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ANCHORS : CONNECTING THE REAL-WORLD TO STELLAR
Anchors connect the Stellar network to traditional banking rails so that all the world's currencies can interoperate on a single, seamless platform.
What is an Anchor?
In the world of the Stellar network, anchors act as bridges enabling users to exchange real world value held off the network for value they can hold on the network.
Typically, anchor-eligible organizations include fiat and digital institutions such as banks, crypto exchanges, and money transfer operators with the capacity to help users send, deposit or withdraw fiat for digital assets. When combined, these anchors form the global Stellar anchor network, providing users worldwide access to a variety of financial services built on blockchain.
What Challenge Do Anchors Solve?
In today’s world, each region has its own payment system (SEPA, SPEI, etc). These systems were built to serve specific jurisdictions rather than the broader global community. As a consequence, global payments made on traditional financial rails can experience greater time delays, expensive fees, and limited geographic reach.
But, in our interconnected world where sending money between companies or family members scattered across the globe has become commonplace, it's clear we need a better way to move different forms of currency between one region’s payment system to another – instantly, inexpensively, and seamlessly. Anchors on the Stellar network can be the key to this solution. By bridging their payment services to the Stellar network, anchors link the established tradfi economy to the efficiency of the Stellar blockchain.
Anchors
Types of Anchors
Anchors on the Stellar network can offer a variety of services that unite the fiat and digital asset economies.
On and Off-Ramps
Provide buy/sell and deposit/withdraw services between fiat and digital assets.
Issuers
Tokenize real-world value as digital assets on the network.
Exchanges
Support assets issued on the Stellar network such as USDC and XLM.
Interoperable Anchors
Bridge their services to the Stellar blockchain via the network’s technical standards.
What Motivates an Entity to Become an Anchor?
There are many factors that would motivate an entity to become an Anchor.
Greater market access
The Stellar network hosts a variety of interoperable digital wallet applications available for anchors to integrate with. This means anchors can expand their customer base to existing wallet users operating in new markets around the world.
Lower costs
Anchors can leverage the Stellar network’s low fees to maintain competitive rates and margins for their services. From deposit/withdrawal fees, to FX spread and transaction fees, anchors can implement a variety of business models and monetization strategies while maintaining low fees for customers.
Innovation
Being an anchor on the Stellar network means being at the forefront of financial technology innovation. By building on the network, businesses can open their services to the digital asset ecosystem with one integration and enable new customer bases and revenue streams.
Financial inclusion
Anchors are crucial in helping the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) achieve its goal of greater access to the financial system for all. By becoming an anchor, financial institutions can support this mission by making services accessible to a global customer base on the Stellar network.
Becoming an Anchor is Easier Than Ever
Anchors are an integral part of SDF’s effort to create a new global payment standard, which is why we offer a streamlined process for entities to become an anchor. It’s now easier than ever. Simplify your Stellar integration with the Anchor Platform and explore existing anchors in the Anchor Directory.
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