Bitdoo

Inspiration

In many parts of the world, freelancers and micro-workers struggle with delayed payments, trust issues, and unfair labor platforms. We were inspired by the potential of Bitcoin — especially the Lightning Network — to make payments borderless, instant, and fair. Bitdoo was born out of a desire to bring real-time, transparent compensation to the gig economy, where workers can finally get paid as they work, without middlemen.

What it does

Bitdoo is a real-time Bitcoin payment streaming platform that allows clients to pay freelancers or micro-workers by the second. As a worker completes a task, they receive Bitcoin instantly via the Lightning Network. The client funds a payment stream, which can be paused or stopped at any time, ensuring fairness and flexibility on both sides. This system eliminates late payments and introduces transparency into every working second.

How we built it

We built Bitdoo using the following stack:

• Frontend: React.js with Tailwind CSS for a clean, responsive UI
• Backend: Node.js and Express.js to manage sessions, users, and time-tracking logic
• Bitcoin Payments: Integrated with the Lightning Network using LNBits APIs for payment streaming
• Wallet Integration: Alby extension for easy Lightning wallet connection
• Hosting: Netlify for frontend deployment and Railway for backend hosting

The MVP allows clients to create a job session, fund it with a set amount of sats (satoshis), and stream payments to a worker in real-time while the timer is running.

Challenges we ran into

• Lightning integration: Managing real-time microtransactions with accurate timing and accounting was tricky.
• Simulating payment streaming: Traditional Bitcoin is built for single transactions, so simulating streaming behavior over Lightning required creative batching and time-triggered actions.
• Wallet compatibility: Ensuring smooth wallet connection across different devices was a major UX challenge.
• Time tracking fairness: Creating a trustless way to start/stop timers without manipulation pushed us to explore different client-side and server-side strategies.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Successfully implemented a working payment stream using Bitcoin's Lightning Network
• Created an intuitive, simple UI for both clients and freelancers
• Developed a secure session system to manage multiple jobs and payments
• Got Lightning payments working with live test wallets and funding sessions!

What we learned

• How to integrate Bitcoin Lightning payments into web apps
• The nuances of time-based payments and how they can be abused or misused
• The importance of user experience in trust-based financial platforms
• How difficult (and exciting) it is to simulate "streaming" payments on Bitcoin

What's next for Bitdoo

• Add automatic activity detection (keyboard/mouse) to prevent idle earnings
• Add escrow and dispute resolution mechanisms for added security
• Integrate fiat-to-BTC onramps for non-crypto-native users
• Launch on mainnet with full Lightning support and user dashboards
• Explore partnerships with freelance platforms and task marketplaces

Built With

• alby-(via-webln)
• embla-carousel
• lnbits
• lucide-react
• netlify
• next.js
• radix-ui
• railway
• react-day-picker
• react-hook-form
• react.js
• recharts
• sonner
• tailwind-css
• typescript
• webln
• zod