Stellar Community Fund

By RemittEase

Launching South Africa & Nigeria

SCF #36

$54.1K

Build

Awarded

We offer a mobile-first AI & blockchain remittance service helping individuals and businesses cut cross-border fees and delays

Products & Services

RemittEase is a decentralized remittance platform on Stellar built for fast, low-cost, and transparent cross-border payments. Our solution is designed to empower underserved communities and drive financial inclusion across Africa by streamlining remittances with robust technology and trusted integrations.

Key Features

Seamless On/Off Ramps
- What It Does: Users can deposit and withdraw funds in multiple currencies effortlessly.
- How It Works:
  - Moonpay & Yellowcard: Provide fiat on- and off-ramp solutions, allowing smooth conversion between crypto and local currencies.
  - Link.io: Ensures reliable liquidity and supports bank transfers.
Trustless Transactions
- What It Does: Offers transparent, secure, and automated money transfers.
- How It Works:
  - Stellar Soroban Smart Contracts: Automate escrow management and settlement, ensuring near real-time confirmation and eliminating the need for intermediaries.
Intuitive User Experience (UX)
- What It Does: Simplifies onboarding and usage for both crypto-native users and traditional customers.
- How It Works:
  - User-Friendly Interface: Delivers a simple, clean design that facilitates easy navigation.
  - Onfido KYC Integration: Provides robust identity verification to ensure secure and compliant user onboarding.
Scalability & Low Fees
- What It Does: Minimizes transaction costs while ensuring speedy transfers.
- How It Works:
  - Efficient Stellar Consensus: Leverages low-cost, sub-second transaction processing.
  - Scalable Soroban Contract Framework: Maintains performance under high demand with minimal fees.
Real-Time Market Data
- What It Does: Enables users to make informed decisions based on current exchange rates.
- How It Works:
  - TradingView API: Supplies live market data and exchange rates directly within the platform.
Enhanced Communication
- What It Does: Keeps users informed throughout their transaction journey.
- How It Works:
  - Twilio Integration: Sends timely notifications and updates on transaction status and KYC processes.
Impact & Vision

RemittEase is designed to reduce remittance friction and drive financial inclusion by:
- Empowering African communities: Providing fast, secure, and affordable remittance solutions.
- Streamlining cross-border payments: Enabling real-time, transparent transfers that outpace traditional remittance methods.
- Building trust and compliance: Ensuring that every transaction meets rigorous security and regulatory standards through integrated KYC and smart contract protocols.

Soroban

Yes

Requested Budget

$54.1K

Success Criteria

Success Criteria (Phase 1)

Waitlist Sign-ups: ≥ 5 000 interested users (across email, Discord, Telegram)
Partnerships Secured: ≥ 3 community orgs + 2 SME pilots signed MOUs
Testnet Engagement: 80 % of pilot users complete ≥ 5 transactions each
Content Reach: 3 educational assets published per language; ≥ 1 000 video views
Social Metrics: ≥ 1 000 combined followers and ≥ 500 pre-launch webinar attendees

Success Criteria (Phase 2)

Active Users: ≥ 2 000 unique users onboarded in first month
Transaction Volume: ≥ $200 000 total remitted value in Month 1
Referral Uptake: ≥ 25 % of users send at least one referral invite
Onboarding Time: Average registration + KYC completion < 1 minute
Platform Stability: ≥ 99 % transaction success rate, < 1 % error rate

Success Criteria (Phase 3)

New Markets Live: ≥ 2 additional countries onboarded by Month 9
Monthly Remittance Volume: ≥ $500 000 by Month 9
User Retention: ≥ 60 % 30-day retention rate among active users
SME Adoption: ≥ 10 pilot businesses transacting monthly
Revenue/Cost Savings: Demonstrate ≥ 70 % cost savings vs. incumbents in case studies

Go-To-Market Plan

Phase 1: Pre-Launch

Target Audience Identification
- Identify key segments: African diaspora, local SMEs, and under-/unbanked populations in target regions.
- Tailor messaging on the benefits of fast, secure, and low-cost remittances.
Strategic Partnership Development
- Initiate partnerships with community organizations such as the Nigerian Community in South Africa (100K+ members) and the Namibia National Farmers Union.
- Engage potential B2B partners (e.g., Mapha Logistics) to secure early business users.
- Leverage Shiloh R&D and similar innovation labs for technology validation.
Product & Technical Engagement
- Conduct internal beta testing to refine MVP features.
- Set up a testnet pilot with select users and partners to gather early feedback on UI/UX and transaction flows.
- Share a transparent development roadmap with stakeholders and early adopters.
User Education & Content Preparation
- Develop multilingual educational content (videos, infographics, guides) that explains Stellar-powered remittances.
- Prepare clear step-by-step onboarding tutorials and FAQs.
- Build initial community channels (Discord, Telegram) to start nurturing early adopters.
Digital & Social Media Strategy Setup
- Plan targeted social media campaigns and influencer outreach before the official launch.
- Organize pre-launch AMAs and webinars to build excitement and answer potential users’ questions.

