The main difference between Stellar and other cryptocurrencies is that Stellar runs on a consensus algorithm, rather than mining. This means that transactions generally confirm within a few seconds, even faster than most coins where it can take minutes to confirm a transaction.

Because Stellar isn't mined, the supply of Lumen (the name of their coin) increases at a fixed rate 1% per year.

Another key difference between Stellar and the more popular coins like Bitcoin is that it is not intended to replace other currencies, but rather be an invisible, "behind-the-scenes" currency used for low-cost transactions and transfers between currencies, which would be extremely helpful in poorer areas.