This article was first published on March 7, 2018
Stellar is a distributed, hybrid blockchain. It works as a decentralised cryptocurrency based on Lumens, with the ticker symbol ‘XLM’. This page will break down everything you need to know about Stellar, including the cryptocurrency’s history, wallets and future price projections. Finally, some top tips on how to start day trading with Stellar coins will be given.
Stellar Brokers in Belgium
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- Crypto Spread: $12 (BTC)
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradeLocker
- Min. deposit: $100
71.28% of retail traders lose money when trading CFDs -
- Crypto Spread: 19.75 (BTC/USD)
- Platforms: FBS App, MT4, MT5
- Min. deposit: $5
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- Crypto Spread: 12 average (Bitcoin)
- Min. deposit: $0
- Regulator: FMA, FSA
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- Crypto Spread: BTC 1%
- Crypto Staking
- Platforms: eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral
61% of retail CFD accounts lose money. eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. -
- Crypto Spread: 0.22%
- Platforms: xStation
- Min. deposit: $0
75% of accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. -
- Crypto Spread: 1.19 (BTC/USD) - during tests
- Platforms: MT5
- Min. deposit: $100
Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.
Here is a short summary of why we think each broker belongs in this top list:
- Eightcap 4.6/5 Eightcap’s crypto offering is best-in-class with 120+ crypto derivatives, surpassing that of almost every alternative. Testing also reveals Bitcoin spreads of 12 pips, coming in lower than most competitors. Add in convenient deposits and withdrawals in digital currencies, and Eightcap offers the complete package for serious crypto traders.
- FBS 4.3/5 FBS offers trading on crypto/metal, crypto/crypto or crypto/fiat pairs, making the broker a great pick for traders looking to diversify their digital asset portfolios. Spreads are also reasonable, averaging around 20.0 for BTC/USD.
- BlackBull 4.5/5 BlackBull excels for active traders interested in trading crypto. It has grown its selection of cryptocurrencies, now providing 27+ digital tokens, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Trump, with all cryptos paired with USD. But pricing is where it excels, with testing revealing average spreads of around 12 on BTC/USD - less than half that of competitors like Eightcap, plus there’s no commission, making it considerably cheaper than most crypto CFD brokers. BlackBull also offers separate well-presented crypto guides for beginner, intermediate and advanced traders. Up to 1:100 leverage is available on cryptos.
- eToro 4.0/5 eToro leads the way in cryptocurrency trading, offering competitive spreads and a fixed 1% commission, plus their own wallet service. The broker offers a vast list of 100+ tokens which is continually being updated, including 29 new tokens in April 2025, from AI to memecoins. It also brought in crypto staking in 2025, allowing users to earn rewards for HODLing digital assets. Crypto investments are risky and may not suit retail investors. You could lose your entire investment. Understand the risks here.
- XTB 4.8/5 XTB offers an excellent selection of cryptos with more than 50 digital currencies. Spreads are tight starting from 0.22% on BTC and leverage reaches 1:5. The xStation platform also provides intra-crypto pairs like ETH/BTC and DSH/BTC. With the capability to trade cryptos 24/7, XTB ensures a secure environment with transparent accounts for cryptocurrency day trading.
- Bullwaves 3.9/5 Bullwaves offers range of 130+ crypto markets,including 10 crypto majors like BTC, 47 crypto minors, and 16 crypto-crypto pairs that we counted in the platform during testing. The web and desktop platforms also offer extensive charting features that will appeal to active crypto traders deploying short-term strategies.
Community Sentiment
See how users rate these brokers based on the average customer ratings submitted on DayTrading.com, plus ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.
| Broker | Our Users' Rating | Trustpilot Score | Trustpilot Reviews | iOS App Rating | Android App Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eightcap | 3910 | ||||
| FBS | 10284 | ||||
| BlackBull | 3522 | ||||
| eToro | 32292 | ||||
| XTB | 3049 | ||||
| Bullwaves | 678 |
Eightcap
Eightcap delivers in every area for day traders with a growing selection of charting platforms, education via Labs, and AI-powered tools. Now sporting 120+ crypto CFDs, it's also become a stand-out choice for crypto trading, winning our 'Best Crypto Broker' award two years in a row.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Eightcap quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XRP, XMR, DSH, EOS, XLM, ADA, TRX, DOGE, BNB, DOT, MATIC, VET, AXS, NEO, SOL, UNI, AAVE, KSM, THETA, CAKE, SUSHI, ATOM, XTZ, SNX, COMP, FLOW, EGLD, PUNDIX, RAY, ZIL, QTUM, BAND, OMG, FIDA, BADGER, NEAR and many more
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- $12 (BTC)
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradeLocker
- Minimum Deposit
- $100
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSC, SCB, FSA
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SGD
Pros
- After bolstering its roster in 2021, Eightcap offers one of the most extensive selections of cryptocurrency CFDs in the market, with crypto/fiat pairs, crypto/crypto pairs, plus crypto indices for broader exposure to the market.