Phase 2: Launch

Official Platform Launch
- Transition the MVP from testnet to mainnet after final QA and beta testing.
- Ensure all core functionalities (onboarding, funding integrations, smart contracts) are live and fully operational.
Community Outreach & Engagement
- Host launch-focused AMAs and webinars featuring key team members.
- Initiate referral programs to incentivize early adopters and encourage network-driven growth.
- Use live feedback sessions to monitor initial user experiences and address issues promptly.
Initial Adoption & Beta Testing
- Onboard early adopters from pre-launch waitlists and proof-of-concept business partners.
- Monitor transaction volume, user engagement, and performance metrics closely.
- Provide real-time reporting dashboards to display successful transactions and cost savings.
Partnership Activation
- Activate pilot partnerships (e.g., Nigerian Community in South Africa, Namibia National Farmers Union) to demonstrate real-world impact.
- Execute targeted marketing (within allowed SCF development scope) via community channels to showcase success stories and testimonials.

Phase 3: Scaling & Expansion

Geographic Rollout & Market Penetration
- Expand RemittEase into additional African markets based on early success (beyond Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa).
- Leverage regional partnerships to fine-tune localized versions of the platform.
Product Enhancements & Iterative Improvements
- Continuously gather user feedback from the live platform; use data analytics to optimize features and performance.
- Roll out advanced enhancements such as enhanced reporting, additional integration with local fiat on/off ramps, and refinements to the user interface.
Strengthening Ecosystem Engagement
- Deepen relationships with community organizations and B2B partners to drive sustained adoption.
- Publish detailed case studies and user testimonials to build trust and further market penetration.
- Maintain ongoing engagement with the Stellar community through regular updates, iterative improvements, and strategic participation in ecosystem events.
Performance & Metrics Tracking
- Rigorously monitor key performance indicators (user growth, transaction volume, engagement metrics).
- Adjust go-to-market strategies based on performance data to sustain and accelerate growth.
- Expand referral programs and community-driven initiatives to reach wider audiences.

Traction Evidence

> Completed +$25000 cross boarder disbursement for our B2B partner Mapha in the Month of May 2025

> Revamped our website completely and relaunched in May 2025

> Lauched educational content:

2 Podcast episodes in May 2025 https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gx98emQG99UwMSsF9hoR4
2 Blog Articles in May 2025 https://medium.com/@RemittEase

> Kickstart grant recipients (Cohort #9)
> Nigerian Community in South Africa Association giving RemittEase access to +100000 members to test

> Shiloh Partnership aligned with Stellar's SDG strategy, they have helped over 1 million people with vaccines during humanitarian efforts
> Mapha Logistics a fast emerging e-commerce company in South Africa will plug RemittEase as solution to pay their over 350 gig workers

> Hosted an AMA over 3500 listeners on Binance Live

> Grew X account to nearly 500 followers in 3 weeks

> Grew our discord channel from 0 to 43 members including devs

> Namibia National Farmers Union partnership through FarmNet (approx. 4,130 farmers) set to pilot RemittEase

Operational Excellence

Fully Operational MVP:
Our MVP is live and validated against our initial Kickstart submission.
Frictionless Onboarding:
Users register seamlessly and complete KYC via Onfido, ensuring full regulatory compliance.
Live Market Deployment:
Actively running in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa with ongoing tests refining our solution.

