Kicking off Stable Summer in Cannes: Real Utility, Real Access, Real Momentum

You read that right - Stable is hot. Or at least it was during ETHCC in Cannes. The weather brought the heat, and so did we: Stable Summer.

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) showed up in Cannes to prove what happens when trusted infrastructure meets real-world utility. If you were there, you probably saw us at the airport, on the boardwalk, or printed across someone’s tank top.

At every panel, fireside chat, and sidewalk conversation, SDF kept coming back to the same throughline → Stable Summer is here - and it’s happening on Stellar.

Stable Summer is about how stablecoins are already solving problems today, such as powering cash-in/cash-out flows, enabling payroll in crisis zones, and supporting institutions that issue assets onchain.

If you didn’t make it to Cannes, here’s a summary of key themes from SDF CEO Denelle Dixon and CPO Tomer Weller’s speaking engagements:

1. Real-world use > speculative potential

This year, the tone around EthCC felt different. More serious. Less about "what might be possible" and more about "what's already working." Whether it was Tomer outlining stablecoin-powered health worker payroll through the Stellar Disbursement Platform and refugee aid initiatives in LATAM, or Denelle highlighting asset issuers already operating on Stellar rails, it's clear that people aren’t waiting for permission to use stablecoins. They’re using them now.

We talked about wallets in the wild, crypto-to-cash conversions via MoneyGram, and regulated institutions like Franklin Templeton opting to build on Stellar. That’s the future...reliable and incredibly impactful.

2. Infrastructure isn’t sexy…until it is

Many conversations centered on infrastructure. Not the ‘launch a flashy app’ kind, but the real connective tissue like on and off-ramps, liquidity providers, regulatory clarity, and compliant smart contracts. This is the behind-the-scenes work that makes visible adoption possible.

Stable Summer reflects the years of steady, intentional work across the Stellar ecosystem. The blueprint is established, infrastructure is in place, real-world use is growing, and the momentum speaks for itself.

3. Interoperability > maximalism

SDF was on stage with folks from Borderless.xyz, Blockaid, Societe Generale FORGE, Flare, Pyth, Relay, and others. One shared pain point stood out: everyone’s tired of talking about which chain will “win.” The conversation is shifting toward access and integration, not isolation.

Tomer described Stellar’s role as a bridge, not only between fiat and crypto, but across ecosystems. Whether it’s swapping cash for USDC through an agent network or plugging into other chains’ liquidity, the focus is on pragmatic connectivity, not protocol ideology.

4. Trust IS the solution

Stable Summer is all about how the Stellar network has been "designed for trust from the ground up." From built-in compliance tooling to the Stellar Consensus Protocol, everything built on Stellar assumes that users - especially institutions - want transparency without the complexity.

We’re not chasing “trustless" - we’re building trusted. SDF is focused on supporting the Stellar network by building trust-minimized systems that actually meet people where they are, especially those working within regulatory frameworks.

5. B2B and institutional adoption are heating up

This was a surprise for some, but not for us… B2B payments and corporate stablecoins are no longer fringe ideas. From Société Générale’s deep dive on internal process hurdles to Denelle’s point about small to medium-sized businesses needing liquidity rails, the enterprise use case for stablecoins is maturing fast!

Institutions don't just want tech. They want stewardship. Product thinking. Support. That’s where SDF comes in - supporting not just the issuance of tokens, but also their actual activation in the market.

Tomer Weller said: "It’s not just about the technology, it’s about the network." - during his Stablecoins House fireside chat with Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of borderless.xyz.

6. Nothing works without the ecosystem

This was an important reminder for all those on the ground around EthCC. You can’t build in a vacuum. Every issuer, every developer, every market maker, every wallet is all part of the same flywheel. If one piece is missing, the whole ecosystem wobbles.

That’s why Denelle reminded us that “SDF is the convener. We help obviously on the tech side, but we really try to bring everyone together and help them to build what they need to build.”

SDF supports the Stellar technology, yes. But more importantly, it’s an ecosystem connector, ensuring growth and adoption.

So yeah… Stable Summer is here, and it’s not over yet!

SDF didn’t have to make bold predictions in our talks. We didn’t need hype - we had receipts, real use cases, and a network already delivering.

Stable Summer is a reflection of where we are and where we’re headed - toward stable, interoperable, and trusted financial tools that just work.

And judging by the energy in the rooms and online, we’re not the only ones feeling it.

Continue the momentum and join us at our next stop: Meridian 2025 where we’re bringing that blueprint we mentioned earlier to life: https://meridian.stellar.org/

Click below to watch Denelle and Tomer's speaking engagements at ETHCC:

1. Stablecoins in the Real World: A Fireside Chat with Tomer Weller at Stablecoin House
2. Multichain DeFi: A Panel with SDF, Flare, Pyth, and Relay
3. SDF's Tomer Weller on Real-World Utility, Security & Privacy
4. The Future of Payments: A Fireside Chat with SDF CEO Denelle Dixon during Multichain Day
5. Stablecoins & TradFi: A Fireside Chat with the Stellar Development Foundation & Societe Generale