The Interledger Community 🌱: Ayesha Ware

March 2026: Discover New Grant Opportunities with Interledger

Ayesha Ware — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:39:35 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

New Grant Opportunities

We have three new grant opportunities opening in the next few weeks!

Interledger on Campus is a new mini-grant offering up to $5,000 to support student-led initiatives exploring Open Payments, interoperability, and digital financial inclusion at universities worldwide. This grant will open on March 16.

The Open Payments SDK grant will provide $5,000–$50,000 awards to research and improve the developer experience and make it easier for applications and e-commerce platforms to integrate Open Payments. This grant opens on April 1.

Building on the success of our six-month Ambassador Program, the expanded Interledger Fellowship will support innovators, researchers, and community leaders advancing Open Payments and digital financial access. Selected fellows will receive $72,000 over a 12-month program to pursue their projects.

Full details will be available on our website soon. We are excited to see what our community will build next. 🚀

Community News

Community Call

Missed our February call? Take a closer look at several projects funded through Grant for the Web, featuring demos and updates from grantees building tools for the open web. Listen to the call recording or read more about The Social Web Foundation, A New Social and WriteFreely. Full details available on the blog. The recap of this month’s community call will be available soon.

Alliance DFA

This midterm report shares insights from the project with Policy Activation grantee, Alliance DFA, highlighting early findings on how instant payment systems can better support fintech participation and broaden financial access. Read the blog.

Community Activity

During the week of March 30-April 3, begin your search for small, well-hidden surprises tucked into channels, docs, or code. Hidden in plain sight is a scrambled clue for those who want to untangle the very first treasure: PNEMPTSONYAEE. If you cracked this first clue, join us on Slack and reach out to Bibi Souza (Community Manager) to be included in the hidden treasure hunt. Happy hunting!

Tech Bytes

Off the Ledger

In the spirit of Women’s Month, members of our engineering team — Sabine Schaller, Ioana Chiorean, Melissa Henderson, Nagy Timea, and Sarah Jones came together for an open conversation about their experiences as women and leaders in tech.

Watch the replay on YouTube.

Web Monetization

The year is off to a strong start with updates focused on improving the experience for both users and publishers. Recent progress includes expanding browser support, enhancing performance, and developing new resources to help creators and platforms integrate Web Monetization more easily. Read the full update.

Rafiki Updates

We have the first Rafiki release of 2026, v2.3.0-beta! This update introduces a new Open Payments feature and improvements for integrators. Read the full blog to learn more.

HackOMania

Interledger Foundation was proud to join HackOMania 2026 as a Platinum Sponsor. Team members Ioana, Sid, and Timea mentored participants throughout the event, with Timea also serving as a judge.

Our challenge invited teams to explore how Open Payments could help communities prepare for natural disasters by pooling funds and enabling fast, transparent payouts when emergencies occur. It was inspiring to see builders tackle real-world challenges with innovative solutions.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

If you want to receive our newsletter directly to your inbox, subscribe here and stay informed with the newest updates from our community!

February 2026: Updates from Interledger! Discover a new grantee and more about Open Payments!

Ayesha Ware — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:07:09 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

We’re pleased to welcome the Social Web Foundation (SWF) as a new Interledger Foundation grantee! Through the Grant for the Web program, we have awarded $200,000 to SWF to research sustainable revenue and operating models for digital publishers and community-run platforms. The Grant for the Web program encourages experimentation with Web Monetization and the exploration of the problems and opportunities surrounding the Social Web.

Read the full blog to learn more about the grant and the project.

Reports and Updates

Check out the selection of reports from our community, showcasing work across education, human rights, and digital finance.

HackUnion- Building local impact through Community-led initiatives
Event Reflection by Vineel Reddy

Common Good Project
Grant Progress Report by miPlata

ROSCAs & Digital Financial Inclusion
Blog by Andria Barrett

Hop Sauna- social marketplace framework
Final Ambassador Report by Gavin Chait

Help Shape What Comes Next

As we plan future programs, events, and initiatives, your perspective matters. Please take a few minutes to complete our community survey and help build our community.

