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Supporting developers, startups, and full-fledged companies building on Stellar and Soroban
© 2025 Stellar Development Foundation
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By The Signal
The Signal Marketplace
The Signal is a verified Web3 services marketplace that connects founders with specialized providers — developers, auditors, marketers, market makers, and other service professionals — while enabling independent business developers ("connectors") to source deals and earn commissions.
The platform solves a critical trust gap in the Web3 service economy: founders rely on Telegram DMs and personal networks to find vendors, while elite agencies waste resources on cold outreach that gets ignored. The result is high velocity but zero trust — slow hiring cycles, unvetted vendors, and unpaid invoices.
The platform is live at https://thesignal.directory with existing traction:
50+ KYB-verified service providers
30+ active BD connectors
Working milestone-based escrow settlement through Stripe
The Signal already qualifies every client for budget, authority, need, and timeline before making introductions — ensuring providers receive funded, ready-to-close leads.
Dual-Rail Payment Architecture
This grant funds the integration of Stellar infrastructure into The Signal's existing marketplace to create a dual-rail payment architecture.
Stripe remains the fiat payment rail for clients who prefer traditional payment methods.
Stellar becomes the crypto settlement layer, where marketplace service agreements are executed through milestone-based Soroban escrow contracts.
Funds are locked until milestones are validated, then automatically distributed between providers, connectors, and the protocol.
This approach progressively onboards real B2B service marketplace transactions onto Stellar, bringing real settlement volume from a working product with an established user base. Each transaction represents a real service contract between verified companies.
Integration Blocks
The Signal integrates four building blocks from the Stellar ecosystem, each serving a distinct role in the marketplace payment flow.
Stellar Wallets Kit
Enables wallet connection and transaction signing for crypto-native users.
Providers and connectors use Stellar Wallets Kit to connect their existing wallets (Freighter, Albedo, xBull), interact with escrow contracts, sign milestone approvals, and receive payouts directly on Stellar.
Privy
Provides embedded wallet creation for non-crypto users — the majority of The Signal's target audience (business developers, founders, freelancers) who will not install a browser extension.
A user signs up with their email or Google account, and Privy provisions a Stellar-compatible embedded wallet client-side. From that point, they can:
fund deals
release milestones
receive payouts
with the same UX as any Web2 payment flow.
This integration enables non-crypto-native users to interact with the escrow system without installing a browser wallet.
Stellar Broker
Facilitates asset conversion and liquidity routing when deals are funded with tokens other than the settlement asset.
If a client funds a deal in XLM or another Stellar asset, Stellar Broker routes the swap through aggregated liquidity sources:
SoroSwap
Aquarius
Stellar DEX
Classic AMMs
This ensures escrow contracts always receive funds in a standardized settlement asset (USDC on Stellar), providing predictable settlement regardless of how the deal is funded.
Near Intents
Supports cross-chain payment initiation, allowing users on other blockchain ecosystems to fund deals on The Signal without bridging manually.
A client initiates a payment from Ethereum, Solana, or another supported chain, and Near Intents routes the transaction so that final settlement occurs on Stellar and funds are locked in the Soroban escrow contract.
This removes blockchain-specific friction and allows users from other ecosystems to fund deals directly through Stellar-based escrow.
How Payments Flow
A typical marketplace transaction works as follows:
A client creates a service deal on The Signal, defining milestones and selecting the crypto payment rail.
The client connects via:
Stellar Wallets Kit (crypto-native users), or
Privy (email / Google login).
The client funds the deal:
directly in USDC on Stellar,
in another Stellar asset (routed through Stellar Broker), or
from another chain (routed through Near Intents).
Funds are locked in the Soroban DealEscrow contract.
As milestones are completed and validated through the platform, the escrow contract automatically releases payments, splitting funds between:
the service provider,
the connector commission,
and the protocol fee.
Providers and connectors claim payouts directly to their wallets connected via Stellar Wallets Kit or Privy.
Clients who prefer fiat continue using Stripe. Both rails coexist, and the platform progressively shifts settlement volume onto Stellar as crypto-native users adopt the new payment option.
$121.0K
The Signal is a live, operational marketplace with validated demand on both sides of the market.
