Meridian

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Home/Market Page
Portfolio Page
Company Stock Page
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Leaderboard Page

Inspiration

The idea for Meridian comes from the concept of a meridian as a navigational line—historically used by sailors to determine their position and chart a course. Investing feels very similar: you need to understand where you are financially and plan where you want to go. The phrase “reaching your meridian” also resonated with us, representing hitting your personal peak in a way that’s aspirational—perfect for a financial learning platform.

What it does

Meridian is a Django-based web platform that helps users learn about the stock market in a risk-free environment. Users start with $100,000 of simulated cash and can buy and sell real-time stocks. The platform also includes a “Getting Started” page that guides new investors step-by-step, helping them understand key concepts and navigate investing for the first time.

How we built it

We built Meridian using the Django Framework, leveraging its database backend features to handle user accounts and transactions. For the real-time data, we used python's Yahoo Finance API to integrated live market data to ensure users experience real-world investing dynamics. The front-end interface was developed to make information approachable and accessible for everyone, regardless of education levels!

Challenges we ran into

We implemented a feature for tracking a leaderboard balance with changes. However, we ran into an issue where it was not tracking the changes and thus, it wasn't updating correctly. We needed to do a lot of debugging to find that it was due to model issues with Django.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of creating a platform that combines hands-on learning with real market dynamics. Users can experiment with investing strategies risk-free and see their progress over time. Another highlight is the intuitive onboarding experience, which successfully guides beginners through the complexities of the stock market.

What we learned

Through building Meridian, we deepened our knowledge of the Django Framework, API integration, and real-time data handling. We also gained valuable experience in user experience design, ensuring that our designs were accessible for everyone, especially for when it comes to foreign financial concepts. Two of our members even gained knowledge of investing in the stock market!

What's next for Meridian

Next, we plan to enhance Meridian by adding personalized learning paths, more advanced investment simulations, and social features so users can share strategies and learn from each other. Our main goal is to make Meridian a user's go-to platform for confidently starting their investing journey and reach their financial Meridian.