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Roadmap

Novatip is building the open infrastructure for cross-border micro-tipping on Stellar. This roadmap outlines what has been completed, what is actively being built, and where the project is headed.

Current Status​

RepositoryStatusNotes
novatip-contractsComplete (MVP)Deployed on Stellar testnet
novatip-sdkComplete (MVP)Publishable npm package
novatip-backendComplete (MVP)Fastify + PostgreSQL + indexer
novatip-webComplete (MVP)Next.js tip pages + dashboard
novatip-docsComplete (MVP)This documentation site

Phase 1 - MVP (Complete)​

The foundation is in place. A creator can:

  • Register a tip jar with custom collaborator splits on-chain
  • Share a link or QR code so anyone can tip them
  • Receive USDC tips split atomically on Stellar
  • View real-time analytics in their dashboard
  • Get notified via webhook or email on each tip

A supporter can:

  • Visit a creator page without an account
  • Connect a Freighter wallet
  • Send a USDC tip in under 10 seconds
  • Leave a supporter message on-chain

Phase 2 - Growth (Active Development)​

Supporter Badge NFT (supporter_badge contract)​

An optional non-transferable NFT awarded to supporters based on tipping milestones. Gamifies the tipping experience and gives creators a way to reward loyal supporters.

  • Bronze badge: first tip
  • Silver badge: 10 tips or $10 cumulative
  • Gold badge: 100 tips or $100 cumulative

The badge contract is a separate Soroban contract that the tip_splitter optionally calls after a successful tip.

Additional Wallet Adapters (SDK)​

  • xBull wallet adapter
  • Lobstr wallet adapter
  • WalletConnect bridge for mobile wallets

Improved Analytics​

  • Time-series charts in the dashboard (7d / 30d / 90d / all time)
  • Per-collaborator earnings breakdown
  • Supporter retention metrics
  • CSV export for accounting

Creator Profiles​

  • Custom avatar upload
  • Social links (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch)
  • Verified creator badge
  • Creator discovery page

Mobile-Optimised Tip Flow​

  • Progressive Web App (PWA) support
  • Optimised for mobile Freighter
  • Share sheet integration on iOS and Android

Phase 3 - Fiat On-Ramp (Planned)​

The biggest barrier to mass adoption is that most people do not have USDC. Phase 3 adds a fiat on-ramp so anyone can tip with a card.

SEP-24 Anchor Integration​

Stellar's SEP-24 protocol allows anchors (financial institutions) to provide deposit and withdrawal services for Stellar assets. Integrating a SEP-24 anchor means:

  • A supporter can pay with Visa / Mastercard
  • The anchor converts to USDC on Stellar
  • The tip_splitter contract receives USDC and splits it normally
  • The creator receives USDC just like a crypto tip

From the creator's perspective, nothing changes. From the supporter's perspective, there is no crypto knowledge required.

Candidate anchors: MoneyGram (via Stellar Partnership), Bitso, Anclap.

Phase 4 - Ecosystem Expansion (Vision)​

Novatip Button​

An embeddable JavaScript widget that any website can include:

<script src="https://cdn.novatip.xyz/button.js"></script>
<novatip-button slug="alice"></novatip-button>

One line of HTML to add a tip button to any creator website, blog, or streaming overlay.

Stream Overlay Integration​

A browser source for OBS and Streamlabs that shows live tip alerts during streams. Creators see tip notifications as animated overlays with the supporter's message.

Multi-Asset Support​

Extend the tip_splitter contract to accept tips in assets other than USDC:

  • XLM (native Stellar asset)
  • EURC (Circle Euro stablecoin on Stellar)
  • Any Stellar Asset Contract token

Creator DAOs​

Allow a group of creators to form a collaborative tip jar governed by on-chain voting. Revenue sharing decisions are made transparently by the group.

Novatip API (Public)​

A public REST API so third-party developers can:

  • Embed tip counts and totals in their own dashboards
  • Build custom tip UIs on top of the Novatip protocol
  • Create integrations for platforms like Discord bots or Telegram bots

Contributing to the Roadmap​

Phase 2 and beyond is where contributors can have the most impact.

The project maintainer opens issues for planned features and tags them with help wanted or good first issue. If you want to work on a roadmap item:

  1. Browse open issues in the relevant repository
  2. Comment on the issue to express interest
  3. Wait for the maintainer to assign it to you
  4. Submit a PR referencing the issue when your implementation is ready

Do not open new feature issues for roadmap items that are already tracked. If you have a suggestion not on this roadmap, open a discussion first.

See the Contributing Guide for full contribution guidelines.

Novatip is applying for a grant to accelerate Phase 2 development. Grant funding will be used to:

  • Complete the supporter_badge NFT contract and SDK integration
  • Add xBull and Lobstr wallet adapters
  • Build the SEP-24 fiat on-ramp prototype
  • Fund a smart contract security audit before mainnet launch
  • Grow the contributor community with bounties on tagged issues

If you are a Stellar developer interested in contributing, check the good first issue labels across all Novatip repositories.