WalletConnect has expanded Stellar support and partnered with Penrose Partners to bring WalletConnect Pay to merchants in Bermuda.
The announcement covers two linked developments. Apps and wallets built on the Stellar infrastructure can now connect to the WalletConnect Network, which reaches 900 million end users, thousands of institutions, and more than 700 wallets. In parallel, WalletConnect Pay is set to be introduced to merchants across Bermuda with the support of Penrose Partners, as part of the Government of Bermuda’s plan to operate a fully onchain national economy.
Stellar integration and wallet-based payments
Wallets and custodians supporting the integration as launch partners include Fireblocks, Utila, LOBSTR, and Arculus. WalletConnect Pay also processes payments on Stellar, so customers can pay merchants directly from their Stellar wallets. LOBSTR, the Stellar wallet developed by Ultra Stellar, is the first wallet to go live with WalletConnect Pay on the network, with immediate availability.
Stellar’s network enables smart contracts and the issuance and transfer of regulated real-world assets, which can be fully decentralised or configured for KYC, clawbacks, and sanctions compliance.
According to Raja Chakravorti, Chief Business Officer of the Stellar Development Foundation, Bermuda’s effort to bring digital assets into everyday commerce reflects the type of practical use Stellar was designed for, with WalletConnect Pay extending that to the point of sale for existing Stellar wallet holders.
Ticketing will be the first merchant use case
The first merchant in Bermuda is Premier Tickets (PTIX), an event ticketing platform that will allow customers to pay for tickets with digital assets via WalletConnect Pay. The setup is non-custodial: each payment moves directly from the customer’s wallet to the event organiser’s wallet, and PTIX does not hold the funds at any point. This structure lets a single ticketing platform offer digital asset payments on behalf of multiple independent organisers through one integration, with funds received within seconds.
PTIX payments are expected to go live in Q2 2027, with additional merchants to follow. Penrose Partners, the Bermuda-based advisory firm behind the island’s Digital Finance Forum, will handle merchant onboarding and local education. The group also plans to apply to the Bermuda Monetary Authority’s Innovation Hub to seek closer regulatory collaboration on the roll-out.
Policy and regulatory background
The Government of Bermuda announced its onchain economy plan at the World Economic Forum in January 2026, setting out the use of digital assets as everyday financial infrastructure across government, business, and consumers. Officials have argued that traditional payment rails are expensive and restrictive for small island economies, driving up fees for local merchants. The groundwork dates back to 2018, when Bermuda introduced the Digital Asset Business Act, establishing its regulatory framework for digital asset businesses.
G Clay Miller, Partner at Penrose Partners, noted that Bermuda has advanced digital finance adoption over the past two years and that WalletConnect Pay would give local businesses more flexible payment options. Jess Houlgrave, CEO of WalletConnect, described payments as the most impactful use case for crypto and said progress depends on governments willing to set the rules and conditions for digital assets in real-world commerce.