Community & Partnership Momentum

Stellar Kickstart Grant:
We’ve won Stellar’s Kickstart grant, fueling our mission to transform remittances.
- We completed all our milestones and rolled out our MVP that enables, account creation, wallet creation, test transaction, on-ramping and off-ramping.
High-Profile Partnerships:
- Shiloh R&D: Partnered with an innovation lab backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF to enhance our testnet phase. This parntership aligns with Stellar's SDG strategy.
- Ropheka: A leading South African clothing brand has joined our V2 testnet to validate our model.
- Mapha Logistics: Our groundbreaking B2B collaboration provides direct access to over 350 gig workers, drivers, and 300+ merchants, reinforcing our market potential.
Community Engagement:
- Two AMAs attracted over 3.5k engaged viewers, with a recent AMA drawing 4,000 listeners.
- Our X (formerly Twitter) account grew to nearly 500 followers in 3 weeks, and our Discord community expanded to 40 members in 2 weeks.
Early Adoption:
- Over 100 early adopters are on our waitlist, with more than 30 businesses already signed up for our proof-of-concept.
- Key pilot partnerships include the Nigerian Community in South Africa Association (network exceeding 100k members) and the Namibia National Farmers Union (approx. 4,130 farmers) set to pilot RemittEase.

Technical Highlights

Decentralized Transfers:
- Stellar Soroban smart contracts power secure, trustless transfers.
- Every user is provisioned with a dedicated Stellar testnet account, pre-funded with 10k XLM for easy testing and feedback.
Multi-Channel Funding:
- Integrated APIs from Linkio, Yellowcard, and Moonpay enable flexible on- and off-ramp access.
- Users can deposit seamlessly and withdraw in both NGN and USD, bridging crypto with traditional finance.
Real-Time Data Integration:
- The TradingView API provides live exchange rates and market data, empowering users with timely insights.
Streamlined User Experience:
- An intuitive interface allows users to add and store recipients effortlessly, optimizing remittance flows.

Robust Reporting:

Live reports and databases track transactions and deliver key data insights for decision-making.

Links:

Kickstart award announcement: https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1882047156686926252

Shilo B2B announcement: **https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1909968059105689836
Ropheka** B2B announcement: https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1907435129628156070

Mapha B2B announcement: https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1904190118090486047

Linkio Partnership announcement: https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1904190118090486047

Asset Ocean B2B announcement: https://x.com/remitt_ease/status/1903414775201042882

RemittEase AMA: https://www.binance.com/en/live/video?roomId=2252640

Tranche 1 (Deliverable Roadmap) - MVP

Budget Assumptions & Hourly Rates

Blockchain / Smart-Contract Developer: $70.28/hr
Backend / Integration Developer: $59.26/hr
Frontend Developer: $53.61/hr
UI/UX Designer: $53.94/hr
QA Tester: $39.37/hr
DevOps Engineer: $62.00/hr
Project Manager: $50.25/hr

Milestone 1 – MVP (~ $29 610)
Objective:
Build and deliver the foundational RemittEase dApp so that new users can register, verify identity, fund accounts via multiple fiat rails, and execute remittance flows on a private Soroban testnet—complete with a basic polished frontend and fully automated CI/CD pipeline.

Smart-Contract Development
- 120 hrs × $70.28/hr = $8 433.60
Backend & FI/FO Integration
- 100 hrs × $59.00/hr = $5 900.00
Frontend Implementation
- 100 hrs × $53.08/hr = $5 308.00
UI/UX Design & Prototyping
- 50 hrs × $48.34/hr = $2 417.00
QA & Automated Testing
- 60 hrs × $42.95/hr = $2 577.00
DevOps (CI/CD & Testnet Setup)
- 30 hrs × $60.53/hr = $1 815.90
Project Management & Coordination
- 30 hrs × $49.37/hr = $1 481.10
Contingency (≈ 6%)
- $1 675.96 (within the 5–10% recommended range)

Total Milestone 1: ≈ $29 610

Completion Criteria:

Onboarding & KYC: End-to-end sign-up flow with Onfido returns a ≥ 95 % pass rate in the test environment.
Fiat Rails: At least 10 back-to-back NGN ⇄ USD deposit/withdrawal transactions succeed without error through MoonPay, Yellowcard, and Linkio APIs.
Smart Contracts: Three core Soroban contracts deployed to testnet with ≥ 20 successful escrow and settlement transactions recorded.
Frontend: Registration, dashboard, and send/receive screens achieve ≥ 80 % positive feedback in an internal usability review.
CI/CD Pipeline: Every push to main triggers a green build covering linting, unit tests, contract compilation, and testnet deployment.

Tranche 2 (Deliverable Roadmap) - Testnet

Milestone 2 – Testnet & Beta (~ $15 065)

Objective:
Harden and optimize the MVP on Stellar’s public testnet by running performance and security tests, executing a closed beta with target users, and tuning data feeds and monitoring.

