Denelle Dixon

Denelle Dixon is a leader at the intersection of technology, public policy, and financial inclusion. As CEO and executive director of the Stellar Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on creating equitable access to the global financial system through blockchain technology, Dixon oversees teams that maintain the Stellar network's codebase, support its communities, and advocate for the network with international stakeholders. This work supports the foundation's mission of promoting financial access through blockchain and fintech innovation.

Before joining the blockchain sector, Dixon built a career in law and technology. A lawyer by training, she served as general counsel and legal advisor in private equity and technology. Prior to her role at the Stellar Development Foundation, Dixon was chief operating officer of Mozilla Corporation, where she led business, revenue, and policy teams. Her work included advocating for net neutrality and global efforts to ensure personal data control, as well as guiding Mozilla's partnerships with commercial entities while maintaining its mission of openness and innovation on the web. Dixon has appeared on NBC Press:Here, CNN "Quest Means Business," Bloomberg Radio, TIME, The New York Times, and Advertising Age. She has also participated in debates and spoken at events such as the Oxford Union, Collision, and MIT EmTech Digital.

Under Dixon's leadership, the Stellar network has reached significant milestones in blockchain and financial technology. The foundation partnered with Franklin Templeton to launch "BENJI," the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use a public blockchain as an official system of record. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation announced plans to bring its tokenization service to Stellar, enabling market participants to leverage traditional assets in a digital ecosystem with opportunities for faster settlement, greater asset mobility, and extended trading hours.

Dixon has been recognized across the fintech industry, including being named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list. She has testified before Congress and is a frequent speaker at global conferences such as Consensus, the Paris Fintech Forum, and Meridian. Dixon serves on boards for Airtm, Tala, MoneyGram International, and the Trust and Safety Professional Association. Throughout her career, Dixon has advocated for net neutrality, encryption, vulnerability disclosure by governments, and greater user choice and control, establishing her as a prominent voice in blockchain, open finance, and digital policy.