Verified Provider Network
50+ vetted service providers including smart contract auditors, market makers, development agencies, and growth firms. The Signal rejects approximately 90% of provider applications through the "Verified by Signal" audit — a structured KYB due diligence process consisting of: legal entity verification (company registration, jurisdiction, active status), track record check (portfolio, past clients, public footprint), reference calls with past clients, reputation analysis across Web3 channels (Twitter, Telegram, Discord, on-chain activity), and internal member vouching where at least one existing verified member must vouch for the applicant. Providers who fail any stage are rejected. The verified provider network represents over $50M in aggregate service capacity based on provider deal sizes and pricing.
Active BD Connector Network
30+ independent business development professionals ("connectors") — including VCs, KOLs, and ecosystem advisors — who source and qualify deals through The Signal. Connectors earn a success fee on closed deals, creating a self-reinforcing growth loop: every connector introduction onboards a new funded client to the marketplace.
Existing Settlement Infrastructure
The platform has operational escrow rails through Stripe and Safe Wallet (multisig), ready to process B2B service agreements with milestone-based fund release. The Stellar integration funded by this grant adds the crypto settlement path alongside the existing fiat rails — enabling trustless, non-custodial escrow via Soroban smart contracts.
Client Qualification Process
Before any introduction, The Signal BANT-qualifies each client — verifying budget, authority, need, and timeline. This ensures providers receive pre-vetted, budget-confirmed leads rather than unqualified inbound. The platform's BD Sprint product guarantees a minimum number of qualified introductions within a defined period, with a full refund if the target is not met — demonstrating confidence in the matching model.
Partnerships and Ecosystem Interest
Active discussions with multiple L1/L2 ecosystems to position The Signal as their official services directory. The network has generated qualified deal pipeline through organic referral prior to any public marketing, validating demand without paid acquisition.
**
Community and Distribution**
The Signal operates within the broader Arch ecosystem (https://x.com/jointhearch) — a French-based Web3 builder community with 700+ active builders, 1,200+ followers on X, and an active Discord server (https://discord.gg/DyMtfph9rA). The Arch serves as The Signal's advisory and consultancy arm, sharing community resources, deal flow, and builder networks. This gives The Signal immediate distribution to a pre-qualified audience of Web3 builders and founders — many of whom are potential clients and providers for the marketplace. The Arch regularly hosts Builders Talks live sessions featuring Web3 entrepreneurs and ecosystem projects, generating ongoing visibility and inbound interest for The Signal.
Description
Develop the DealEscrow Soroban smart contract implementing the full lifecycle of a marketplace service agreement: Pending → Funded → Released / Refunded.
The contract manages:
milestone-based escrow,
automatic revenue splits between the service provider, connector, and protocol.
Deposits are handled through the Stellar Asset Contract (USDC), while releases distribute funds atomically across all parties.
A Claimable Balance fallback mechanism handles refund or dispute scenarios.
How to measure completion
Smart contract compiles and passes unit tests covering:
escrow deposit and milestone release flow
multi-party atomic payout split (provider / connector / protocol)
refund path using Claimable Balance fallback
Contract code and tests are published in the public repository.
Budget
$17,200
Estimated date
T+3 weeks
Deliverable 2
Description
Integrate Stellar Wallets Kit into the existing Next.js marketplace frontend to enable wallet connection and transaction signing.
Providers and connectors can connect Freighter, Albedo, or xBull wallets, view balances, fund escrow deals, approve milestone releases, and claim payouts directly from the platform.
**
How to measure completion**
User can:
connect a Stellar wallet through the marketplace UI
view USDC balance
sign an escrow funding transaction
Demonstration recorded using the Soroban local sandbox.
Budget
$12,400
**
Estimated date**
T+5 weeks
Description
Integrate Privy to enable embedded wallet creation via email or Google login.
The Privy SDK provisions a Stellar-compatible embedded wallet client-side, allowing non-crypto users (business developers, founders, freelancers) to fund escrow deals and release milestones without installing a browser wallet.
The Privy Stellar adapter enables transaction signing against the DealEscrow contract through the embedded wallet flow, ensuring that both crypto-native and non-crypto users can interact with the same escrow infrastructure.
**
How to measure completion**
User can:
sign up with email or Google
receive an embedded Stellar wallet
view USDC balance
sign an escrow funding transaction
All actions are performed without installing any browser extension.
Demonstration recorded on the Soroban local sandbox.
Budget
$16,300
Estimated date
T+6 weeks
Description
Deploy the DealEscrow contract to Soroban Testnet and connect it to the marketplace frontend. Enable the full deal lifecycle on testnet:
wallet connection (via Stellar Wallets Kit or Privy) → deal creation → escrow funding → milestone validation → automatic payout split to provider, connector, and protocol wallets.
