BitTravel

BitTravel makes road travel easy across Senegal. Take your bus tickets online and pay instantly via Bitcoin Lightning, Orange Money or Wave.

Comment 14

Inspiration

Travelling across Senegal can often be challenging: long queues, uncertain timetables, and cash-only payments.
We wanted to redefine local ground transportation by creating BitTravel, a modern platform that simplifies and secures travel using digital ticket purchases, Bitcoin Lightning payments, and AI assistance in French, English, and Wolof.

Our mission is simple:
Make travel smarter, safer, and more inclusive — while helping people discover Bitcoin through real-life use.

What it does

BitTravel is a platform for :

  • Search, compare and buy ground travel tickets in real time.
  • Pay quickly and securely via the Bitcoin Lightning network, Orange Money or Wave.
  • Receive instant assistance thanks to BitBot, our multilingual intelligent assistant.
  • Easily view and download purchased tickets and travel history.

How we built it

We developed BitTravel as a complete ecosystem combining modern web technologies, blockchain, and AI.

Architecture & Technologies

  • A robust FastAPI backend managing users, routes, trips, and digital ticket generation with PostgreSQL.
  • A secure Lightning Network (LND) integration enabling instant Bitcoin payments and cryptographic ticket signing.
  • A React + Capacitor mobile application offering a fast, multilingual, and user-friendly interface.
  • BitBot, our intelligent AI assistant built with LangChain and Google Gemini, fluent in French, English, and Wolof.
  • A ticket verification layer using digital signatures, guaranteeing that every ticket is authentic and tamper-proof.
  • Seamless deployment on Vercel for high availability and scalability across devices.

From Search to Payment: The BitTravel Journey

  1. Search & Compare

    • The traveler opens the BitTravel app and searches for a route (e.g., Dakar → Saint-Louis).
    • The backend instantly queries the database to display all available transport companies, departure times, and prices.

  2. Select & Book

    • The user chooses a bus and preferred seat.
    • The app confirms availability in real-time to avoid double booking.

  3. Payment

    • The traveler selects a payment method: Bitcoin Lightning, Orange Money, or Wave.
    • For Bitcoin, the system creates an LND invoice and waits for Lightning confirmation.
    • Once paid, the Lightning node digitally signs the ticket, embedding a cryptographic proof of authenticity.

  4. Instant Ticket Delivery

    • The signed ticket (in QR code format) is immediately delivered to the user.
    • The signature can be verified at any time, ensuring the ticket cannot be forged or duplicated.

  5. AI Assistance

    • Throughout the journey, BitBot can answer user questions, suggest cheaper routes, or explain how Bitcoin payments work — in French, English, or Wolof.

Why it matters

By merging AI, Bitcoin Lightning, and digital signatures, BitTravel provides:

  • Secure, verifiable, and paperless travel tickets
  • Instant global micropayments without banks or intermediaries
  • Financial inclusion for millions of unbanked users
  • A practical, everyday use case for Bitcoin adoption in West Africa

Challenges we ran into

  • The integration of Lightning payment into a real purchasing flow.
  • Adapting AI to the Wolof language, which is poorly represented in current models.
  • Coordination between the frontend, backend and AI teams, spread over several depots.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Creation of an intelligent trilingual travel assistant (French, English, Wolof).
  • Successful integration of Bitcoin Lightning into a real-world purchasing system.
  • Full deployment of the project on Versel.
  • Showcasing an African innovation that simplifies local travel.

What we learned

  • How to build secure, scalable APIs using FastAPI and PostgreSQL.
  • How to digitally sign and verify tickets using cryptographic techniques.
  • How to integrate Bitcoin Lightning into everyday transactions.
  • How to make AI assistants accessible to non-technical users in multiple languages.
  • How to collaborate effectively on a large, multidisciplinary project.

What is the impact of BitTravel?

  • Financial inclusion BitTravel makes transportation more accessible by enabling payments through mobile money and Bitcoin, even for people without traditional bank accounts.

  • Ticket authenticity Each ticket is cryptographically signed, preventing scams and counterfeits.

  • Bitcoin education BitBot introduces people to Bitcoin through friendly, real-world use cases.

  • Digitalization of ground transport The platform helps modernize the West African transport sector by providing a transparent and traceable digital ticketing system.

  • Time-saving and transparency Travelers can compare prices, schedules, and transport companies in just a few taps, avoiding long waits and common scams at bus stations.

  • Security and transaction traceability With blockchain (Bitcoin Lightning), every payment is secure, instant, and verifiable, reducing fraud risks.

What's next for BitTravel

  • Regional Expansion
    Extend BitTravel’s network to other West African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria, connecting more travelers and transport companies under one unified digital ecosystem.

  • Launch of BitTravel Wallet
    Introduce BitTravel Wallet, a secure, built-in wallet that enables seamless payments in Bitcoin Lightning and mobile money — making digital transactions effortless, even offline.

  • Smarter Multilingual Assistant
    Upgrade BitBot with enhanced conversational abilities, including voice interaction, contextual travel recommendations, and better Wolof language understanding to make travel support more natural and accessible.

  • Ecosystem Growth & Partnerships
    Collaborate with local transport unions, fintech startups, and governments to accelerate Bitcoin adoption, promote financial inclusion, and digitalize the entire transport sector across Africa.

Github Link

https://github.com/HackatonBitTravel/

Built With

+ 88 more
Share this project:

Updates