Stellar’s native token XLM posted a 14% gain in the latest CoinDesk 20 performance update, making it the standout performer in the index while most of its peers treaded water or slid backward.
The rally didn’t come out of nowhere. On May 27, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, the backbone of US securities settlement, announced it would integrate the Stellar network into its tokenized securities platform. Stellar becomes the first public blockchain in DTCC’s multi-chain tokenization strategy.
The numbers behind the move
During a late May CoinDesk 20 update, XLM gained 10.5% while the overall index dropped 3.1%.
Trading volume surged approximately 850% at its peak, pushing close to $900 million. Open interest climbed roughly 10.9%, and multiple short squeezes added fuel to the rally. Traders who had bet against XLM got caught on the wrong side, and their forced buying amplified the upward pressure.
At its peak during this stretch, XLM traded in the $0.28 to $0.29 range, pushing its market capitalization past $9 billion. On a weekly basis, some reports pointed to gains between 30% and 50%, depending on the entry point measured.
Why DTCC matters more than most partnerships
DTCC processes the vast majority of US securities transactions, settling trillions of dollars worth of trades annually. Stellar is the first public chain integration for tokenized securities in DTCC’s multi-chain strategy. Testing is set to begin in July 2026, with a full rollout targeted for the first half of 2027.
May 2026 saw additional ecosystem developments, including Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) integration and broader advancements in payments and tokenization frameworks.
What this means for investors
XLM has historically lived in the shadow of XRP in the cross-border payments and institutional blockchain space. The DTCC selection gives Stellar a concrete, verifiable institutional anchor in the securities tokenization vertical that XRP doesn’t currently have.
An 850% volume increase paired with rising open interest typically indicates new money entering positions. The DTCC integration is still in pre-testing phase, with a July 2026 test window meaning months of execution risk ahead.
Traders should watch the $0.28 level closely. If XLM holds above that zone through any near-term pullback, it would confirm the DTCC news established a genuine new support level. The open interest trajectory over the next two to three weeks will also reveal whether leveraged traders are building sustained positions or simply chasing the initial move.