This milestone demonstrates the first end-to-end B2B service transaction executed through Soroban escrow on Stellar.
How to measure completion
Video walkthrough demonstrating a complete B2B service deal on testnet:
Testnet contract address published.
Budget
$16,400
Estimated date
T+8 weeks
Deliverable 5: Off-Chain Event Indexer & State Synchronization
Description
Develop an event listener service using Mercury / Soroban RPC that monitors DealEscrow contract events (Funded, Released, Refunded) and synchronizes the on-chain state with the marketplace backend (Payload CMS database). This enables real-time deal status updates in the marketplace UI.
How to measure completion
Escrow events automatically update the marketplace dashboard:
Indexer service and event schema published in the repository.
Budget
$8,000
Estimated date
T+9 weeks
Deliverable 6: Stellar Broker Integration — Multi-Asset Escrow Funding
Description
Integrate Stellar Broker into the deal funding flow so clients can fund escrows with any Stellar asset. Stellar Broker routes swaps through aggregated liquidity sources (Soroswap, Aquarius, Stellar DEX) so the escrow contract always receives the standardized settlement asset (USDC).
This integration allows marketplace deals to be funded with any Stellar asset while ensuring standardized USDC settlement for escrow contracts.
How to measure completion
Testnet transaction demonstrating:
Explorer link provided.
Budget
$15,200
Estimated date
T+11 weeks
Description
Integrate Near Intents to enable cross-chain deal funding. Users on non-Stellar ecosystems (such as Ethereum or Solana) can initiate payments that are routed through Near Intents and settle on Stellar, locking funds in the DealEscrow contract.
This integration enables users from other ecosystems to fund marketplace deals without leaving their native chain.
How to measure completion
Testnet demonstration showing:
Transaction flow documented with explorer links.
Budget
$11,800
Estimated date
T+12 weeks
Deliverable 8: Mainnet Deployment & Production Configuration
Description
Deploy the DealEscrow contract to Stellar Mainnet and configure the production infrastructure. This includes mainnet RPC endpoints, Stellar Broker routing, Near Intents payment routing, and the Privy production environment.
The frontend is switched from testnet to mainnet, and the contract undergoes internal security review and optimization before production use.
How to measure completion
Verified mainnet contract address published
contract code open-sourced and verified
frontend connected to mainnet environment with all crypto payment paths active
Budget
$17,400
Estimated date
T+15 weeks
Deliverable 9: Dual-Rail Checkout — Fiat & Crypto Coexistence
Description
Complete the dual-rail payment experience where users choose between Stripe (fiat) and Stellar (crypto) at deal creation.
Crypto funding supports three paths:
Users connect via Stellar Wallets Kit (crypto-native) or Privy (email/Google embedded wallet).
Both payment rails integrate into the same deal management interface.
How to measure completion
Production checkout flow where a user can toggle between:
Both paths generate a tracked deal within the same provider dashboard.
Budget
$6,300
Estimated date
T+16 weeks
The Signal is led by a team of three co-founders with complementary expertise across Web3 strategy, financial architecture, and protocol engineering.
Samir Touinssi – CEO & Growth Strategist
Founder and CEO, Samir leads product vision, go-to-market strategy, and growth. He brings over 10 years of experience in content, community building, and Web3 marketing. As CEO of The Arch Consulting, he has advised multiple blockchain projects on positioning, adoption, and ecosystem growth. He also integrates AI/LLM tools (OpenAI, Gemini) into product and growth workflows.
Focus: product vision, GTM, AI integration, community growth.
Linkedin
Leo Leung – COO & Quantitative Strategist
Leo oversees operations, financial logic, and incentive design. He has a strong background in quantitative finance and crypto trading, including algorithmic trading, market making, and arbitrage strategies. He previously contributed to Web3 research and trading operations in crypto-native environments.
Focus: escrow logic, commission structures, financial optimization, operations.
GitHub - Linkedin
Antoine Servant – CTO & Technical Architect
Antoine leads technical execution and smart contract development. He has built and scaled multiple Web3 systems from POC to production, including privacy-focused infrastructure and decentralized applications. His expertise spans full-stack development, blockchain architecture, and smart contracts (EVM, Solidity, Soroban-ready).
Focus: protocol architecture, smart contracts, infrastructure, Stellar/Soroban integration.
Linkedin
Team Structure
Samir: product, growth, AI, go-to-market
Leo: financial architecture, incentives, operations
Antoine: engineering, smart contracts, Stellar integration
Leo
No other submissions.