Stellar has activated its Protocol 30 upgrade, codenamed Bell, on testnet after a validator vote on November 3, setting the stage for a mainnet vote on November 23 at 17:00 UTC. The Stellar Development Foundation confirmed the testnet activation on November 4, with validators now preparing to decide whether to bring Bell to the mainnet.
The upgrade introduces three core changes under CAP-84, CAP-87 and CAP-88. CAP-84 adds muxed contract addresses starting with the letter W, allowing exchanges, custodians and payment providers to manage multiple customer balances through a single smart contract. Each address carries a 64-bit customer identifier, removing the need to deploy separate contracts for millions of users.
CAP-87 brings post-quantum ML-DSA signature verification to Stellar's Soroban smart contract environment. ML-DSA is a NIST-standardized post-quantum digital signature algorithm designed to resist future quantum-computing attacks. The foundation described it as the first onchain component of its Quantum Preparedness Plan, though network-level transaction signatures will continue using Ed25519 for now. CAP-88 introduces millisecond-resolution ledger timestamps, preparing the network for faster ledger processing in future upgrades without immediately reducing current close times.
Despite the technical progress, XLM has struggled. The token traded near $0.16 on Tuesday, roughly flat over 24 hours, and has declined about 28% over the past month. It remains below its 50-day moving average near $0.18 and its 200-day average near $0.19. The daily RSI sits near 35, showing seller momentum, while the MACD remains below its signal line. Traders view the $0.16 support zone as critical; a close below it could open a path toward $0.14, while reclaiming resistance near $0.17 and then the 200-day average would signal a trend shift.
Ahead of the mainnet vote, Stellar has released Protocol 30-compatible versions of Core, Horizon, RPC and Galaxie software. Wallets, exchanges and infrastructure operators must update integrations to support the new address format and ledger data changes. Existing Soroban contracts can continue operating without modification, though developers need updated SDKs and XDR definitions.
With the mainnet vote scheduled for November 23, the Bell upgrade represents a meaningful technical step for Stellar, but the market has so far treated it as an early catalyst rather than an immediate price driver.
