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By Linq
This submission integrates Stellar into both of Linq's existing products by connecting to Stellar's payment rails via the Horizon API and routing NGN settlement through Linq's existing fiat disbursal infrastructure.
1. Stellar USDC Support on Linq Consumer App:
Linq's consumer app is currently live on SUI, Solana, Base, BSC, and Aptos, allowing users to connect their crypto wallet and spend stablecoins, with Linq handling the off-ramp to NGN fiat silently in the background. This submission extends that capability to Stellar by adding Stellar USDC as a supported asset.
Users will be able to connect their Stellar wallet and complete day-to-day payments with Stellar USDC, with Linq settling the merchant in naira in real time. Linq monitors and detects the incoming USDC payment via the Horizon API, then triggers our payout API to disburse the equivalent NGN directly to the merchant's bank account. The entire experience is cashlike ; no manual conversion, no crypto knowledge required from either the user or the merchant.
2. Stellar Integration for Linq B2B Merchant Gateway:
Linq's B2B product (currently in development) allows merchants to generate a QR code linked to their Linq business account. Customers scan the code and pay in stablecoins; the merchant receives equivalent NGN directly to their bank account instantly with no crypto knowledge required. This submission extends the B2B gateway to support Stellar USDC payments via SEP-7 payment URIs, enabling any Stellar wallet to scan a merchant QR code and execute a payment without deep app integration. Linq detects the on-chain payment via Horizon API and routes NGN settlement to the merchant through the same disbursal pipeline already processing settlements across Linq's other supported chains.
Combined Impact:
Together, these integrations bring Stellar's payment rails into Nigeria's everyday commerce through Linq's existing infrastructure, adding Stellar USDC holders to Linq's user base while giving Stellar a direct, live payments use case in one of Africa's largest economies. Linq already has $100,000+ in total order volume 10,000+ transactions, and a formal partnership with Sui Network. Stellar integration extends this proven infrastructure to a new chain rather than building from scratch.
Why Stellar Alongside Sui and Other Chains :
Linq currently supports Sui, Solana, Base, BSC, and Aptos each serving users who already hold assets there. However, none of these chains has Stellars payments stack .... convert USDC to NGN and disburse it directly to a Nigerian merchant's bank account through a compliant, programmable off-ramp framework. Stellar's SEP-24 Anchor infrastructure makes this possible out of the box. Stellar is therefore not just an optional chain — it is Linq's dedicated settlement and fiat conversion layer.
Stellar is still growing in Africa and Linq intends to accelerate that. As we scale, we will put Stellar directly in the hands of thousands of Nigerian merchants creating a permanent, growing payments stack demand and new Stellar network activity from users who may never have touched Stellar before.
Concrete Plan to Drive New Stellar Activity :
Zero-fee incentive : Linq absorbs all Stellar network fees, making Stellar the only zero-fee payment option on the platform. Every other chain carries gas costs. An in-app "Pay with Stellar — Zero Fees" prompt reinforces this at every payment screen, prompting users to pay via XLM stablecoins.
- Merchant settlement volume — Every merchant payout flows through Stellar before NGN conversion via Bridge.xyz. 40+ merchants by Tranche 3, 200+ by the end of the year and thousands in the next few years means recurring, compounding daily Stellar transactions that grow automatically with our merchant base.
$78.0K
TRACTION EVIDENCE:
Linq went live on the 8th of September 2025 and has demonstrated real and measurable adoption on its live consumer platform:
As at March 20th 2026 :
- $100,000+ in total order volume processed on-chain
- 10,000+ total transactions
- 1400+ verified users
- 8 businesses signed up on the B2B waitlist, signalling early merchant demand ahead of the gateway launch
- 1,800+ Twitter/X followers (@uselinq) with active community engagement
- Formal partnership with Sui Network (@SuiNetwork) Sui officially announced Linq as their stablecoin off-ramp partner for Nigeria, with the partnership post reaching 49,000+ views
- Live across 5 blockchain networks with real merchant settlement operational in Nigeria
- video showing our live stats dashboard: https://youtu.be/W8TeLCIw3wg?si=P5PrWzXxb7DYJQI-
- Twitter/X : https://x.com/uselinq
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uselinq.xyz
- tiktok : https://www.tiktok.com/@uselinq.xyz
Partnership evidence https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IJ8YGnPHrXDoefdNxr07T6BNyO1PT6DM
TRANCHE 1 (DELIVERABLE ROADMAP) — MVP
DELIVERABLE 1
STELLAR WALLETS KIT & QR PAYMENTS
Description
Integrate Stellar Wallets Kit into Linq's consumer webapp for wallet connection, USDC payment signing, and SEP-10 authentication. Implement SEP-7 QR code generation so merchants receive a unique payment QR code any Stellar wallet can scan — no Linq account required.
