Stellar Community Fund

By Hurupay Virtual Accounts Program

Multi-currency accounts on Stellar

SCF #38

$150.0K

Build

Community Vote

Hurupay provides virtual accounts to freelancers, remote workers and businesses to receive international payments that settle in USDC stablecoin on Stellar in their wallets. With these virtual accounts, users get a dedicated account number and routing number in their name to accept payroll from platforms like Deel and Payoneer, or payouts from services like YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok while businesses are able to make batch payments to suppliers and employees globally via Hurupay offramp API powered by our partners e.g Moneygram, mobile money providers and Banks in emerging markets.

Products & Services

Hurupay will offer its services via two main products:
1. Hurupay B2C App available on Appstore and Playstore.
2. Hurupay for Businesses dashboard, available on web. ([https://business.hurupay.com/)

](https://business.hurupay.com/)Main)Main Features:
1. Foreign Multi-currency Virtual Accounts - Once a user has been approved, they get a virtual account with both Account and routing numbers. This virtual account will be linked to their Stellar wallet address via Soroban. An employer or business in the US will make a wire, ACH or SEPA payment to the virtual account and once the funds hit these virtual accounts, funds are immediately converted into USDC stablecoin and credited to their Hurupay Stellar wallet. Users can then decide to hold their funds in stablecoins or quickly and easily withdraw as local currency. Soroban contracts will be used to initiate on-chain transactions as well as enforce KYC/AML requirements before payment settlements.

Hurupay Virtual Cards - Users will be able to Create a virtual USD card which will be connected to their Stellar wallet addresses so that their wallet balances will be available to use on the cards. With these virtual cards, users will be able to shop online, pay for subscriptions, and handle international payments without limits, delays, or hidden fees. This will help with user retention as all transactions will be done on-chain.
Hurupay Earn Feature - Users will deposit USDC or USDT into your Hurupay account via the Stellar network. This can be from ACH, Wire, SEPA or Card payments via virtual accounts or from exchanges such as Binance, ByBit and Coinbase. Once deposited, the user will go to the Earn tab on Hurupay, select a coin; USDC or USDT, then deposit into a vault of their choice to start earning interest which is usually paid out daily into their Hurupay account and they can withdraw anytime. Saving and earning in foreign currencies will help to hedge against inflation or losing value on users' savings on Hurupay as well as compound the utility of users' assets on Stellar. Users will be able to set saving rules in their wallets. Soroban will be used to automatically move users' funds to a savings vaults that could be deployed in yield-earning strategies.
Hurupay Offramp API (In partnership with MoneyGram) - hurupay off-ramp API currently supports withdrawal in over 70 countries. The integration of Moneygram on and Off-ramping API will expand our global coverage to over 200 countries enabling users to easily withdraw their funds to fiat as well as make deposits into their Hurupay wallets all on the Stellar network. For users not on Stellar, using the Moneygram ramps API will enable us to programmatically bridge their assets to Stellar leveraging Soroban + Stellar’s interoperability features to ensure smooth cross-chain transactions.
Batch Payment for Businesses and Employers - With the batch payment feature on the hurupay B2B dashboard, businesses will be able to group and pay multiple remote workers and suppliers across the world all at once via their Hurupay USD accounts or local banks and mobile money at no extra fee. With Soroban contracts, we will automate payroll splits, recurring payments and savings and help businessed manage their liquidity better.

Soroban

Yes

Requested Budget

$150.0K

Success Criteria

Our 3 main 12 month KPIs are as follows:
1. USDC Transaction volumes on Stellar - $50,000,000. This will strengthen Stellar’s liquidity depth in USDC pairs and promote network fee generation for validators.

2. B2C customers - 50,000 (Individuals using Hurupay to receive payroll). This onboarding campaign will expand Stellar’s global user footprint in underrepresented regions like Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, reinforcing its positioning as the “payments-first” blockchain.

