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Cover image for Introducing InterPass: Bridging Borders with Open Payments & Community-First Financial Access
Emmanuel Osuntuyi
Emmanuel Osuntuyi

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Introducing InterPass: Bridging Borders with Open Payments & Community-First Financial Access

Hello everyone my name is Emmanuel Osuntuyi, and im a senior at Bowie State University. During my time at Bowie State University, I had the opportunity to learn about Interledger and FinTech from Dr. Andrew Mangle @andrewmangle. Seeing how hard he's pushing for its advancement, I wanted to put in work to join the Interledger Impact Team and push the mission of designing and prototyping interoperable financial solutions that address real-world challenges faced by underserved communities. After researching and having connections that directly align with the mission, I started the idea and the development of InterPass.

The Problem:

Over the summer, I had an interview with a close associate named Debby, and she talked about the different key challenges that came with her trying to send money and support her family in Ghana. These challenges were:

  • Lack of stable banking access
  • Dependence on smartphones and internet connectivity
  • High remittance fees
  • No direct interoperability between systems
  • Dependent on intermediaries, cash pooling, and low security systems to get their money

The Solution: InterPass

InterPass is a hybrid solution combining digital wallets, USSD access, and card-based interfaces to enable cross-border transfers without requiring internet or smartphones.

The Make Up:

  • Sender uses a mobile/web app to fund an InterPass wallet via Rafiki (Interledger-compatible)
  • Receiver gets a USSD-accessible account + card
  • NFC/QR options and PIN security provide flexible access for different tech levels
  • Mocked Up with Adalo (app), Python (USSD-Simulation), and Figma (card/interface design)

InterPass uses the Interledger Protocol to move funds from a USSD-based wallet to a GHS-based one, enabling payments across digital wallets, transfers via Rafiki, and inclusive access even for offline receivers.

Current Progress/Mock Up:

Adalo Preview: https://emmanuel-osuntuyis-team.adalo.com/interpass
Code Simulation: https://github.com/eosunt/InterPass-USSD-SMS-Sim
Figma Card Mock-Up: https://www.figma.com/design/GNGOc53nP6aVnnmhgom2zF/Untitled?node-id=0-1&t=5iM7tNGofS7EYmkI-1)

Whats Next:

Next I want to continue the development of this solution, as the solution is still in its demo/mock-up phase. I want to start coding its development and testing it with small groups of people, so I can look into the future for real integration.

I want to thank Dr. Andrew Mangle @andrewmangle and the Interledger Impact Team for pushing and guiding me through this development and I am motivated to keep pushing the teams mission going forward.

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