Create Reward
MaintainerThe maintainer creates a USDC reward linked to a GitHub Issue via the PullPay interface. Funds are locked in Soroban escrow.
Contributors can see that the reward exists on-chain before they start working.
Merge the PR
Payment is automatic
Automated contributor rewards on Stellar
Open PR
Fix Navigation Bug
by Contributor
Code Fix
Reward Amount
37.25 USDC
Stellar Network
Locked
Maintainer funded reward
Merged
PR verified by worker
Settled
USDC sent to contributor
Maintainer
GBXF...7Q3K
NS
Contributor
GDN...4KJ2
Trust-Minimized
No custody.
GitHub APIs enforce payouts.
Built for Open Source
Bug fixes, docs, translations,
and ecosystem growth.
On Stellar & Soroban
Fast, low-cost, and
developer friendly.
The Problem
Traditional Rails Bleed Open Source
Today, rewarding a bug fix means DMing for an address on Discord, calculating fiat/crypto exchange rates, and sending manual transactions. The 15-minute administrative friction costs more than the micro-reward itself.
Stellar distributes massive top-down grants, but zero automated infrastructure exists for bottom-up micro-grants ($5–$50). PullPay eliminates this friction by replacing manual payouts with Soroban-automated escrow.
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30 fee — 36% erosion on a $5 reward.
PayPal
Account freezes. Geographically restricted.
Bank Wire
$15–$45 overhead. 3–5 day settlement delay.
Ethereum
$15+ gas fees. Micro-rewards are economically dead.
Three steps One file
Verifiable settlement from GitHub to Stellar
Add Workflow
MaintainerThe maintainer adds a single `pullpay.yml` GitHub workflow file to their repository. You can choose Instant Payouts or a 24-hour Timelock for a dispute window.
One file. No SDK, no API keys, no complex integration.
Merge & Auto-Pay
SettlementWhen a contributor submits a PR, the maintainer reviews and merges it. The GitHub Action triggers the Cloudflare validation layer, which verifies the merge and tells the Soroban contract to release USDC.
Merge the PR → payment is automatic.
Why Stellar
Why this works on Stellar
Stellar provides a uniquely attractive combination of features that make contributor reward automation viable
[01]
Near-zero fees (<$0.01)
$5 micro-rewards remain $5. No fee erosion.
[02]
Native USDC
Stable, real-world value. No volatile tokens.
[03]
Soroban smart contracts
Programmable escrow — funds locked upfront, released on merge, refunded on timeout.
[04]
Sub-5-second finality
The moment a PR is merged, USDC arrives in the contributor's wallet.
[05]
Permissionless & global
Removes geographic barriers common in traditional payment systems.
Stellar & Soroban
Fast rails
Clear rules
Low fees. Contract release. Visible state.
Stellar rails
Global, near-instant settlement for contributor rewards.
Live reward escrow
Native USDC
Powered by SAC
Stellar Asset Contract eliminates token wrapping. Direct USDC transfers cost a fraction of a cent without needing approvals.
Soroban lock
Escrow rules execute on-chain.
USDC via SAC
Soroban
Stellar Asset Contract
Freighter SDK
GitHub API
Cloudflare Workers
USDC via SAC
Soroban
Stellar Asset Contract
Freighter SDK
GitHub API
Cloudflare Workers
pullpay.yml
GitHub Actions
PR Merge
Wallet Connect
RPC
XLM
pullpay.yml
GitHub Actions
PR Merge
Wallet Connect
RPC
XLM
SEP-7 / Pre-flight
GitHub-native
Cost
Low-fee
close
Micro-rewards made viable.
Architecture
Trust-minimized settlement infrastructure
PullPay relies on three core components. The GitHub Action only notifies — the Worker independently verifies via GitHub API and the contract enforces per-reward release limits.
Soroban Reward Escrow Contract
Built with rs-soroban-sdk. Interfaces natively with SEP-41 (Stellar Asset Contract) to lock USDC upfront and handle automated releases and timeout refunds.
GitHub Reward Automation Toolkit
A pullpay.yml workflow utilizing @actions/core and a Cloudflare Worker oracle. Settlement requests are authenticated via workflow executions and verify PR merges.
Validation Layer Security
The worker verifies the merge via GitHub API, then triggers the Soroban contract via @stellar/stellar-sdk using ephemeral, allowance-limited keys.
Ecosystem Impact
Verifiable on-chain execution
PullPay directly converts GitHub contributions into measurable on-chain Stellar activity.
[01]
Funded Wallet
New ecosystem user
Every contributor who claims a reward creates or funds a Stellar wallet.
[02]
USDC Transfer
On-chain activity
Each settlement is a real USDC transaction on the Stellar network.
[03]
Contract Invocation
Smart contract usage
Every reward release is a Soroban contract interaction.
[04]
Developer Onboarded
Ecosystem growth
For some contributors, this may become their first practical interaction with Stellar.
Use Cases
Built for the open-source economy
PullPay is designed for any scenario where small, verifiable contributions need to be rewarded quickly and efficiently.
SDK Bug Fixes
Stellar SDK maintainer posts $20 reward for a bug fix. Contributor submits PR. On merge, $20 USDC is released automatically.
Documentation Rewards
Community program offers $5–$10 for documentation improvements. Only viable because Stellar fees are <$0.01.
Hackathon Follow-ups
Organizer pre-funds rewards via Soroban escrow. Winners are paid automatically when their code is merged.
Ambassador Campaigns
Chapter leads run transparent bounty campaigns with verifiable on-chain settlement.
FAQ
Common questions
Everything you need to know about how PullPay works.
Start now
Automate Payouts on Merge
PullPay converts GitHub contributions into on-chain Stellar activity. Trust-minimized settlement built for the Stellar ecosystem.