- Having excelled across all key areas for day traders, Eightcap outperformed every competitor to win our 'Best Overall Broker' award for 2024, also securing our 'Best Crypto Broker' title for 2025 and 'Best TradingView Broker' for 2025.
- Eightcap added TradeLocker in 2026 for certain regions, marking it out as the best regulated TradeLocker broker, while still delivering Eightcap's ultra-fast execution and low fees for active traders on the charting software.
Cons
- Eightcap needs to continue bolstering its suite of 800+ instruments to match category leaders like Blackbull Markets with its 26,000+ assets, featuring a particularly weak selection of commodities.
- Despite a useful library of educational guides and e-books in Labs, Eightcap still trails IG’s comprehensive toolkit for aspiring traders with its dedicated IG Academy app and 18 course categories.
- The demo account expires after 30 days and can only be extended upon request - a notable inconvenience compared to the likes of XM with its unlimited demo mode.
FBS
FBS is an excellent choice for day traders at every level and budget, with just a $5 minimum deposit and intensive academy for aspiring traders alongside access to MT4 and MT5.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
FBS quick facts
- Coins
- BCH, BTC, ETH, LTC, XRP, TRX, DOGE, SOL, XLM, BNB, ETC, ADA, DOT, LINK, UNI, SHIB, AVA, TON
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- 19.75 (BTC/USD)
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- FBS App, MT4, MT5
- Minimum Deposit
- $5
- Regulator
- ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, AUD, JPY
Pros
- 24/7 customer support that performed excellently during testing is available, alongside a $5 minimum deposit, and a huge variety of 200+ funding options, making it ideal for traders with small accounts.
- FBS strikes the balance between robust features and ease of use, with a sign-up process taking <10 minutes, an intuitive app, advanced research through Market Analytics & more recently VIP Analytics, plus immersive education through the FBS Academy and Trader’s Blog.
- The introduction of the FBI Assistant has given active traders useful, AI-powered intelligence to assess charts and patterns with potential trade ideas that can be executed in one click.
Cons
- Although the FBS app offers a terrific mobile trading experience for aspiring traders and MT4/MT5 cater to advanced traders, the absence of cTrader and TradingView, which are increasingly offered by alternatives like Pepperstone, will deter day traders familiar with these platforms.
- There are only four base currencies available - EUR, USD, AUD and JPY (region dependant) - which isn't practical for minimizing currency conversion fees for many global traders, and is especially striking given the broker’s user base spans over 150 nations.
- Despite enhancing the selection of currency pairs, now providing over 70, FBS still trails industry leaders like BlackBull Markets in its market offering with a particularly narrow selection of commodities and indices.
BlackBull
After improving its trading infrastructure with Equinix servers in London, reducing latency for traders, BlackBull is an obvious choice if you want to day trade stock CFDs with ECN pricing. With competitive spreads and no commission on a growing roster of digital tokens paired with USD, BlackBull also works for active crypto traders.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
BlackBull quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, ETH, SOL, XLM, XRP, BCH, ADA, SUI, TRUMP, LNK, DOT, DOGE, AAVE, AXS, HED, LTC, TRX, UNI, PYTH, ARB, BNB, AVAX, NEAR, ILV, ATM, INJ, POLY
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- 12 average (Bitcoin)
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- BlackBull Invest, BlackBull CopyTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Regulator
- FMA, FSA
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, ZAR, SGD
Pros
- BlackBull is a much greater fit for aspiring traders following the overhaul of its ECN Prime account, now featuring improved spreads averaging 0.16 on EUR/USD and a more accessible minimum deposit of $0 compared to the old $2,000.
- BlackBull offers every ingredient for day traders; fast execution speeds of <100ms and tight spreads from 0.0 pips.
- BlackBulls’s research is superb, especially the daily ‘Trading Opportunities’ articles that break down complex market movements into easy-to-understand insights, making it simpler to capitalize on emerging trends.
Cons
- Unlike most top brokers, BlackBull charges an irritating $5 withdrawal fee, which can detract from the overall cost-effectiveness, especially for active traders who frequently move funds.
