How to Buy Stellar (XLM): Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Stellar is a network for fast, cheap transfers across countries and currencies. We explain what the XLM coin is for, what its risks are and how to buy it on an exchange.
What Is Stellar?
Stellar launched in 2014. One of its founders was Jed McCaleb, who had earlier helped create Ripple, which is why Stellar is often compared to XRP. The network is developed by the nonprofit Stellar Development Foundation.
The network is designed for payments and issuing digital assets: you can send money in seconds with minimal fees, and companies issue their own tokens on Stellar, including stablecoins. There's no mining: the network runs on its own consensus protocol.
XLM (lumens) is the network's native coin. It's used to pay fees, and every account must hold a small minimum balance of XLM; this protects the network from spam.
Stellar Risks
- Strong competition in payments: XRP, stablecoins on other networks, banking systems.
- Network usage doesn't equal demand for XLM. Fees are very low, so even a busy network uses few coins.
- The foundation's role. The Stellar Development Foundation has a large share of influence over the network's development.
- Volatility that's typical for altcoins.
How to Buy Stellar (XLM): A Beginner's Guide
- Sign up. Pick a major exchange that offers the XLM/USDT pair. No account yet? See how to open a crypto exchange account.
- KYC and 2FA. ID documents and a selfie, then an authenticator app and an anti-phishing code. Only after that, make a deposit.
- Deposit. You need USDT. You can buy it via P2P or with a card; step by step: how to fund your account via P2P; about the stablecoin itself: what is USDT.
- Buy. Spot market, the XLM/USDT pair, a limit order. Work out the amount in advance; this helps: how to calculate position size.
- Stop-loss. For trading, use one on every trade, no exceptions. If you'd rather not work out the levels yourself, there's Aspiro Trade: signals on 45 assets with a ready-made entry, take-profit and stop-loss (the asset list is in the app).
- Next steps. For long-term holding, XLM is withdrawn to a wallet that supports Stellar. Remember the minimum balance on a new account, and when sending to an exchange, remember the memo: it's often required for deposits.
Storing XLM: Which Option to Choose
| Goal | Where to keep it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I trade using signals and levels | On the exchange | Stop-loss orders and selling work without delay |
| I'm holding long term | Wallet that supports Stellar | Your coins don't depend on what happens to the exchange |
| I'm holding a large amount | Hardware wallet | The keys never leave the device |
Our affiliate link. If you decide to open an OKX account, please sign up through it: it's free for you and doesn't change your terms. If you trade, the exchange pays Aspiro an affiliate bonus, which goes toward developing our apps and the free Aspiro Academy. We have no access to your account, funds or trades.
- You don't need a whole XLM coin: you can start with a small amount.
- Only invest what you're prepared to lose.
- Trading? A stop-loss is mandatory; holding long term? Use your own wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Stellar different from XRP?
Both networks were built for fast transfers and share a common history. Stellar is developed by a nonprofit foundation and focuses on access to payments and asset issuance; Ripple is a company focused on banks and payment providers.
Why can't I withdraw all my XLM from the wallet?
On the Stellar network, every account must keep a small minimum reserve of XLM. This protects the network from spam.
Do I need to enter a memo when transferring XLM?
If the exchange requires it, yes, always. Without the memo, you'll have to recover the deposit through support.
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