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
Merged
PR verified
Settled
USDC sent
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
Why Small Contributions Rarely Get Rewarded
Open-source ecosystems depend on hundreds of small contributions: bug fixes, documentation updates, translations, and developer tooling improvements. Yet rewarding these contributions is surprisingly difficult.
For a $5–20 reward, maintainers often coordinate payouts manually through Discord, spreadsheets, direct messages, and wallet collection. The administrative overhead frequently exceeds the value of the reward itself.
As a result, many valuable contributions go unrewarded. PullPay automates the entire settlement process through GitHub workflows and Soroban 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.
Ecosystem Gap
The Missing Layer Between GitHub and Stellar
Stellar already supports grants, hackathons, and ecosystem funding.
What is still missing is reusable infrastructure for rewarding everyday contributions:
[01]
Fixing bugs
[02]
Improving documentation
[03]
Maintaining SDKs
[04]
Translating resources
[05]
Supporting community tooling
PullPay fills this gap by connecting GitHub contribution events directly to Soroban-based reward settlement.
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 Stellar Makes Contributor Rewards Practical
Contributor rewards are often small — sometimes only $5–10. Traditional payment rails make these rewards inefficient because fees can consume a significant portion of the payout. Stellar enables economically viable contributor rewards through:
[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
GitHub Is One of the Largest Developer Networks in the World
PullPay introduces Stellar through a workflow developers already understand. Instead of asking contributors to learn blockchain first, PullPay embeds Stellar directly into the contribution process.
Every successful reward creates:
[01]
Funded Wallet
A funded Stellar wallet
Every contributor who claims a reward creates or funds a Stellar wallet.
[02]
USDC Transfer
A USDC transaction
Each settlement is a real USDC transaction on the Stellar network.
[03]
Contract Invocation
A Soroban contract interaction
Every reward release is a Soroban contract interaction.
[04]
Developer Exposed
A developer exposed to Stellar
For some contributors, this may become their first practical interaction with Stellar.
PullPay turns contribution activity into measurable ecosystem activity.
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.
Timing
Why Now
Stellar continues to invest in developer tooling, grants, hackathons, and ecosystem growth. As more projects launch on Stellar, contributor incentives become increasingly important.
PullPay explores a reusable infrastructure layer that allows ecosystem projects to reward open-source work using the same programmable financial rails that power the broader Stellar network.
Start now
Automate Payouts on Merge
PullPay converts GitHub contributions into on-chain Stellar activity. Trust-minimized settlement built for the Stellar ecosystem.