3. B2B Customers - 500 (Businesses using Hurupay for international payments). These B2B flows will anchor recurring, high-value USDC transfers that drive consistent network usage rather than one-off transactions and establish Stellar as a trusted infrastructure for cross-border commerce

Go-To-Market Plan

Our Go-to Market Plan has 3 main phases:

Phase 1: Organic Growth & Community Building (0-20K Users) - We are already in this phase having already 22,000 users (15,000 of which are active)

a) Leverage Online Communities & Micro- influencers

Partner with niche YouTubers, TikTokers, and Twitter influencers in remote work, freelancing, and diaspora spaces.
Target freelancers, remote workers, and expat groups on Facebook, Reddit, and Telegram.
Engage in Twitter Spaces and LinkedIn discussions about cross-border payments.

b) Content Marketing & SEO

Publish blog content on “How to Receive USD Payments as a Freelancer in Africa, Asia, LatAm.”
SEO-optimize landing pages targeting search terms like “best USD accounts for freelancers.”
Create YouTube tutorials on how to receive payments through Hurupay.

c) Referral Program & Incentives

Offer existing users referral bonuses (e.g., $5 in USDC per successful sign-up & first deposit).
Create leaderboards & rewards for top referrers.

d) Onboarding Partnerships

Partner with African remote work communities like Andela, ALX, and talent networks.
Offer bulk onboarding for co-working spaces and startup accelerators.

e) Local Ambassadorship Program

Recruit power users in key cities to drive awareness via local events & meetups.
Offer commission-based incentives for user sign-ups.

Phase 2: Rapid Scaling (25K – 50K Users)

a) Continuation of successful Phase 1 initiatives while re-evaluating failed strategies.

b) Partnership Integrations

Freelancer Marketplaces – Partner with platforms like Upwork, Deel, and Fiverr to promote Hurupay as a payout option.
Employer & Payroll Providers – Collaborate with remote hiring platforms to integrate Hurupay into salary disbursement flows.
Remittance Platforms – Integrate with diaspora-focused fintechs for easier USD-to-local currency conversions.
Moneygram Ramps integration to expand our global off-ramp coverage.

c) Paid Marketing & Growth Hacking

Run Facebook & Instagram ads targeting freelancers.
Use Google Ads to capture searches for “best USD payment solutions in Africa, Asia and LatAm.”
Deploy YouTube retargeting ads on finance-related videos.

d) Influencer-Led User Acquisition

Sponsor freelancing coaches and digital nomads to create Hurupay tutorials.
Pay influencers on TikTok and Twitter to promote Hurupay.

e) Localized Growth Strategies

Launch city-specific events in Philippines, Indonesia, Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, and Johannesburg in partnership with local Stellar DAOs.
Partner with hubs, accelerators, and coworking spaces for onboarding sessions.

Phase 3: Customer Retention & Monetization Strategy

a) Sticky Features for Retention

Virtual USD cards for online payments.
Savings & Yield Accounts – Let users earn interest on USDC balances.
Expense Management Tools e.g Invoicing – Provide easy tracking for freelancers.
Auto-Conversions – Let users auto-swap USD to local currency at best rates.

b) Loyalty & Rewards

Tiered referral bonuses (e.g., $5 per friend, $50 for 10 referrals).
Special perks for power users (discounted fees, VIP support).

c) Cross-Border Expansion

Expand into more emerging markets (LatAm, Asia, Middle East).
Integrate with local wallets and banks for seamless on/off-ramps.

d) Major PR & Thought Leadership

Get featured in mainstream media outlets e.g TechCrunch, CoinDesk, and CNBC Africa.
Position Hurupay as the future of digital remittances in Africa.
Host podcasts and webinars on payments, compliance and other emerging fintech related trends.

Traction Evidence

Transactions:

http://analytics.hurupay.com/public/dashboard/6daf283b-1d8a-4b9c-b7a6-c6466e9562be

User Accounts:

http://analytics.hurupay.com/public/dashboard/198ab817-2d95-480d-98d5-123e92e6cec6

Tranche 1 (Deliverable Roadmap) - MVP

Tranche 1: $60,000 (2 Months)

Deliverable 1 - Virtual Accounts Infrastructure Set-Up and Maintenance

Budget: $48,000 (An annual fee paid upfront to the banking partner)

In this phase, we will establish and maintain the backend infrastructure to issue and manage virtual USD accounts for Hurupay users, in partnership with a licensed banking provider. This includes system access fees, configuration, and compliance alignment for seamless Stellar USDC settlement.

How to Measure Completion:

Signed agreement with banking partner and system access provisioned
Virtual accounts issued in test environment and live pilot
Backend connected to handle inbound/outbound account transactions

Estimated Date of Completion: End of Month 1

Deliverable 2 - Wallet Creation & Linking Virtual Accounts to Stellar Addresses

Budget: $12,000 (Cost of hiring 2 blockchain developers)

We will Build the Soroban smart contract and deploy wallet creation modules that automatically generate Stellar addresses for users and link them to their respective virtual USD accounts. As we are gearing for scale, we will need to onboard 2 junior blockchain developers to accelerate Soroban integrations and maintain both Hurupay’s business dashboard and mobile apps.