Performance & Security Testing
- 80 hrs × $42.95/hr = $3 436.00
Smart-Contract Audit Preparation
- 40 hrs × $70.28/hr = $2 811.20
Beta Support & Bug Fixes (Backend)
- 60 hrs × $59.00/hr = $3 540.00
Beta Support & Bug Fixes (Frontend)
- 40 hrs × $53.08/hr = $2 123.20
UI/UX Tweaks from Feedback
- 30 hrs × $48.34/hr = $1 450.20
Project Management & Reporting
- 20 hrs × $49.37/hr = $987.40
Contingency (≈ 5%)
- $717.40 (within the 5–10% recommended range)

Total Milestone 2: ≈ $15 065

Completion Criteria:

Performance & Load: Documented benchmarks show average transaction latency < 200 ms and error rate < 1 % under 100 simultaneous users.
Security Testing: Internal penetration tests complete with zero critical or high-severity findings.
Beta Feedback: Onboarding time shortened to < 30 s; ≥ 90 % of beta-reported issues triaged and fixed; post-beta NPS ≥ 30.
Data Feeds: TradingView API delivers real-time FX rates at least once per minute with API latency < 1 s.
Monitoring: Live dashboards capture transaction volumes, success/failure rates, and system health; alert rules configured for threshold breaches.

Tranche 3 (Deliverable Roadmap) - Mainnet

Milestone 3 – Mainnet Launch (~ $9 371)

Objective:
Transition RemittEase to Stellar mainnet with production-grade smart contracts, finalize AML/KYC compliance, validate via smoke tests, and establish continuous monitoring and support.

Mainnet Deployment & Scaling
- 40 hrs × $60.53/hr = $2 421.20
Final UI/UX Polish
- 40 hrs × $48.34/hr = $1 933.60
Compliance & KYC Finalization
- 40 hrs × $70.28/hr = $2 811.20
Smoke Testing & Production QA
- 20 hrs × $42.95/hr = $859.00
Go-Live Project Management
- 10 hrs × $49.37/hr = $493.70
Contingency (≈ 10%)
- $851.87 (upper bound of 5–10% standard)

Total Milestone 3: ≈ $9 371

Completion Criteria:

Live Transactions: ≥ 50 mainnet remittances executed with median confirmation time < 1 s and fees ≥ 70 % lower than incumbent services.
Uptime & Stability: ≥ 99.9 % system uptime over a 7-day post-launch window; zero critical incidents.
Compliance: Third-party audit completed with no critical vulnerabilities; KYC/AML flows approved by compliance partner.
Production Monitoring: Real-time dashboards display transaction metrics; automated alerts (email/SMS) trigger on error or threshold breaches.
Go-Live Support: On-call rotation in place; any live incident resolved within 2 hours.

Team

Nyoni Noble

Founder & CEO
📍 Johannesburg, South Africa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noblenyoni/

Summary:
Founder with 10+ years of experience in finance, e-commerce, and blockchain. Proven track record of building and scaling startups in emerging markets. Passionate about financial inclusion and blockchain-powered remittance innovation.

Experience

RemittEase – Founder & CEO
Sep 2024 – Present
Building an AI-powered, stablecoin-based remittance platform serving emerging markets. Winner of the Stellar Community Fund Kickstart.
Mapha Logistics – Co-Founder
2017 – 2024
Scaled township-focused e-commerce & logistics platform to 10,000+ MAUs. Won Telkom Startup of the Year and secured funding from Google, SAB Foundation, and IDF Capital.
Auditor General of South Africa – Senior Analyst
PwC South Africa – Analyst
Deloitte – Financial Analyst

Education

BCom Internal Auditing – University of Pretoria
Advanced Diplomas in:
- Business Management
- Data Science
- Blockchain Development

Awards & Recognition

Winner: Telkom Startup of the Year (Mapha)
Google for Startups Accelerator Alumni
Winner: Stellar Community Fund Kickstart (RemittEase)
_ _

Arigundia Ryan

Co-Founder & COO
📍 South Africa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/taonga-arigundia-a96b66190/

Summary:
Web3 analyst with 7 years of experience in blockchain ecosystems, developer relations, and go-to-market execution. Skilled in bridging user insights with protocol design and business strategy.

Experience

RemittEase – Co-Founder & COO
Nov 2024 – Present
Leads operations, developer engagement, and user acquisition for a stablecoin-powered remittance platform.
Contributed to Web3 research, tokenomics strategy, and community development across emerging ecosystems.

Education