yehvo

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💡 What Inspired Me

I'm a developer from Goma, Congo DRC, a region where people are constantly affected by conflict, poor governance, and limited financial infrastructure. Traditional banking is fragile, and when war or instability strikes, access to even the most basic financial services becomes impossible.

This problem hit even closer to home recently, when the rising conflict in Eastern Congo forced me to leave Kigali, Rwanda, where I'm living and working. It wasn’t just a personal disruption; it also cost me my job. I realized how fragile financial and professional stability can be for millions of people like me.

I didn’t want to just accept it. I wanted to build something useful, a tool that empowers people across Africa and beyond to send and receive money quickly, safely, and without relying on broken systems. That’s how yehVo was born:

A voice-powered wallet built for unstable environments, where people can send money across borders using crypto, mobile money, or bank transfers, even by just speaking.

⚙️ How I Built It

I built yehVo entirely in Bolt.new using modern, scalable tools that made it possible to move fast and stay focused:

Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, TailwindCSS, and shadcn/ui
State management: Zustand + React Query
Backend & Auth: Supabase with secure vaults and row-level security
Blockchain: Algorand TestNet integration using the official JavaScript SDK
Voice Interface: Web Speech API + ElevenLabs for voice input/output
QR Scanning: @blackbox-vision/react-qr-reader for seamless wallet address input
AI Assistant: Tavus avatar answering voice queries like "How much did I spend this week?"
Monetization: RevenueCat integration for gated Pro features
Deployment: Netlify with continuous deployment and PWA optimization

Some unique features I added:

QR code scanning to reduce friction for address entry
An investment simulation engine using Algorand balance tracking
A testnet dispenser button for users to seed their wallet in seconds
Multi-channel send flow: via blockchain, mobile money, or bank transfer mock APIs

🧠 What I Learned

I gained deep experience working with:

Blockchain (Algorand): Wallet creation, secure seed storage, transaction handling, and indexing
Voice technology: Speech recognition and TTS integration with real-time feedback
Cross-platform UI design: Building a PWA that works great on low-end mobile devices
Security: Encrypting sensitive data like wallet mnemonics with Supabase Vault
Monetization models: Integrating paywalls with RevenueCat to create free/pro tier logic

I also learned how to build fast in Bolt.new, breaking features into small prompts and refining the product in an iterative way.

🧱 Challenges I Faced

The biggest challenge was working with blockchain for the first time. I had zero experience with Algorand, so I had to:

Understand how wallet generation works
Learn to fund wallets from a TestNet dispenser
Figure out how to handle microtransactions securely
Translate complex transaction flows into something that felt as easy as sending a voice message

Another major challenge was staying productive and focused while personally affected by regional conflict and instability. But pushing through and delivering something meaningful became its own motivation.

🙌 Final Thoughts

yehVo isn’t just a hackathon project, it’s the kind of tool I wish existed for people like me, who need financial reliability even when their country, government, or infrastructure can’t provide it.

I hope it can be a stepping stone toward more inclusive financial tools that are: