UNDP Expands Stellar Payment Partnership

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN agency supporting sustainable development projects, and Stellar Development Foundation, the nonprofit organization behind the Stellar blockchain, have extended their partnership to expand blockchain-based digital payment solutions.

The new agreement moves the project beyond pilot programs and focuses on making digital payments a standard tool for UNDP offices around the world. The initiative is coordinated by the UNDP Alternative Finance Lab in Istanbul and aims to create the systems and rules needed for wider adoption.

The decision follows 16 months of testing across 17 countries. Pilot projects were launched in Haiti, Syria, Kenya, Guatemala, and The Gambia, while additional solutions reached the prototype stage in Colombia and Papua New Guinea. The partners also developed several payment solutions through the Sustainable Development Goals Blockchain Accelerator.

The renewed partnership will now focus on governance, security, and onboarding processes needed to use blockchain payments across humanitarian assistance, social protection, and financial inclusion programs.

Stellar Development Foundation will continue providing technical expertise and support for projects built on the Stellar network, while UNDP will remain responsible for implementation. The agreement will run through 2027. By the end of the partnership, the organizations plan to deliver a complete evidence base, operational guidance, and a scaling framework that will allow UNDP to continue using the technology independently.

Image: Magnific