Chainlink and Stellar: How a Dual Alliance is Redefining Cross-Chain Finance

A significant merger has occurred in the blockchain ecosystem. Stellar has integrated the Chainlink technology stack — the CCIP cross-chain protocol, Data Feeds, and Data Streams — to radically simplify cross-network asset transfers and open up new opportunities for DeFi.

What exactly has changed

This integration brought three key improvements:

Cross-chain transfers without token type binding. Stellar users can now send assets between blockchains without intermediate operations — minimal friction, maximum speed.

Programmable actions with tokens. Developers have received tools for creating advanced DeFi applications: automated lending protocols, next-generation yield farms, complex financial instruments.

Real-time uncensored data. The decentralized oracle network Chainlink ensures that Stellar applications operate with up-to-date, unforgeable information — critical for the execution of smart contracts.

Real Asset Market: $2 trillion is waiting for you

The industry predicts that by 2028, the volume of tokenized real assets (RWA) will rise by $2 trillion. These are treasury bonds, funds, securities — everything is transitioning to blockchain.

The star ecosystem has already shown results:

• $5.4 billion in quarterly RWA payment volume
• 700% rise in the use of smart contracts

Now with Chainlink support, Stellar positions itself as an ecosystem for institutional players seeking secure and regulated solutions.

Why It Matters for DeFi

The problem with the cross-chain ecosystem is that it is fragmented. Stellar + Chainlink connect the disparate parts:

• Assets move between networks without intermediaries — cheaper and faster
• Developers create complex strategies that span multiple blockchains.
• DeFi is becoming more accessible to regular users, not just for geeks.

This will accelerate the scaling of decentralized finance by billions.

SCALE: how Chainlink subsidizes innovation

Stellar has joined the SCALE program from Chainlink. The essence: Chainlink subsidizes the operational costs of its oracles for developers in the Stellar ecosystem. The result is affordable access to production-ready infrastructure. This is a clear signal: both platforms are focused on rapid development and support building.

Who will come first

Institutions are waiting for exactly this stack. When a bank or pension fund decides to enter DeFi, they need:

• Data protection - Chainlink provides
• Cross-chain comfort - Stellar provides
• Compliance with regulation - both are focused on this

Application? Tokenization of government bonds, international payments in seconds, corporate liquidity pools in DeFi.

What awaits next

By 2028, the industry expects exponential rise:

• Banks are massively entering blockchain
• Regulatory uncertainty is dissipating
• Cross-chain functionality is becoming the standard

Stellar and Chainlink position themselves not just as players, but as architects of the bridge between traditional finance and the world of DeFi. If this bridge works as intended — the game changes completely.