🔗 Take the survey

Tech Bytes

Go Further with Open Payments

Open Payments Go is a new open-source SDK that brings first-class Open Payments support to the Go ecosystem. Go is one of today’s most widely used backend languages, and we are excited to share this new development. Read the blog to learn more.

HackOMania

As a Platinum Sponsor of HackOMania 2026 we encourage you to register and participate! Choose our Open Payments challenge and build a Community Emergency ROSCA — a community-powered emergency fund with automated, trigger-based payouts.

We look forward to seeing what you create! Register to participate.

In the Press

Fintech Futures

Read the latest article, “Fintech for good: How Interledger Foundation is pioneering open payments for global financial inclusion,” and learn how ILF was established and how we’re working to build the Internet of Opportunity.

Check out the latest episode, with host Kokayi Walker and special guest Modi Oyewole, founder of Swang. Modi shares insights on intentional community building, the importance of inclusion, and how culture shapes the spaces we create.

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or stream it on Castapod.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

January 2026: New Year, New Adventures! Discover what's in store for January 2026.

Ayesha Ware — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 19:21:24 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

Thanks to our global community, 2025 was a year of real progress across the Interledger ecosystem. This year, we’re building on that momentum by scaling what’s working, sharing what we’ve learned, and continuing to support the people and projects advancing open, interoperable payment systems.

Community News

Grantee & Ambassador Reports

Check out the selection of reports from our community, showcasing work across education, human rights, and digital finance.

Developing a Privacy & Human Rights Framework for ILP Projects
Final Ambassador Report by Stephanie Perrin

Breaking Barriers: Our Week One Journey into Fintech
Introductory Report from Alabama A&M University by Jeremiah Provost

ROSCAs & Digital Financial Inclusion
Final Ambassador Report by Andria Barrett

ILF Summit in Mexico: Community Showcase
Final Grant Report by Christine Vasseur

Bowie State University Partnership Grant ’23
Final Grant Report by Andrew Mangle

Community Call

What should the Interledger community be proud of by the end of 2026? In January’s Community Call, we shared the Foundations 2026 plans and invited open discussion on priorities, contributions, and ambitions for the year ahead.

Read the full summary or watch the recording to see what emerged and how the strategy is being shaped by the community.

Everyone in the call shared what they are excited about and looking forward to in 2026

Up Next

February’s Community Call will feature last year’s Grant for the Web grantees, who will demo how they integrated Web Monetization into their publishing platforms and discuss the opportunities ahead this year. Dont miss it!

Wednesday, February 11 at 10.00 AM Central time | 3.00 PM UTC
Please join us on Google Meet using code: enb-ayiv-rnw

Tech Bytes

2025 Recap

Throughout 2025, the tech team advanced work across a range of initiatives, from POS devices to student hackathons. Read the detailed look back in a blog post by our new Tech Community Manager, Bibiana Souza.

Rafiki

New year, new Rafiki: security audits, Open Payments updates, and a scalable new architecture taking shape. Read the full blog to learn more.

KaiOS

In early December, members of the Interledger Tech team visited the KaiOS offices in Shanghai for hands-on technical discussions. Read more about this exciting new chapter of our collaboration.

Upcoming Events

GatherVerse AI Summit 2026- On February 4th, Marian Villa - Developer Advocate, will be speaking on the panel “The Rise of Physical AI,” exploring the intersection of technology, ethics, and humanity. Join online.

EAFIT University Meetup - Want to learn about payments and the future of the web? Meet Marian in Medellin, Colombia at Escuela de Administración, Finanzas e Instituto Tecnológico. Join us in person on February 5th.

VANJS meetup - In partnership with Northeastern University, meet Bibiana in Vancouver, Canada on February 12 to learn more about Interledger Foundation. Sign up here.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

December Newsletter: A Year to Remember

Ayesha Ware — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 19:15:12 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

Thank you for an incredible 2025. Here's a look back at the year!

