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 Canada
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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: From 0.04%
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade
- Min. deposit: $0
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- Crypto Spread: 17.3 (Bitcoin)
- Min. deposit: $0
- Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, FSC, SCB, CMA-Kenya
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- Crypto Spread: 1.19 (BTC/USD) - during tests
- Platforms: MT5
- Min. deposit: $100
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- Crypto Spread: From 0 pip
- Platforms: MT4, MT5
- Min. deposit: $10
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- Crypto Spread: From 0.1
- Platforms: Web, MT4, MT5, cTrader
- Min. deposit: $10
Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.
Here is a summary of why we recommend these brokers in October 2026:
- 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.
- Fusion Markets 4.6/5 Fusion Markets offers the best-known crypto tokens paired with USD, and up to 1:10 leverage depending on your location. Bitcoin spreads are competitive starting from 0.04%, while it shines for its top-notch charting tools in MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView.
- FP Markets 4.2/5 FP Markets supports CFDs on popular cryptos including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. Yet while you can speculate on price movements through CFDs, direct ownership of coins is not supported. FP Markets also doesn’t add up-and-coming tokens for crypto enthusiasts on the pulse.
- 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.
- Ingot Brokers 4.3/5 You can access 25 cryptocurrencies paired with USD, including BTC/USD and ETH/USD as well as smaller tokens like DOTUSD. The broker doesn’t offer a crypto wallet or exchange, although you can deposit via Bitcoin, Ethereum or Tether with zero fees.
- LiteFinance 4.0/5 LiteFinance offers a growing selection of 70+ cryptocurrencies, mostly paired with USD. The list includes some lesser-known tokens with lower market capitalization. However, traders will not directly buy and own the crypto tokens they trade.
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 | ||||
| Fusion Markets | 10376 | ||||
| FP Markets | 10379 | ||||
| Bullwaves | 678 | ||||
| Ingot Brokers | 57 | ||||
| LiteFinance | 687 |
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
- Eightcap has brought in GOLD247 for 24/7 trading opportunities on a gold/USD CFD with leverage up to 1:20, minimum trade size of 0.01 lots, and no commission, appealing to weekend traders interested in the precious metal.
- With tight spreads from 0 pips, low commission fees, Eightcap provides cost-effective and flexible trading conditions that can accommodate an array of strategies, including day trading and scalping.
- 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.
Cons
- In spite of an increasing variety of tools, Eightcap doesn't offer industry favorites like Autochartist or Trading Central, which offer cutting-edge charting analytics, live news, and market insights for short-term traders.
- 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.
- 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.
Fusion Markets
Fusion Markets is a standout option for forex traders looking for excellent pricing with spreads near zero, industry-low commissions and recently TradingView integration. It’s a particularly good broker for Australian traders where the company is headquartered and regulated by the ASIC.
Jemma Grist, Reviewer
Fusion Markets quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, BCH, ADA, ETH, LTC, EOS, XLM, DOT, LNK, AVAX, SOL, MATIC, DOGE, BNB
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- From 0.04%
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Regulator
- ASIC, CySEC, VFSC, FSA
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD
Pros
- Fusion Markets offers best-in-class support with very fast, friendly and helpful responses during tests and no frustrating automated chatbot to navigate.
- Fusion Markets continues to impress with its pricing that provides tight spreads with below-average commissions that will appeal to active day traders.
- The range of charting platforms and social trading features is excellent, with MT4, MT5, cTrader and more recently TradingView, catering to a wide range of trader preferences.
Cons
- Traders outside of Australia and Europe must sign up with weakly regulated global entities with limited safeguards, though in August 2026 they made negative balance protection available to all eligible accounts.
- There is no proprietary trading platform or app built with beginners in mind, a notable drawback compared to AvaTrade.
- While the selection of currency pairs trumps most rivals, the broker's alternative investment offering is average with no stock CFDs beyond the US.
