A New Focus on Privacy: XLM Price Part of the 2026 Crypto Story
Stellar is introducing a new privacy system to its blockchain. This means people will be able to keep their money records more securely.
Privacy coins are becoming increasingly popular in the crypto world in 2026. Therefore, Stellar is also following this trend.
Monero and Zcash are being mentioned frequently in the crypto news these days because these coins offer greater privacy.
Cardano’s Midnight side-chain has also joined the race, further intensifying the competition.
Stellar Lumens is an old blockchain that has been running since 2014. Now it is working on Real World Assets (RWA) and wants to take part in the $24 billion market.
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What Included In Stellar Lumen’s X-Ray Upgrade?
The Stellar Foundation is currently launching X-Ray, also known as Protocol 25. This is a privacy-based system that only reveals the necessary information.
This protocol was announced last year at the Meridian 2025 event, which took place at the Copacabana Palace in Brazil.
Stellar Chief Product Officer, Tomer Weller, stated that its testnet was launched on January 7, 2026, while the mainnet is scheduled to go live on January 22, 2026.
X-Ray protocol uses a special technology based on BN254 and ZK proofs. This makes transactions more secure and private.
With this update, developers can easily build private apps and DeFi projects on the Stellar network. Older ZK apps can also be easily migrated to Stellar, and smart contracts cost less.
What’s Preventing XLM From Reclaiming $0.50?
Price of Stellar Lumens hadn’t fluctuated much for the past two weeks. However, on Blue Monday, the price suddenly dropped, sending XLM down 9 percent.
The XLM price is currently very close to the bottom of the chart, indicating that the price has significantly decreased.
One thing that looks slightly positive is the StochRSI indicator. This indicates that XLM has become much cheaper, but people in the market are not buying much.
The market trading volume is approximately $237 million. This means that neither buyers nor sellers are strong. Both sides seem confused.
XLM long-term target of $0.50 was last hit in July 2025. At that time, the price of Ripple also rose significantly, supporting other strong altcoins.
People with strong investments, known as whales, were selling heavily on Blue Monday. This clearly indicates that people are taking profits, even though XLM’s price is already significantly lower.
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People Also Ask – XLM Price :
What is X-Ray and when was it launched?
X-Ray is a new update to Stellar, also known as Protocol 25. This update adds privacy technology to Stellar. This update went live on the main network on January 22, 2026.
What exactly does X-Ray do?
X-Ray gives developers tools to create private apps. This means that people can provide proof of ownership without revealing their personal details, such as age or proof of ownership. The network remains secure and clear.
What impact could this have on the XLM price?
For now, the price hasn’t changed much in the short term. XLM is hovering between $0.22 and $0.25. But in the long run, this update is a good sign, as privacy tools could encourage companies and banks to start using Stellar. This could boost demand for XLM.
Is there any risk for XLM investors?
Yes, there is some risk. Even after the new update, it takes time to develop apps. If developers don’t start working quickly, the price could remain in the same range for some time. And if the entire crypto market falls, the price of XLM won’t be able to go up either.