This year brought meaningful recognition, thoughtful dialogue, and practical insights from leaders across financial services, technology, and policy. It reinforced our mission and our community's commitment to shaping a more inclusive and connected financial future.

Please note that ILF will be closed for the holidays and reopen on January 5th.

Community News

Grantee & Ambassador Reports

We’re pleased to share a selection of final and interim reports from our grantees and ambassadors, offering thoughtful, ground-level perspectives on financial inclusion, trust, design, and power in today’s financial systems.

2025 ILF Creative Financial Inclusion Content Curator – Final Report by Nandini Harihareswara
By Design: The Hidden Harms Within Banking Apps - Final Report by Caroline Sinders
Shifting Power in the Informal Economy - Final Report by Xiaoji Song
Trust-Based Banking - Final Report by Waags and Here to Support
BessPay - Interim Report by BessPay

South Africa Fintech Awards

We’re proud to share that the University of Cape Town (UCT) Financial Innovation Hub, in partnership with the Interledger Foundation, won the ‘Enhancing Financial Inclusion’ award at the South African Fintech Awards 2025 .

This recognition highlights the impact of collaborative efforts to advance financial inclusion through innovation, research, and real-world implementation. It reflects the strength of partnerships across academia and the broader fintech ecosystem.

Learn more about the award in the UCT blog.

Interledger Summit Spotlights

Summit and Hackathon Recap

We’re excited to share a special report that recaps the key moments, insights, and standout highlights from the Summit, along with a special deep dive into the Interledger Hackathon.

View the report

If you couldn’t attend live or want to relive your favorite sessions, the Summit Livestream video is now available. You can watch the Listening Lab panels and keynotes, and dive into the technical demos and expert perspectives on our YouTube channel. You can also view the event photo album on our Flickr page.

Watch the recording and view the photo album.

Tech Bytes

Web Monetization

The tech team has worked very hard this year to bring new tools, a plugin, an expanded extension, and much more.

Read the detailed look back at the year, written by Rabeb Othmani, and a separate update from December.

Rafiki Updates

From Rafiki v2.0.0-beta to plans for next year, the tech team has some new updates! Read the full blog to learn more.

Listen to the latest episode, Voices from the Interledger Summit 2025, featuring host Kokayi Walker as he interviews speakers, creators, and thought leaders at the Interledger Summit 2025 in Mexico City. Listen on your favorite podcast platform or stream it on Castapod.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

October Highlights: Summit, Hackathon & Grantee Stories

Ayesha Ware — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:57:30 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

Get Ready for the Annual Interledger Summit!

Proyectos Publicos, General Prim, Mexico City

In just a few weeks, we’ll gather at in Mexico City for the Interledger Summit 2025, a global event that brings together technologists, policymakers, and innovators advancing open finance, digital inclusion, and interoperable systems.

Attendees will hear from over 30 speakers, participate in interactive sessions, and explore what building the Internet of Opportunity means. This year we have four dynamic spaces:

Listening Lab – Hear from thought leaders and advocates
Learn Together Lab – Engage in hands-on activities and bold ideas
Demo Lab – See live demos of open technology in action
Community Hall – Connect and collaborate with a global community

Plan your #ILPSummit25 experience and explore the sessions and speakers.

Interledger Hackathon

Inspark, Plaza Carso, Mexico City

Following the Interledger Summit, we’ll take conversations and ideas one step further by building real solutions with the Open Payments API.

Over 24 hours, developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators will collaborate, prototype, and launch projects designed to expand financial access and interoperability. With mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and $12,000 USD in prizes, the Hackathon is both a competition and a launchpad for innovation. It’s your chance to build, test, and showcase bold ideas that could shape the future of finance. Reserve your spot and help shape the future of finance.

