Stellar Hits Record 217 TPS as Institutional RWA Activity Surges

The Stellar (XLM) blockchain has set a new transaction speed record as growing institutional activity and tokenized real-world assets drive heavier network usage.

According to blockchain analytics platform Chainspect, Stellar reached a peak throughput of 217.4 transactions per second (TPS) across a 100-block window. The milestone surpassed its previous record of roughly 211 TPS, which had stood for less than two weeks.

Unlike performance records generated through stress testing, Stellar’s latest surge was reportedly supported by genuine transaction demand. A major technical factor was the Protocol 28, or Adapter, upgrade activated in mid-September. The update introduced faster consensus processing by allowing validators to begin voting before receiving an entire transaction batch.

Stellar also improved Soroban, its smart contract platform, to handle large data sets more efficiently.

Institutional adoption of tokenized real-world assets has contributed significantly to network activity. As of September 27, Stellar ranked fourth among blockchains by RWA value with $3.38 billion, trailing Ethereum at $16.54 billion, BNB Chain at $5.67 billion and Solana at $4.35 billion.

Stellar hosts only 72 active RWA projects, giving it an average value of about $47 million per project. Major assets include the Spiko Amundi Overnight Swap Fund with $1.16 billion, Ondo Finance’s USDY at $536 million and Franklin Templeton’s BENJI tokenized fund at $431 million.

Issuance, redemptions and yield-related transactions involving these assets are increasing demand for Soroban smart contracts.

Stablecoins are another important source of Stellar blockchain activity. Although stablecoins on the network have a combined market capitalization of about $437.73 million, monthly transfer volume stands at approximately $9.44 billion, reflecting significant usage for payments and cross-border transfers.

Chainspect data indicates Stellar typically handles around 120–180 TPS in real time. While its 217.4 TPS record remains far below peak throughput figures reported by networks such as Solana and Aptos, Stellar’s theoretical capacity is approximately 3,351 TPS.

The network also offers transaction fees near $0.0001 and settlement finality of roughly five seconds, features designed to support institutional payments and tokenized financial assets.