Overview

The ability to issue assets is a core feature of Stellar. In a few simple operations, you can create Stellar-network tokens, and by following the steps outlined in this section of the docs, you can connect those tokens to existing rails to allow users to easily deposit real-world assets in exchange for them, and, on the flipside, to redeem them for real-world assets.

The possibilities are endless: any asset can be tokenized, and, once tokenized, transferred or traded over the Stellar network quickly and cheaply. Since any account can issue an asset on the Stellar network and anyone can set up a Stellar account, anyone can issue an asset: banks, payment processors, money service businesses of all stripes, for-profit enterprises, nonprofits, local communities, even individuals. It’s a self-serve process, no permission needed.

In addition to making it easy to issue an asset, Stellar also provides built-in mechanisms that allow you to tune your asset to specific use cases. To comply with regulations, you can control access to your asset using protocol-level flags. To take advantage of Stellar’s global reach, you can list your asset on the Stellar decentralized exchange, and use market making bots to ensure necessary liquidity. To make your asset an accessible on/off ramp, you can interoperate with wallets for seamless handling of user KYC, deposits, and withdrawals.

Currently, the biggest use case for Stellar is the tokenization of fiat currency to optimize processes like cross-border payments, so there’s a whole section of these docs focusing on how to issue that class of assets in a way that maximizes interoperability. However, as more and more developers and businesses explore other possibilities, we’ll expand the docs to cover emerging ideas and applications.