Community News

miPlata as a 2025 Digital Financial Services grantee

miPlata is redefining what financial inclusion looks like for Latino communities, empowering workers and families to move money freely, securely, and affordably. Learn more about their vision and how they’re using the Interledger Protocol in the blog.

Call for Papers Grant

This grant stream invited researchers, academics, and scholars to submit papers exploring financial access, open and interoperable systems, and policy regulations.

Get to know the researchers behind this initiative and learn more about the grant.

Tech Bytes

Hacktoberfest

This October, celebrate open source with the Interledger community. ⭐ Star our repositories, explore issues that match your skills, and contribute to building a more open, inclusive financial web. Not sure where to start? Our latest blog post breaks down everything you need to know. Get involved in #Hacktoberfest.

Rafiki Updates

From a POS service to Multi-Tenancy, the tech team has some new updates! Read the full blog to learn more.

Web Monetization

The Interledger tech team spent this last month testing for bugs and issues in the Web Monetization publisher tools. Read more about the improvements made in the latest blog.

In the Press

The latest El Financiero article highlights FINNOSUMMIT 2025, where the study “The Internet of Opportunity: Unlocking Financial Interoperability in Latin America” developed by the Interledger Foundation and Finnosummit was presented. The session featured insights from Anna Sheard, Communications Director at ILF, and Jordi Puig, Innovation & Programs Director at Finnovista. Read the article.

In a recent article from El Economista, Interledger Foundation’s work in promoting open and interoperable payment systems is highlighted as key to helping Mexico save over $1 billion USD in remittance costs. Read the article, “México podría ahorrar hasta 1,000 millones de dólares al año de comisiones por remesas”.

The Interledger Student hackathons had a considerable impact. Students from across the region came together to develop creative solutions using open payment technologies and promote financial inclusion. In the latest article by UABJO News they highlight the Oaxaca hackathon in the article, “UABJO sede estatal del hackathon estudiantil Interledger”.

We also have our Global Trends blog, highlighting some of the most impactful developments and articles on digital finance and financial inclusion in September.

Events

Finnosummit

At Finnosummit 2025, the Interledger Foundation shared insights on building inclusive, interoperable financial systems across Latin America. We launched our latest research, The Internet of Opportunity, and joined a powerful conversation on how open finance can unlock access and opportunity for all.

You can download the report in English or Spanish.

Cascadia JS

CascadiaJS is one of the most celebrated community-driven conferences for web and AI developers in the Pacific Northwest. With record-breaking participation and an inspiring speaker lineup, we were proud to support the event and share our journey with Web Monetization. Listen to the talk on Web Monetization by the Engineering Manager, Ioana Chiorean.

Global Fintech Fest, Mumbai

Along with Interledger friends from Mexico we joined National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for an overview of what makes UPI so successful, followed by 3 days of brilliant insights at the Global Fintech Fest.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

Check our latest grantee

Ayesha Ware — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 18:37:17 +0000

2025 Digital Financial Services Grant Recipient: miPlata

Julaire Hall for Interledger Foundation ・ Oct 10

#announcements #digitalfinancialservices #grantees #community

The Grantee Report: Quarterly Roundup

Ayesha Ware — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 01:13:06 +0000

We're back with our Fall quarterly roundup. Over the Summer, Ambassadors and Digital Financial Services Grantees have shared a variety of reports on the current progress of their projects, and a few even shared their final report outcomes! Catch up now on anything you might have missed!

Ambassadors

Gavin Chait

Hop Sauna — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Gavin Chait for Hop Sauna ・ Jul 16

#progressreport #ilfambassadorreport

Hop Sauna is a core technical stack aimed at developers to support implementing a federated, community-moderated web shop offering custom digital objects.
Any system permitting commercial exchange exists at the intersection of what is technically possible, ethically responsible, and permissible under the patchwork of international regulatory compliance.
Building a commercial website is relatively straightforward. Frameworks - like Django or Drupal - exist. You can integrate Stripe or PayPal quite quickly. But, once you're done, such a site offers little advantage over listing your products on Amazon or eBay, with the huge downside of being functionally invisible to the larger world. If you're already famous, moving to your own infrastructure may have advantages, but if you're less known, or just starting out?
But, what happens if you live in a part of the world not supported by these platforms, or are just tired of the ethical and business practices of the platforms?

