The Stellar (XLM) Ambassador Program showcased significant progress in fostering blockchain education and development across Latin America, Africa, and other regions during September and October 2026. The initiative, which supports local chapters in organizing workshops, hackathons, and mentorship programs, continues to drive innovation on the Stellar network.
Argentina: Builder Challenge and NEA Tech Conference
The Argentina Builder Challenge, held from September 12 to 27, began with kickoff events in Buenos Aires, Salta, and Corrientes, attracting 135 participants. The challenge expanded to include 44 builders from Costa Rica, Peru, and Mexico, forming 20 teams. Daily office hours provided guidance on Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) Instaward applications, leading to three teams securing awards by October 20.
At the NEA Tech conference in Corrientes from October 15 to 17, Stellar sessions engaged 180 attendees, resulting in eight teams addressing agricultural challenges. These teams logged 256 code commits over four days, with Dosel, Pucará, and Órbita winning $1,000 in prizes for their projects.
Bolivia: Stellar Elite and Ideathon
Bolivia’s Stellar Elite program ran from September 2 to October 10, selecting 50 participants from over 150 applicants, all with prior blockchain experience. Of these, 46 graduated after six weeks of online training, preparing them to mentor future cohorts.
The Stellar Bolivia Ideathon on October 17-18 attracted 204 registrants across 30 teams. Winning projects included PrimerPaso, which provides students with their first loans backed by parental USDC savings, and Llamaywan, an educational tool in Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua.
Brazil: Stellar Onchain Experience
On September 19, the Stellar Onchain Experience brought blockchain education to ParnaĂba, PiauĂ, a region far from Brazil’s typical Web3 hubs. The event introduced 71 developers, engineers, and students to Stellar, culminating in an ideathon and connections to the Stellar Brazil acceleration track.
Colombia: Blockchain Builders 101 and Campus Programs
The Blockchain Builders 101 program, held virtually from September 14 to October 16, registered 482 participants, with 43 projects built on Stellar. A Demo Day on October 26 showcased the top 10 projects, preparing teams for the upcoming CĂłdigo Cordillera hackathon.
In Barranquilla, the Stellar Campus program at Universidad de la Costa and Universidad del Norte trained students to deploy their own smart contracts on Stellar between September 1 and 15.
Costa Rica: Learning Series and Ideathon
From September 16 to 23, the Stellar learning series at ULACIT in San José guided 95 participants through Stellar fundamentals, AI integration, and app development. The series concluded with an ideathon on October 7.
The Pura Vida Ideathon, held from October 16 to 28 in Barrio Escalante, saw 56 participants create 10 projects. BitGate won the Genesis Track for enabling Bitcoin-to-USDC swaps without custodians or bridges, using Stellar smart contracts.
Ghana: Payments and Demo Day
On September 25, over 120 attendees gathered at Universal Merchant Bank in Accra to explore Stellar’s role in digital payments and financial services. The Stellar14 Demo Day on October 17 featured teams presenting Stellar-based projects, with STELLARBOX earning top recognition.
Mexico: University Outreach and Bootcamps
From September 7 to 9, the University Route program reached 666 students across four universities in Zacatlán, Puebla. In October, the Stellar Builder Sessions Bootcamp at TESH in Huixquilucan introduced 130 students to blockchain basics and Stellar tools.
Nigeria: Workshops and Community Growth
The University of Benin hosted a Stellar workshop on September 12, focusing on payments, cross-border transfers, and asset issuance. On October 24, a meetup in Asaba expanded Stellar’s community in Delta State.
Peru: Stellar Odyssey
The Stellar Odyssey program, held from September 19 to 26, combined in-person events in Lima with virtual participation, enabling builders nationwide to create working MVPs. Live pitches at PUCP concluded the initiative.