- Although the Education Hub now features improvements like webinars and tutorials, the courses we’ve explored need more focus on explaining the wider economic factors influencing prices.
- Despite a growing selection of 2,180+ assets, including additions to its Asia Pacific indices, they are mainly stocks with an average selection of currency pairs and indices.
eToro
eToro's social trading platform leads the pack with a terrific user experience and active community chat that can help beginners find opportunities. There are also competitive fees on thousands of CFDs and real stocks, plus excellent rewards for experienced strategy providers.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
eToro quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, ETH, BCH, XRP, DASH, LTC, ETC, API3, CRO, SKL, IMX, ADA, MIOTA, XLM, EOS, NEO, TRX, ZEC, BNB, XTZ, DOT, MKR, COMP, LINK, UNI, YFI, DOGE, AAVE, FIL, ALGO, ATOM, MANA, APE, LRC, ENJ, BICO, BAT, BNT, OGN, MATIC and many more
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- BTC 1%
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✔Yes
- Platforms
- eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral
- Minimum Deposit
- $50
- Regulator
- FCA, CySEC, MiCA, MFSA, FSRA, ASIC, FSAS, MAS, GFSC
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, DKK
Pros
- Charts are powered by TradingView and offer strong technical analysis features, including 9 chart types and over 100 indicators.
- In 2025, eToro stopped including all crypto trading fees within the spread - instead, the same commission is now charged separately and shown as a clear line item, giving active traders more transparency without increasing overall costs.
- Top copy traders can receive annual payments up to 1.5% of assets under copy in the broker's Popular Investor Program.
Cons
- The lack of additional charting platforms like MT4 will reduce the appeal for seasoned day traders accustomed to using third-party software.
- There are limited contact methods aside from the in-platform live chat.
- There are no guaranteed stop loss orders which would be a useful risk management feature for beginners.
XTB
XTB stands out as a top choice for new day traders with the terrific xStation platform, low trading costs, no minimum deposit, and excellent educational tools, many of which are seamlessly integrated into the platform.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
XTB quick facts
- Coins
- ADA, BTC, BCH, DSH, EOS, ETH, IOTA, LTC, NEO, XRP, XLM, TRX, XEM, XLM, XMR, DOGE, BNB, LINK, UNI, DOT, XTZ
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- 0.22%
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- xStation
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Regulator
- FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, CMF, Bappebti
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP
Pros
- XTB has boosted its interest rate on uninvested balances and added zero-fee ISAs (On ETFs and real shares, or 0.2% with transactions over €100k) for UK clients with a huge range of markets available.
- With an excellent range of educational materials, including training videos and articles integrated into the platform, XTB supports traders at all levels.
- XTB offers fast withdrawals with payment within 3 business days, depending on the method and amount.
Cons
- Not being able to adjust the default leverage level of XTB products is frustrating, as manual adjustment can significantly mitigate trade risk, especially in forex and CFD trading.
- Trading fees are competitive with average spreads of around 1 pip on the EUR/USD but still trail the cheapest brokers like IC Markets, plus there's an inactivity fee after 12 months.
- XTB does not offer a raw spread account, which is becoming increasingly common among competitors like Pepperstone, and may disappoint day traders looking for the tightest spreads.
Bullwaves
Bullwaves may appeal to aspiring day traders looking for the MetaTrader charting platforms with a growing suite of research tools, including AI-powered market analysis. However, the limited track record and weak regulatory credentials raise questions about its reliability.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Bullwaves quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, ADA, ALG, ATM, AVA, AXS, BAT, BCH, CAK, CRV, DOG, DOT, DSH, ETC, ETH, FIL, INC, IOT, LNK, LTC, NEO, NER, ONE, SAN, SHB, SOL, SUS, TON, TRX, UNI, VEC, XLM, XMR, XRP, XTZ, ZEC, BNB, AAV, ALI, ANK and many more
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- 1.19 (BTC/USD) - during tests
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- MT5
- Minimum Deposit
- $100
- Regulator
- FSA
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP
Pros
- USDT deposits and withdrawals are facilitated, in addition to regular bank cards, bank wire transfers, and an e-wallet.
- MT5 is supported (MT4 has been discontinued), giving day traders a leading charting platform with excellent backtesting capabilities.
- Bullwaves has upgraded its market offering with global equities, soft commodities, cryptos, and ETFs, as well as tripling the selection of FX assets.
Cons
- Customer support performed poorly during our initial tests with no 24/7 chat support as advertised, and no response to our email queries, though it performed much better in our latest round of tests with most queries getting answers same-day.
