Stellar (XLM) X-Ray Signals a New Phase in Blockchain Privacy

Stellar is strengthening its privacy stance with the launch of X-Ray, a new protocol built for selective disclosure. As privacy narratives dominate crypto in 2026, competition across networks has intensified. Consequently, Stellar is positioning itself alongside leading privacy-focused ecosystems.

Meanwhile, rivals like Monero, Zcash, and Cardano’s Midnight sidechain continue to raise the bar. However, Stellar leverages its long-standing presence since 2014 and its growing role in real-world assets. As a result, the network is targeting relevance within a sector valued near $24 billion.

Stellar Officially Teases X-Ray Protocol as Privacy Push Accelerates

In a post shared on Stellar’s official X account, Stellar announced the upcoming launch of Protocol X-Ray, a privacy-focused network upgrade. The team highlighted native BN254 and Poseidon support, aimed at making ZK applications on Soroban easier and more cost-efficient. According to Stellar, the testnet launches on January 7, with mainnet activation set for January 22, signaling the start of its privacy-focused development phase.

Coming soon: Protocol X-Ray, all about privacy.

Bringing native BN254 + Poseidon to Soroban. ZK apps on Stellar just became way easier (and cheaper).

Testnet Jan 7 → Mainnet Jan 22.
Privacy season is loading.https://t.co/XeKec5sCtE pic.twitter.com/BGWc7dNVsb

— Stellar (@StellarOrg) November 24, 2025

The Stellar Development Foundation introduced X-Ray, also called Protocol 25, at Meridian 2025 in Brazil. The testnet launched on January 7, 2026, followed by mainnet activation on January 22. Notably, native BN254 and Poseidon support now enable efficient ZK application migration, reducing costs for privacy-focused DeFi development.

X-Ray Upgrade is LIVE on Stellar $XLM Mainnet!

This video from Scopuly highlights that Stellar’s X-Ray upgrade introduces native BN254 and Poseidon support on Soroban, significantly improving zero-knowledge efficiency. As a result, ZK applications run faster, cost about 30% less, and migrate smoothly without complex workarounds.

Key XLM Levels to Watch – January 22

XLM is currently making its third test of the support level at $0.2130, which has held since the price first entered this zone in December. The 89-period Moving Average confirms the market remains bearish, while the 21-period Moving Average shows short-term pullbacks. Sellers continue to push for a breakdown, and a breakout below this support zone would likely strengthen the bearish bias for crypto signals.

Stellar Key Levels

Resistance Levels: $0.2550, $0.4130
Support Levels: $0.2130, $0.1630

XLM Market Metrics

Total Market Capitalization: $3.01T
Stellar Market Capitalization: $6.9B
Stellar Volume: $109M
Market Rank: #15

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