How to Measure Completion
- User connects Freighter or xBull wallet, views USDC balance, and signs a payment transaction — demonstrated via screen recording on staging
- SEP-10 authentication returns valid session token — demonstrated via API response logs
- Merchant SEP-7 QR code generated and displayed in Linq merchant dashboard — demonstrated via screen recording
Estimated date: T+4 weeks
DELIVERABLE 2
HORIZON INDEXER & BRIDGE.XYZ NGN SETTLEMENT
Description
Deploy Horizon SSE streaming to detect and index incoming USDC payments in real time. Integrate Bridge.xyz as the NGN settlement layer, triggering payouts to merchant bank accounts on payment confirmation. Refund and failure flows implemented. Linq absorbs all Stellar network fees — making Stellar the zero-fee payment option on the platform.
How to Measure Completion
- Payment events captured, indexed, and matched to merchant records — demonstrated via backend logs
- Bridge.xyz NGN disbursement triggered on payment confirmation — demonstrated via API response logs and reconciliation records
- Failed disbursement triggers merchant notification within 60 seconds and reprocessing — demonstrated via staging logs
- Zero fees deducted from user wallet — demonstrated via staging payment
- Indexer schema published in Linq's GitHub repository
Budget: $18,000
Estimated date: T+4 weeks
TRANCHE 2 (DELIVERABLE ROADMAP) — TESTNET
DELIVERABLE 3
FULL END-TO-END FLOW — TESTNET
Description :
Deploy all MVP components to Stellar testnet. Full payment flow validated from wallet connection through to merchant balance credit.
How to Measure Completion :
- Full flow demonstrated: wallet connection → SEP-7 QR scan → USDC payment → Horizon detection → merchant credited — screen-captured and verifiable on Stellar Expert
- 10+ payment events indexed within 10 seconds — demonstrated via backend logs
- Zero fees confirmed on testnet payment — verifiable on Stellar Expert
Estimated date: T+8 weeks
DELIVERABLE 4
BRIDGE.XYZ NGN SETTLEMENT — TESTNET
Description :
Deploy Bridge.xyz NGN settlement to testnet. Simulated merchant payouts processed end-to-end with all failure and refund flows validated.
How to Measure Completion :
- 5+ simulated NGN disbursements processed via Bridge.xyz — demonstrated via API logs and reconciliation records
- 10+ reconciliation cycles validated between on-chain balances and Linq's internal ledger
- Full failure-to-recovery cycle demonstrated via testnet logs
Budget:
$26,000
Estimated date: T+8 weeks
TRANCHE 3 (DELIVERABLE ROADMAP) — MAINNET
DELIVERABLE 5
FULL MAINNET DEPLOYMENT & MERCHANT ONBOARDING
Description :
Deploy all Stellar integrations to production. Live USDC payments, SEP-7 QR merchant payments, and Bridge.xyz NGN settlements go live. First merchants onboarded from waitlist. Documentation published at uselinq.xyz/docs.
How to Measure Completion :
- 100+ real USDC payments from 50+ unique wallets — verifiable on Stellar Expert
- 20+ USDC-to-NGN conversions completed — verifiable via Bridge.xyz logs
- 8+ merchants onboarded with average settlement under 5 minutes — demonstrated via Linq dashboard
- 99.5% uptime maintained — demonstrated via monitoring dashboard
Estimated date: T+16 weeks
DELIVERABLE 6
MERCHANT DASHBOARD, SCALING & HARDENING
Description :
Deploy full merchant dashboard. Scale Horizon indexer and harden Bridge.xyz with circuit breakers.
How to Measure Completion :
- Merchant dashboard live with transaction feed, settlement history, and reports — demonstrated via screen recording
- Horizon indexer stable at 10x transaction volume — demonstrated via load test report
- Circuit breakers implemented and validated — demonstrated via failure test logs
- 40+ merchants onboarded receiving live NGN settlements
Budget:
$34,000
Estimated date: T+16 weeks
Daniel Omosuzi : CEO
Daniel is a builder with a background in IoT devices and robotics who loves turning ideas into real products. He built an IoT POS device as a side project, launched an NFT project on Sui that did over $100k in trading volume, and previously led the Sui Web3 community at the University of Benin as campus community manager.
Onyedikachi Favour Nwachukwu : CTO
Favour has spent the better part of 3 years deep in blockchain development, building across Sui, Ethereum and Solana. He has shipped multiple products, most notably IoT trade, which enables people to record and sell their IoT data on-chain. He is the technical architect behind Linq's entire payment infrastructure.
Ebohon Emmanuel : CMO
Emmanuel has been embedded in the Web3 space for 3 years across community management, collaborations, and business development. He's worked with projects including Stonfi, Laika AI, and Sui to execute go-to-market strategies. At Linq, he leads growth and partnerships, focused on expanding across Nigeria and the broader African market.
Daniel
Nwachukwu Onyedikajah
Ebohon Emmanuel
By Linq
Stablecoin payments for Businesses