- Bullwaves has limited education tools, reducing its appeal for beginners, especially compared to category leaders like IG that provide structured courses and interactive elements.
- Bullwaves operates without strong regulation in major jurisdictions, holding a license with one lower tier regulator, the Seychelles FSA, meaning it lacks oversight from reputable authorities to ensure compliance with strict financial standards.
What is Stellar?
Before considering the cryptocurrency’s potential, how precisely it works needs to be explained. Essentially, Stellar is an open-source payment technology that seeks to connect financial institutions, while seriously reducing the cost and time associated with cross-border transfers. For that reason, it is somewhat like the Ripple network. In fact, they both share the same initial protocol.
The stellar protocol is actually supported by a nonprofit, the Stellar Development Foundation. The Stellar blockchain enables users to generate their own tokens and Stellar can manage as many as 1,000 transactions each second.
The cryptocurrency itself is based on Lumens. Each Lumen is a single unit of the currency. Initial supply was to be around 100 billion. 18 million or so XLM were swiftly in circulation.
One of the clear advantages of the cryptocurrency is that buying Lumens allows users to interact with a number of fiat currencies with ease. For example, both forex traders and travellers can capitalise on swift and straightforward access to the US dollar or Euro.
Overall then, their vision is clear if not challenging – they seek to revolutionise global financial transactions. Specifically, they want to allow developing nations to take part in global finances, starting in the South Pacific.
History
The Stellar team came to life in 2014. The cryptocurrency creators were the co-founder of the Ripple, Jed McCaleb and former lawyer Joyce Kim. In fact, the company was launched when McCaleb left Ripple after a number of disagreements. But while this may have dampened the outlook of Ripple, it ensured the Stellar owner had a point to prove.
At the initial launch, Stellar was built on the Ripple protocol. However, forking took place once a number of changes to critical consensus code were made. The Stellar Development Foundation built an updated version of the protocol, boasting a new consensus algorithm, based on a totally new code. April 2015 then saw the release of the white paper. The updated coin network then went live in November 2015.
Stellar Partnerships
Future value predictions for this cryptocurrency often hinge on information about potential partners. Fortunately, the company has secured investment and deals with a number of high profile enterprises, including:
- Stripe – The payment service has removed blockchain, allowing access to Stellar on its platform.
- Ordain – The cloud-based banking software company Ordain will use the Stellar network to bridge microfinance institutions in Nigeria.
- The Praekelt Foundation – Their aim is to integrate Stellar into their open-source messaging app, Vumi. This should allow young Sub-Saharan African girls to save money using airtime credits.
- International success – December 2016 saw the announcement of several partnerships in India, the Philippines and West Africa. The result of this was a significant increase in the cryptocurrency’s trading value on exchanges.
- Deloitte – 2016 also saw Deloitte announce a partnership with Stellar to create a payments app.
- Banking results – At a 2017 conference, McCaleb made the announcement that 30 banks had signed up to use Stellar’s blockchain for cross-border payments.
- IBM – In October 2017 the latest news on cryptocurrency coin websites and forums was Stellar’s partnership with IBM. The purpose of the deal was to create multiple currency corridors for countries in the South Pacific, such as South Africa. This would allow small enterprises, non-profits and local financial institutions to enhance commercial transactions.
- Benefit scheme – In September 2017, it became clear the coin’s value was set to increase even further. Stellar announced it was to award partners up to $2 million in a new benefits system to develop “high impact projects”.
- Word spreads – Furthermore, the cryptocurrency’s trading price and predictions in 2018 rose after graphs illustrated a huge increase in the number of people online talking about Stellar coins each week.
Stellar Live Chart
Architecture
Take the Stellar cryptocurrency vs Ripple and Bitcoin and a couple of clear differences arise. Firstly, Ripple is a closed system, whereas Stellar is open source. Servers run a software implementation of the protocol while using the internet to interact with other Stellar servers, creating a global value exchange network.
Each server makes a record of every account on the network. These details are then stored in a database, also known as a ledger. Servers will put forward changes to a ledger by suggesting transactions which move accounts from one location to another, by spending an account’s balance or altering a property of an account. All servers will then reach an agreement on which transactions to apply to the current ledger, known as ‘consensus’. This mechanism takes place regularly, every two to four-seconds in fact. As a result, each server’s copy of the ledger is synced and kept exactly the same.
The consensus protocol also means Stellar does not require coin mining pools, unlike the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
On top of the protocol difference, Stellar’s CEO also seeks different customers. Ripple focuses on established banking institutions to enhance their cross-border transfer technology. Whereas Stellar is concerned with developing markets and has a number of uses for its technology, from money remittances to bank loan distribution to the unbanked.