How to Measure Completion:

Wallet creation feature live in mobile and web apps
Demo video verifying end-to-end fund flow from virtual account → Stellar wallet

Estimated Date of Completion: End of Month 2

Tranche 2 (Deliverable Roadmap) - Testnet

Tranche 2 – $50,000 (Months 3–4)

Deliverable 1 – Integration of JSON RPC Node System

Budget: $12,000

We will deploy a JSON RPC node integration to query balances, initiate transactions, and perform on-chain actions from the Hurupay app. This will enable core blockchain functionalities like fetching wallet data, initiating transfers, and syncing account activity.

How to Measure Completion:

JSON RPC endpoints live and accessible in staging environment
Demo video showing successful execution of send/receive transactions via the node in testnet environment

Estimated Date of Completion: Mid-Month 3

Deliverable 2 – Integration of Sumsub KYC System

Budget: $20,000

In line with regulatory requirements, we will integrate Sumsub to our backend for automated customer identity verification, enabling secure and compliant onboarding for individuals and businesses. This process will ensure that we enforce KYC before allowing on/off-ramp activity in order to keep bad actors out of the Stellar ecosystem.

How to Measure Completion:

Executed service agreement with KYC provider.
Sumsub API integrated and live in both mobile and web platforms
Demo video showing successful KYC completion for at least 50 test accounts.

Estimated Date of Completion: End of Month 3

Deliverable 3 – Integration of On/Off-Ramp APIs (Including MoneyGram)

Budget: $18,000

We will connect Hurupay wallet to MoneyGram’s USDC on/off-ramp APIs and other supported providers to enable direct deposits and withdrawals in local currency. This expense will cover the cost of transaction fees charged by MoneyGram to Hurupay (NOT a consumer fee) during the pilot phase.

How to Measure Completion:

Demo video of MoneyGram API live and functional in staging and production environments
Successful deposit and withdrawal transactions confirmed for at least 50 test users

Estimated Date of Completion: End of Month 4

Tranche 3 (Deliverable Roadmap) - Mainnet

Tranche 3 – $50,000 (Months 5–6)

Deliverable 1 – Compliance & Transaction Monitoring System

Budget: $32,000

As part of regulatory requirements to keep out bad actors, hurupay will Implement a 3rd party automated transaction monitoring system integrated with Hurupay’s blockchain backend and KYC system to detect suspicious activity, enforce sanctions screening, and maintain AML/KYC logs for regulators.

How to Measure Completion:

Demo video showing the monitoring system live and tracking all Stellar transactions in real-time
Alerts generated for flagged transactions in staging and production
Compliance reports exportable in regulator-ready formats

Estimated Date of Completion: Mid-Month 5

Deliverable 2 – Integration of Amplitude & Branch for Usage Tracking

Budget: $18,000

We will Integrate Amplitude and Branch SDKs to track user behavior, app events, and marketing attribution. This will provide data-driven insights for scaling adoption and optimizing transaction flows.

How to Measure Completion:

Demo videos showing Amplitude and Branch integrations in mobile and web apps
Real-time event tracking live in dashboards
Usage metrics collected for at least 500 live transactions

Estimated Date of Completion: End of Month 6

Team

Hurupay boasts a strong balanced founding team. Our 3-member founding team has 7 years of experience building software, blockchain, and startups.

Philip Mburu - CEO - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-mburu-3436991a2/

Philip has 3 years of experience as a blockchain developer and educator. Before Hurupay, he co-founded Usafi Innovations - an IoT-based startup that built automated products for homes and offices in Kenya.

Allan Okoth - CTO - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanokoth/

Github: https://github.com/allanokothdev

Allan is a Certified Fullstack Blockchain Developer with 4-year Startup Experience in Product and Engineering. Previously, Allan worked as a full-stack software developer, blockchain developer, and educator for several organizations in East Africa including the Africa Blockchain Institute in Rwanda. He also holds a degree in Computer Science.

James Mugambi - CFO- https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mugambi-98817b166/

James (COO) has 3 years of experience working as an Entrepreneur in residence at Pangea accelerator in Kenya. He is also the founder of SHIELD, a social innovation Hub in Nairobi, Kenya that trains youths from underserved communities in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and design thinking. James also holds a degree in Finance and Economics.

Team’s Technical Capacity and Ability to Deliver

The three co-founders have worked on Hurupay together for the last two and a half years leading a team that has processed 15K transactions worth over $5M+ in volume within 6 months of going live and onbaorded over 20,000 users.

Philip Mburu

James Mugambi

Project Stats

Team Size

Project Type

Payments