CryptoPal

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  Blockchain based custodian platform

Inspiration..

The rapid rise of e-commerce and the parallel boom in cryptocurrencies inspired me to address a key challenge: how can online businesses safely and easily accept cryptocurrency payments? At the time, crypto adoption lacked reliable custodial services that could seamlessly integrate with e-commerce platforms. I wanted to bridge this gap and make crypto payments as intuitive as using Stripe or PayPal.

What it does

CryptoPal is a custodial crypto payment gateway tailored for e-commerce platforms. It allows online retailers to accept payments in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, while abstracting away the complexity of wallet management, volatility, and crypto security. For merchants, it offered a plug-and-play integration similar to traditional payment SDKs. For buyers, it provided a simple and secure crypto checkout experience.

How I built it

• To develop CryptoPal, I leveraged BlockApps' Blockchain-as-a-Service platform, Strato, which provided a scalable and developer-friendly Ethereum-compatible environment. I wrote smart contracts in Solidity and deployed them on Strato to handle transactions, escrow logic, and merchant fund flows.
• On the front end, I built a React-based merchant dashboard that allowed store owners to configure their crypto settings, view payment activity, and manage their custodial wallet.
• For the user experience, I integrated MetaMask to allow buyers to authorize payments directly from their crypto wallets, creating a seamless checkout experience.
• I also created mock modules that simulated real-world fiat conversion and volatility protection using oracles—these modules were designed to illustrate how merchants could lock in fiat value at the time of purchase while still accepting crypto.

Together, this tech stack formed a working proof-of-concept that showcased the potential for real-world crypto payments on e-commerce sites.

Challenges I ran into

• Handling the volatility of cryptocurrencies while ensuring merchants didn’t bear the conversion risk.
• Ensuring transaction finality and preventing double-spend in a short hackathon window.
• Integrating MetaMask into the checkout flow and resolving signer compatibility issues.
• Building a basic but convincing front end in under 48 hours while juggling backend custodial logic.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

• Demoed live at Consensus 2017 with real Ethereum transactions on testnet.
• Received strong validation and interest from other developers and enterprise attendees.
• The project later helped me get internships and connections, including with industry leaders like Kieren James-Lubin
• The feedback from Consensus helped shape my understanding of regulatory and technical gaps in blockchain-based commerce.

What I learned

• The real-world application of blockchain is heavily tied to user experience, security, and compliance.
• Payment systems require deep thought around latency, transaction finality, custodianship, and dispute resolution.
• Hackathons are powerful accelerators—not just for product ideas but also for building long-term industry relationships.

What's next for CryptoPal

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Built With

• balaji