Inflation
The coin’s rate is kept stable as Stellar has a built-in inflation system. Small amounts of free XLM are given to members. A tiny fraction of the Lumens taken from each operation goes towards inflation, as well as all other Lumens dispensed into circulation.
Benefits
There are a number of advantages to the Stellar cryptocurrency, including:
- Decentralisation – Ripple is moving away from the decentralised nature digital currencies were built on. Stellar, however, is far more decentralised. Furthermore, it is actually a nonprofit organisation.
- Low fees – As trading systems and platforms go, Stellar offers an extremely cheap way to transfer capital. In fact, the operation fee for each transaction is as little as 0.00001 XLM. Exchanging currencies is also relatively cheap.
- Security – You can freeze transfers if you accidentally entered the wrong wallet address, for example. This is unlike the majority of digital currencies where transfers are irreversible. Transactions although normally public, can also be made private via third-party plugins.
- Community-owned – The community owns the Stellar network. If the nonprofit organisation vanished, the network would still function. This also means anyone with Lumens can vote where capital comes from and how transition fees should be spent.
- ICOs – Although it doesn’t handle all software types like Ethereum, for example, it is one of the best choices for cryptocurrency ICOs.
- Promising partnerships – The cryptocurrency has secured a number of powerful partners, including IBM and the KlickEx Group. This has helped stimulate substantial growth in coin price charts and forecasts.
- Accessibility – Cryptocurrency trading in India, the UK and the rest of the world is on the rise. From trading bots to futures trading, there is a range of instruments and techniques for aspiring traders to choose from.
- Resources – There is a huge range of cryptocurrency resources you can turn to. Yahoo Finance, for example, will give you the coin’s news today and the current buy price in USD, AUD, Euro and more. Even brokers, such as eToro will give you analysis and commentary when prices drop and markets fluctuate.
Drawbacks
Before you decide to purchase any of this cryptocurrency, coin reviews have highlighted a number of drawbacks, including:
- Distribution – The founders own 90% of Lumens. Having so much of the cryptocurrency’s worth in the hands of so few can be worrying for future growth. These ‘whales’ have the ability to send prices plummeting if they sell large quantities of their digital capital.
- Competition – Regardless of current cryptocurrency live prices, it is only the technology that is likely to stand the test of time. Companies will choose one chain and stick with it. So while a few may survive, tens will not. This may mean even Stellar’s reputable name may disappear from the map if it doesn’t secure enough partners.
- Manpower – Coin forecasts and projections often assume teams will develop quickly to meet drastic growth. However, this is not always the case. The Stellar team is relatively small and rapid growth may lead to fragmentation and mistakes.
So while coin reviews are mostly positive and their purpose admirable, market history shows us price can tumble at a moments notice. Not to mention, maintaining and gaining market share when competition is so fierce is challenging to say the least.
Where to Buy Stellar Coins
Fortunately, as a result of an increasing number of coin exchanges becoming available, buying Lumens is relatively straightforward. The cryptocurrency exchanges Binance, Bittrex, Poloniex, Kraken and Coinbase all have Stellar coins available for purchase. It is also possible to speculate on price movements without using an exchange, many brokers now offer single click access to crypto trading. IQ Option offer access to over 20 different coins and tokens.
Wallets
Now you know where to buy Stellar coins. However, you will also need to store your new coins in a wallet. You get a choice between mobile, desktop and web wallets. In fact, all of the following wallets support Lumens:
- Stellar Desktop Client
- Ledger Nano S
- Stellar Portal
- Blackwallet
- StellarTerm
- Stronghold
- Centaurus
- Stargazer
- Lobster
- Papaya
- SAZA
Faucets
There is also an option for those looking to get free stellar coins. Cryptocurrency faucets, usually found on websites or apps, are effectively reward systems. They simply give away coins in return for completing a captcha or task detailed on the website. If used correctly, faucets can help increase your total number of coins, which you can then use to day trade.
What’s Next for Stellar?
Trading reviews impress with the cryptocurrency’s price history and performance. Strong partnership deals and a focus on a stronger lightning network are likely to increase the coin’s future price predictions. Furthermore, The Stellar Decentralised Exchange (SDEX) is set to enhance scalability and security. It aims to bring cheaper rates between assets as well as low trading fees.
Despite the number of positives, coin and price graphs often fail to signpost potential pitfalls. Stellar certainly does come with risks. Strong competition and a monopoly on coin ownership could all prove dangerous for aspiring traders.
For further crypto guidance, see our cryptocurrency page.