Stellar Lumens (XLM) is getting ready for a historical chain upgrade next week, kicking off with the stable release of the Yardstick (Protocol 26) upgrade on April 8, 2026. The Protocol 26 testnet activation then follows on April 16, 2026, while a mainnet validator vote on May 6, 2026 is set to boost network flexibility, execution & state management.
Stellar’s Three-Step Yardstick Upgrade Deciphered
For builders on Stellar Lumens (XLM), there’s a step-by-step guide written by Stellar’s developers on how to upgrade to the new protocol.
Meanwhile, Stellar’s DeFi ecosystem is growing to unprecedented figures – the $215.53 million figure in total value locked (TVL) is just $10 million below the all-time peak, despite Stellar’s chain garnering significantly less fees than back in 2025, according to DefiLlama.
However, the stupendous growth in value locked on-chain hasn’t reflected on Stellar Lumen’s price this year – the native Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) token slumped by 19.80% Year-to-Date (YTD), while the yearly yield return stands at a negative 37.63%, even though XLM remains in the TOP 25 by global crypto market cap, according to CoinGecko.
XLM Price Levels Bulls Are Monitoring Next Week
With regulatory fields clearing out for quicker crypto currency adoption, Stellar’s (XLM) status as one of the few ISO 20022-compliant crypto assets has led the narrative for 2026. With broader geopolitical uncertainty overshadowing the utility crusade, XLM’s price below $0.194 reflects this broader sentiment.
This mirrors the mid-tier Bollinger Band (BOLL), painted in blue color in the weekly XLM price chart below. It’s safe to say that the current $0.161 support zone could take XLM back to the $0.178 price level, aligning with the Smoothed Moving Average (SMA), depicted in purple color.
On the other hand, the $0.124 support floor offers a soft pillow in case Stellar’s weekly bearish downtrend continues – that’s a very rational approach based on the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) dwelling in highly negative figures, flashing -0.28 on the weekly XLM charts on Binance – the lowest point on four years, according to TradingView.
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People Also Ask:
Stellar is getting ready for Protocol 26, also called “Yardstick”. This upgrade adds new settings that make the network more flexible, efficient, and easier for developers to build on.
The final mainnet vote is scheduled for May 6, 2026. That’s the key date when the upgrade becomes official on the live network.
Upgrades like this often bring fresh excitement and new features. If more developers and users join Stellar after the upgrade, it could increase demand for XLM and help push the price higher.
XLM is sitting near the middle blue band at $0.161. The upper red resistance is at $0.194 and the strong lower support floor is at $0.124. A good upgrade reaction could help XLM climb toward that $0.194 level.
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