Stellar names MoneyGram a Tier 1 validator, adds two more institutions
- The Stellar Development Foundation named MoneyGram, Figure Markets, and security firm Range as Tier 1 validators, turning three regulated companies into operators of the network’s consensus.
- Moneygram’s addition helps Stellar’s payments pitch, as it is now helping secure the network it already uses for cross-border transfers.
- The operators are due to join Stellar’s quorum configuration by mid-August.
The Stellar Development Foundation announced on Thursday that MoneyGram, Figure Markets, and blockchain security firm Range will run Tier 1 validators on the Stellar network, upgrading these companies from users to operators of the chain.
The Stellar network has major interests in easing cross-border payments, and the addition of a global money-transfer firm to the chain’s working machinery should help massively.
MoneyGram announced its own role on X, writing that it began building on Stellar five years ago and now will help to “power it.” The company confirmed it is “now a Tier 1 validator on Stellar,” to assist with payments and compliance.
Five years back, we started building on the @StellarOrg network. Today, we help power it.
🚨 MoneyGram is now a Tier 1 validator on Stellar.
Bringing decades of payments expertise, global trust and compliance leadership to the future of money movement. pic.twitter.com/t3ppG8eYwz
— MoneyGram (@MoneyGram) July 16, 2026
A validator’s role in blockchain transactions
Validators run the nodes that decide the transactions that are valid before they are committed to the blockchain. Stellar operates on a proof of agreement model called the Stellar Consensus Protocol, which does not pay validators in the same manner that proof of stake chains reward stakers. A proof of agreement model involves operators taking on the cost and maintenance of the network without any direct financial incentive, according to the Stellar Development Foundation.
“The Stellar network’s proof-of-agreement consensus lets any institution run a publicly identifiable validator and choose exactly whom to trust,” Jose Fernandez da Ponte, president and chief growth officer at the SDF, said in the announcement. He added that bringing in MoneyGram, Figure Markets, and Range makes the network stronger in the long run.
Justin Rice, the foundation’s vice president of ecosystem growth, said the three new validators will be taking an active part in the blockchain’s growth. “The organizations stepping up to run Tier 1 validators are not passive participants… they have a direct stake in the network’s long-term security and neutrality.” he stated.
MoneyGram and Stellar deepen partnership
MoneyGram has worked with Stellar since 2021, when the two partnered to set up a platform to convert cash to and from the USDC stablecoin so users could move money across borders and collect it at MoneyGram’s retail counters. Becoming a validator extends this partnership from just using the network to helping to secure it.
Luke Tuttle, MoneyGram’s chief product and technology officer, stated that the move was related to the company’s long-term interest in open infrastructure. “Becoming a Stellar validator deepens our commitment to the ecosystem and reinforces our belief that the future of payments will be built on open, interoperable infrastructure,” he said.
The other two operators being made into tier 1 validators are of different profiles. Figure Markets keeps expanding regulated products on Stellar, including its $YLDS stablecoin work. Range is a security company that claims to monitor more than 200 blockchain networks and has helped secure over $30 billion in digital assets.
Tier 1 validator requirements amid future plans
The Stellar Foundation said qualifying operators must run three geographically distributed full validators and hold uptime of at least 99.9% of the time. The operators also have to complete SEP-1 and SEP-20 verification, while also taking part in network upgrades alongside existing Tier 1 members.
Adding operators across more industries and regions helps to reduce the odds that simultaneous outages knock out the Stellar Consensus Protocol, which improves the resilience of the blockchain.
The three new validators are expected to be folded into Stellar’s quorum configuration by mid-August, according to the announcement.
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Opeyemi Olanrewaju
Opeyemi specializes in creating and refining high-quality content focused on cryptocurrency, global financial markets and the economy. He graduated from the University of Ibadan with an MBBS degree. He has worked as Editor-in-Chief for his College’s editorial publication and previously at CFA. For over six years, he has helped safeguard uniqueness as news editor at Cryptopolitan.
