Case Study: Revolutionizing Scholarship Disbursements at IAS Conference 2025 with Stellar and Decaf

Executive Summary

The International AIDS Society (IAS), a Geneva-based NGO, hosts annual conferences worldwide to advance HIV research and advocacy. For the IAS Conference 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, IAS partnered with the Stellar Disbursement Platform (SDP) and Decaf wallet to distribute daily living allowances to 248 scholarship recipients from over 50 countries.

This marked a significant shift from traditional cash-based methods to a blockchain-powered digital solution using USDC stablecoins. The result? Seamless, secure, and efficient payments that eliminated long queues, reduced logistical burdens, and ensured 100% delivery success.

With:

• 425 individual payments
• Recipients from >50 countries
• 100% successful delivery rate
• $49,480 total disbursed

this initiative demonstrates how organizations can modernize global disbursements, saving time and resources while enhancing sender and recipient experiences.

Background: IAS and the Scholarship Program

IAS is a leading global organization dedicated to mobilizing the scientific community, policymakers, and civil society in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Each year, IAS awards scholarships to enable participation from low- and middle-income countries, covering travel, accommodation, and daily living expenses. In 2025, the conference in Kigali welcomed 248 scholarship recipients from more than 50 nations, highlighting the program's international reach and the challenges of cross-border payments.

Historically, disbursing funds to such a diverse group posed significant hurdles. As Martina, an IAS organizer, shared in an interview: "For a few decades, our process was to basically withdraw a lot of cash in Geneva... and then divide the cash in envelopes. The staff would need to travel with these envelopes in their backpacks wherever they were going in the world." This method not only involved high security risks but also led to operational inefficiencies, with recipients queuing for hours—or even days—at conference desks to collect their allowances.

The Challenge: Inefficiencies of Traditional Cash Disbursements

Prior to adopting digital solutions, IAS relied on physical cash handling, which created multiple pain points:

• Logistical Complexity: Withdrawing large sums in Geneva and transporting cash internationally.
• Scalability Issues: Scholarship numbers vary annually, from a few hundred to over 1,000, making envelope preparation and distribution labor-intensive.
• Recipient Inconvenience: Long queues at the scholarship desk disrupted conference participation, causing frustration for both staff and attendees.
• Preparation: No availability to get cash before the event for travel expenses.
• Global Variability: Recipients from diverse countries faced challenges converting cash or accessing funds without reliable banking infrastructure.

Martina noted, "People would queue at our scholarship desk for hours if not for days to get their daily living allowance and their reimbursement in cash." These inefficiencies were exacerbated in remote or developing regions like Kigali, where cash handling added to the administrative burden.

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The Solution: Stellar Disbursement Platform and Decaf Wallet

To address these challenges, IAS transitioned to the Stellar blockchain for secure, low-cost global transfers using USDC stablecoins, with Decaf serving as the user-friendly recipient wallet. This digital approach enabled instant, borderless disbursements without the need for physical cash.

How It Works: A Streamlined Process for Organizations and Recipients

The Stellar Disbursement Platform (SDP) and Decaf make onboarding and execution straightforward, requiring minimal technical expertise. Here's the step-by-step process IAS followed:

1. One-Time Onboarding to USDC: Organizations like IAS are guided to select a trusted USDC provider, complete Know-Your-Business (KYB) verification, and purchase USDC. Subsequent transactions are simple—funds are sent to a provided bank account for automatic conversion to USDC, with no repeated verifications needed.
2. Prepare Recipient Data: IAS created a simple spreadsheet listing each recipient's email, the disbursement amount, and a unique PIN code.
3. Upload and Submit Disbursement: IAS uploaded the spreadsheet to the SDP dashboard, and initiated the disbursement. The platform handled the blockchain transactions efficiently, also showing real time tracking of each payment.
4. Recipient Activation: Each of the scholarship recipients received an email notification with a secure link. Clicking it prompted them to download the Decaf wallet app, complete a one-time verification process, and claim their funds. The USDC landed directly in their wallet.
5. Flexible Withdrawals: Once funded, recipients could convert and withdraw in their preferred method—cash pickup (e.g., via MoneyGram in Kigali or their home country) or bank transfer—tailored to local availability.

Martina highlighted the ease: "We did digital payments in different tranches for them, and they were able to cash out either sending the money to their bank account or to withdraw at MoneyGrams here in Kigali or in their own country."

Results: Measurable Impact and Success

The implementation at IAS Conference 2025 yielded impressive outcomes, proving the superiority of this digital model:

• Total Payments Processed: 425
• Success Rate: 100% of payments were successfully delivered, with no failures or delays.
• Funds Disbursed: $49,480 in total.
• Individuals Served: 233 unique recipients

Beyond numbers, the solution transformed operations:

• Eliminated Queues: As Martina stated, "We're very happy because we avoided these long queues—these excruciating hours for both us and the scholarship recipients."
• Enhanced Security and Efficiency: No more cash transportation risks; blockchain ensured tamper-proof transfers.
• Positive Feedback: Recipients appreciated the convenience. "The feedback has been very positive—they were able to use their wallet to withdraw here in Kigali, and some of them have already withdrawn in their own country," Martina shared.
• Global Accessibility: With recipients from over 50 countries, the system supported seamless cross-border access, even in areas with limited banking.

Testimonials

Martina's insights underscore the real-world benefits: "I had no idea what stablecoins were before January 2025... We very much appreciated the support from Decaf." She emphasized how the shift allowed recipients to "have their local currency ready for them to use here in Kigali," freeing up time for conference engagement.

Conclusion: Why Other Organizations Should Adopt Stellar and Decaf

The IAS Conference 2025 case illustrates how the Stellar Disbursement Platform and Decaf wallet outperform traditional methods, offering speed, security, and scalability for global payments. By reducing administrative burdens, minimizing risks, and improving recipient satisfaction, this solution is ideal for NGOs, conferences, and aid organizations handling international disbursements.

For organizations disbursing payments worldwide, the one-time setup yields ongoing efficiencies. IAS's success shows that embracing blockchain isn't complex; it's transformative.

Supporting Guides:

1. Part 1: How to disburse a payments using SDP to global recipients

‍2. Part 2: How to receive Disbursement to the Decaf Wallet & cash it out‍