FP Markets
FP Markets strikes an ideal balance between affordability and quality for active traders. They’ve managed to keep trading costs low while expanding their investment offering, charting tools, and research features, all while providing excellent support you can rely on for urgent trading queries.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
FP Markets quick facts
- Coins
- ADA, BCH, BTC, DOG, DOT, EOS, ETH, LNK, LTC, RPL, SOL, XLM
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- 17.3 (Bitcoin)
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- Iress, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Regulator
- ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, FSC, SCB, CMA-Kenya
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD
Pros
- FP Markets has a seamless onboarding experience, standing out with crypto deposits and over 10 base currencies, catering to global traders.
- FP Markets delivers fast and dependable support, available 24/5 with average response times of less than 1 minute during testing.
- FP Markets offers a superb selection of tradable assets, especially since expanding its suite of commodities and supporting over 10,000 stocks.
Cons
- While pricing in the Raw account is excellent, spreads in the Standard account trail the cheapest brokers with a 1.1-pip average spread on the EUR/USD compared to the 0.8-pip average at IC Markets.
- FP Markets’ Iress platform is only available to clients in Australia. It also primarily emphasizes stock trading over forex trading, and data fees can accumulate rapidly unless you're an active trader or maintain a high-balance account.
- FP Markets trails the best MetaTrader brokers, despite offering a Trader's Toolbox on MT4, just 130 instruments are available, limiting opportunities for serious traders, especially compared to Pepperstone with its 1,300 assets.
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.
- Registering on the Bullwaves website and setting up an account is super smooth, only taking a few minutes based on tests.
- Bullwaves now offers copy trading, allowing users to replicate the moves of traders across 900+ strategies with thin spreads from 0.01 pips.
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.
Ingot Brokers
Ingot Brokers is a good choice for day traders looking for a no-frills broker with a wide range of instruments. Experienced traders will appreciate access to the advanced MT5 platform, although beginners may be disappointed in the lack of educational resources.
William Berg, Reviewer
Ingot Brokers quick facts
- Coins
- BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XRP, DOT, EOS, LNK, DOGE, ADA, XLM, ATOM, AAVE, AVX, BNB, DASH, ENJ, FTM, MATIC, SNX, WAVE, XMR, XTZ, YFI, SOL
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- From 0 pip
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5
- Minimum Deposit
- $10
- Regulator
- ASIC, CySEC, JSC, FSA, CMA-Kenya
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD
Pros
- Ingot Brokers offers a copy trading service with passive income opportunities for experienced strategy providers
- Traders can access the market-leading MT4 and MT5 platforms, collectively offering dozens of advanced technical indicators and charting tools for detailed analysis
- Ingot Brokers holds multiple regulatory licenses, including two from the top-tier regulators, ASIC and CySEC
Cons
- The range of 30+ currency pairs is below the industry average and won’t be sufficient for serious forex traders
- Despite improvements in the Resources Hub, the broker’s education and market research still trail many competitors
- The ECN account offers fewer assets than the other account types
LiteFinance
LiteFinance will suit traders seeking a long-standing broker to trade forex, stocks, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and newer assets like equity perpetuals. The social trading system will also suit investors looking to learn from seasoned traders, though careful risk controls are required when copy trading.
Tobias Robinson, Reviewer
LiteFinance quick facts
- Coins
- AAV, ADA, ALG, ALI, ATO, AVX, AXS, BCH, BNB, BTC, BTG, COM, DGE, DOT, DSH, ENJ, EOS, ETH, FIL, ICP, ILV, ITA, KAV, LNK, LTC, LUN, MKR, MNA, MTC, NEA, NEO, OMG, QTM, SIA, SND, SOL, STX, THT, TRX, UNI and many more
- Crypto Mining
- ✘No
- Auto Market Maker
- ✘No
- Crypto Spread
- From 0.1
- Crypto Lending
- ✘No
- Crypto Staking
- ✘No
- Platforms
- Web, MT4, MT5, cTrader
- Minimum Deposit
- $10
- Regulator
- FSC
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR
Pros
- Social trading service
- Good range of forex pairs
- Decent suite of extra tools and features including a VPS
Cons
- Wide spreads on the Classic account
- Not overseen by any top-tier regulator
- Some complaints online about difficulties withdrawing funds
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.