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Stellar (XLM) trading volume flipped XRP on Upbit as retail traders react to a new tokenization partnership with the DTCC.
Retail traders have rotated funds into Stellar (XLM), pushing its trading volume ahead of XRP on South Korea’s Upbit exchange following a partnership announcement involving the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) [1]. This shift marks the first time XLM has overtaken XRP in activity on the platform, signaling a surge in buying pressure driven by institutional news [1].
Key takeaways
The move in South Korea was significant enough to push XLM to the top of Upbit’s rankings, with market analyst Xaif Crypto noting the volume disparity [1]. The catalyst for this momentum is a "buy-the-news" reaction to plans by the DTCC and the Stellar Development Foundation to link DTCC’s tokenization infrastructure with the Stellar blockchain [1]. Because the DTCC processes and safeguards trillions in securities transactions, the integration is viewed by some pundits as a strong endorsement of Stellar’s positioning in the tokenized finance sector [1]. This reaction fueled a wave of FOMO-driven buying, contributing to a 57% weekly price rally for XLM [1].
Despite the immediate market reaction, some analysts argue the event does not sideline XRP but rather points toward a multi-chain financial system [1]. Crypto researcher SMQKE suggests the long-term relationship between Ripple and Stellar may resemble a duopoly, similar to Visa and Mastercard, where parallel systems coexist to serve different segments [1]. Fundamentally, the projects differ: XRP is primarily used for interbank settlements and is backed by the centralized company Ripple, while XLM is described as a decentralized platform focusing on financial services for individuals and small businesses [2]. Additionally, XRP is currently navigating an ongoing SEC lawsuit regarding unregistered securities, whereas Stellar has secured regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services [2].
The market’s response highlights
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 2 outlets · Jun 3, 2026 · How we report
Most institutional transactions on the ledger use Ripple's stablecoin, RLUSD, for settlement, while XRP is only used to pay minimal network fees.
The kit provides tools for third parties to build agentic payments, aiming to automate cross-border payment workflows using AI agents.
Distributed assets are held and moved by investors in their own wallets, while represented assets are recorded on the ledger but managed elsewhere.
The activation of a native lending protocol and the potential for tokenized assets to trade directly on the ledger could create new utility for XRP.