The year 2021 marked a turning point for cryptocurrencies as they entered the mainstream. Governments and major companies began accepting crypto payments, and new blockchain-based financial products emerged. Inspired by these developments, I decided to dive deeper into blockchain technology, especially the Stellar network, and ended up creating my own tokens—ORPI, PLUSZ, and others.
Why This Article?
I wanted to share my hands-on experience to encourage others to explore blockchain, experiment with token creation, and understand how these technologies can be leveraged for new projects. My hope is that this knowledge will spark innovation and inspire more people to build on open networks like Stellar.
What Is the Stellar Network?
Launched in 2014, Stellar is an open-source network for storing and moving money. It has processed over 450 million operations by more than 4 million individual accounts. Anyone can inspect its source code, connect to the network, and perform or monitor transactions. Most importantly, anyone can create and issue their own tokens on Stellar, making it an ideal platform for experimentation and innovation1.
Stellar is built around a system of wallets (accounts), each with a public address and a private key. Accounts can establish “trustlines” with token issuers, which define which tokens they can hold and the rules for those tokens. This is similar to how banks in different countries agree to accept each other’s currencies. Without trustlines, tokens are just numbers on a ledger.
Stellar Lumens (XLM) and Fees
The Stellar network’s native currency is called Lumens (XLM). Each transaction on Stellar costs a tiny fraction of a Lumen—currently about 0.00001 XLM, or less than a fraction of a cent. This minimal fee helps prevent spam and keeps the network accessible and efficient. In contrast, fees on networks like Ethereum or Bitcoin can be much higher and less predictable15.
Exploring the Network
Stellar offers powerful tools for exploring the network, such as Stellar Expert, which allows users to track accounts, ledgers, and tokens. You can see which accounts trust specific tokens, monitor transactions, and analyze activity in real time.
More: https://stellar.org/learn/intro-to-stellar
Creating My Own Tokens: ORPI and PLUSZ
After learning how the Stellar network works, I decided to create my own tokens. Here’s how I did it:
- Set Up Wallets:
I created two new Stellar wallets—one as the issuer and one as the distributor. - Acquire XLM:
I purchased some Lumens (XLM) on a cryptocurrency exchange and sent them to my new wallets. - Establish Trustlines:
I set up trustlines between the distributor and issuer wallets for each token I wanted to create. - Token Creation:
Using the Stellar Laboratory, I created my own tokens: ORPI and PLUSZ. Creating a token is fast and easy. As long as no other accounts trust your token, its value is essentially zero—just a placeholder on the ledger. - Distribution and Testing:
I invited colleagues to create Stellar accounts and set up trustlines for my tokens. I then sent them ORPI and PLUSZ tokens to test the process. - Trading Tokens:
To experiment with token value, I connected my wallet to the StellarX marketplace and created a sell offer (e.g., 1 XLM = 1 PLUSZ). When a colleague accepted the offer, the network recorded the transaction and assigned a “price” to my token based on the trade. While this value is only on paper unless there’s real demand, it demonstrates how token value can be established on the network1. - Launching orpi.network:
To give the ORPI token a professional presence, I purchased the domain orpi.network and built a simple WordPress site. This step helped legitimize the project and made it easier to share with others.
More about Stellar Labs and builder: https://laboratory.stellar.org/#txbuilder
What Are ORPI and PLUSZ Tokens?
- ORPI Token:
The ORPI token is my flagship experiment on the Stellar network. It is issued by my own account and distributed to friends and colleagues for testing and learning purposes. The orpi.network website serves as a landing page and information hub for this project. - PLUSZ Token:
The PLUSZ token was created as a companion to ORPI, allowing me to test different use cases and distribution methods. Both tokens are examples of how easy it is to create and manage digital assets on Stellar.
The Value of Experimentation
Creating and distributing tokens on Stellar is not only educational but also opens the door to new opportunities. While most custom tokens have little to no real-world value unless adopted by a community or marketplace, the process itself is empowering. It demonstrates how blockchain technology can be used to create and manage digital assets with minimal cost and technical barriers.
Disclaimer:
Issuing, offering, and trading tokens may be subject to legal restrictions depending on your location. Always ensure compliance with local regulations before launching a token or conducting a public offering.
My Experience
The entire process—from learning about Stellar, creating wallets, issuing tokens, setting up orpi.network, and experimenting with trading—took me about 8 hours and cost less than $30, including domain and website expenses. The value of my ORPI and PLUSZ tokens is currently modest, but the knowledge and experience gained are invaluable.
About Me
I am a senior frontend developer with a passion for learning and building new things. My background includes creating mobile applications and developing web functionalities for large audiences. My recent work focuses on blockchain and decentralized applications, and I am excited to continue exploring the potential of open networks like Stellar.
Explore orpi.network to learn more about the ORPI token and my journey on the Stellar network.
Join me in experimenting with blockchain and token creation—the possibilities are endless!