund highlight strong ecosystem progress. Prices for major cryptocurrencies remain positive, with XDC and Hedera showing notable gains. Key watch areas include Bitcoin’s market cycle changes, regulatory influences, and Chainlink’s interoperability advances. Builders have fresh opportunities to create on these networks, signaling an optimistic future for blockchain adoption and innovation.
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