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UNDP expands Stellar blockchain payments after pilots in five countries

UNDP expands Stellar blockchain payments after pilots in five countries

The broader agreement follows 16 months of pilots that cut Syria aid distribution costs and kept Haiti payments running during a network outage, while UNDP builds a wider blockchain framework.

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Fact Check
The official UNDP announcement directly confirms every element of the claim: pilots in the five named countries (Haiti, Syria, Kenya, Guatemala, The Gambia), an extended agreement running through 2027, cost reductions (Aleppo Cash-for-Work from ~10% to ~2%), and improved payment resilience (Haiti 100% payment success during a cellular network failure). The 16-month trial duration and the outcomes are corroborated by the Cointelegraph report. The primary source is authoritative and matches the headline claim closely.
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Summary

UNDP has expanded its partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation after 16 months of blockchain payment pilots showed lower costs and stronger operating resilience in aid programs. The new agreement creates a framework for UNDP country offices to use blockchain-based payments across more development programs after pilots in Haiti, Syria, Kenya, Guatemala and The Gambia, with additional projects completed in Colombia and Papua New Guinea. UNDP said a Cash for Work pilot in Syria reduced distribution costs from 10% to 2% by recording payments onchain, while a Haiti pilot continued processing aid payments during a cellular network outage. The agency is now moving from country-specific testing toward a standardized process for local deployment where appropriate, as it also broadens internal blockchain expertise through a newly launched Blockchain Advisory Group. The agreement adds to a period of wider expansion for Stellar in financial infrastructure, including MoneyGram’s launch of its MGUSD stablecoin on Stellar and DTCC’s plan to develop custody asset tokenization services on the network, with first tokenized assets scheduled for the first half of 2027.

Terms & Concepts
  • Cash for Work: A program that pays participants for labor, typically used in humanitarian or development settings.
  • onchain: Recorded directly on a blockchain, creating a digital transaction trail on the network.
  • tokenized assets: Traditional assets represented digitally on a blockchain so they can be issued, transferred or settled electronically.