The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), the nonprofit organization supporting the development and growth of the Stellar network, today has hired two senior leaders – José Fernández da Ponte, former head of blockchain and digital currencies at PayPal, as President & Chief Growth Officer, and Jason Karsh, former Block and Blockchain.com executive, as Chief Marketing Officer.
These strategic hires come as the industry readies itself for adoption and the Stellar network gains momentum: 20B+ operations processed, the world’s largest cash on and off-ramp network through MoneyGram, and enterprise deployments by partners like Franklin Templeton. With stablecoin adoption accelerating and tokenized assets entering the mainstream, SDF is investing in leadership to scale what’s already working.
Fernández da Ponte brings global fintech leadership from PayPal, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), and McKinsey. During his tenure at PayPal, he led the strategic launch of PYUSD stablecoin and built cross-functional teams focused on product growth and delivery at global scale. At SDF, he’ll focus on scaling partnerships, supporting portfolio companies, and growing adoption across payments, tokenization, and open finance.
“After years in roles that gave me a front row seat to how payments and financial services are moving to digital across the globe, I know how difficult it is to build infrastructure that works for real-world financial services,” said Fernández da Ponte. “Stellar goes beyond being technically strong – it’s proven and already solving real-world problems across the globe. The foundation is built, and I’m excited to join the mission and help it scale.”
Karsh joins SDF from Block, where he led marketing, partnerships, and sales for its bitcoin hardware division. He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Blockchain.com, with earlier roles at Coinbase and security firm Blockaid. He brings deep experience shaping the identity and reach of category-defining brands across crypto. At SDF, he will lead the organization’s global marketing function—bringing together brand, product, and ecosystem strategy to strengthen Stellar’s presence with developers, institutions, and the public.
“Stellar isn’t just another blockchain project; it’s financial infrastructure that is used each day by institutions and individuals around the world,” said Karsh. “Our job is to accelerate adoption and usage for every organization, builder and blockchain enthusiast who cares about enterprise-grade security, transaction speed, and the ease of programmability that builders have come to expect.”
These hires reflect SDF’s strategic evolution from building foundational technology to scaling proven solutions, with the Stellar technology stack demonstrating clear product-market fit and the organization focused on bringing everyday financial services to all.
“Adoption is coming. And the evidence of Stellar’s readiness is everywhere—from Airtm’s acceleration to Franklin Templeton’s continued expansion on the network,” said Denelle Dixon, SDF’s CEO and Executive Director. “This is about building on momentum and meeting a moment in the market. José and Jason are here to help us move faster, go farther, and cement Stellar as the first choice for institutions, developers, and partners who want blockchain that works. We are bringing in leaders who not only share our mission, but who raise the bar for how we deliver on it.”
Both leaders will play crucial roles in SDF’s mission to accelerate the adoption of the Stellar network for everyday financial services.