A functional, community-oriented commercial platform would have the following characteristics:

A community of peers, selling similar or compatible works, where membership is a function of acceptance by that community,

Review of business behaviour (or moderation of activity) is by the community, ensuring that members are held to agreed norms,

Costs are kept to the minimum with members paying for shared infrastructure, but otherwise keeping their own revenue, or contributing in some agreed way to their community. Each community would also interoperate with other communities which offer similar works and where their community standards are compatible. This interoperability ensures collective discovery, much like the webrings of the early internet when search was still in its infancy. Discovering one link in the network provides access to a wider world.

A single website can be structured however the developer chooses, but the moment information needs to be exchanged between sites - federated - interoperability standards become critical. It would also be helpful if that standard already supported interactions between millions of people.
Or, to summarise, it would be nice to go where the tea is already being made.

Caroline Sinders

"By Design?" The Hidden Harms Within Banking Apps — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Caroline Sinders ・ Jul 18

#ilfambassadorreport

The goal of my project, “Surfacing Harmful Design Problems”, which you can read more about here, is focused on surfacing a particular type of design that harms, deceives, manipulates, tricks or damages users, but specifically in financial services, banking, money lending and money transmitting apps. These types of design patterns are often called dark patterns, or deceptive design patterns, but I will be referring to them as harmful design patterns. In a much longer paper and article that I will be producing at the end of my ambassadorship, I will get into the nuances of harmful design patterns but I will do my best to summarize them in the next few paragraphs.
At present, I have been analyzing a series of different types of products and apps in the financial services ecosystem, including different types of money lending, money transmitting, traditional banking apps, and different types of wallets (cryptocurrencies, phone wallets, and finetech platforms like MoCaFi who can function as a ‘wallet’ to distribute benefits like SNAP and EBT in the US). I will dive into this in more detail below, but I have also interviewed experts including policymakers, researchers and technologists, conducted stakeholder interviews, crafted a list of individuals to interview and observe their banking habits (the list is already put together and the interview questions are already written), and I have conducted an extensive literature review.
What Are Harmful Design Patterns?
For background and context, I (Caroline Sinders) am a human rights defender and researcher, as well as a critical designer. I make art, design interventions, and data visualization alongside conducting mixed methods research focusing on technology, policy, and human rights. Design is an integral part of a technology stack; design is the ‘thing’ that often is explaining or visualizing to users how a product or a piece of technology “works.” Design is the medium where user research, product strategy and business strategy all convene; design is powerful. Design can be a truthful narrator, as often as it can be a misleading one….

Andria Barrett

Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion, — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Andria Barrett ・ Jul 19

#ilfambassadorreport

I’m really enjoying this work.
My project is called Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion, but what I’m learning is that empowerment really depends on perspective. Not everyone wants to be empowered in the way we think they should be. Some ROSCA users in Canada aren’t interested in going digital at all. They’re comfortable with what they know, and they see value in keeping things small, local, and offline. But when I talk to people abroad, especially in the Caribbean, they’re much more open. They see digital tools as a way to connect, grow, and reach across borders. So now I’m asking myself: What does empowerment really mean in this context? And who gets to define it?
The primary goal of this project is to identify the needs of ROSCA users and discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage participation from users globally. Quite simply, they’re not interested. The want to keep elements of this cultural tradition private, off the radar and not on any apps.
The second goal is to introduce ROSCA app developers to opportunities within the Interledger ecosystem. They app developers are quite keen and interested in learning more about Interledger.
Throughout my interviews and research I find myself thinking a lot about two things: trust & the difference between financial inclusion, financial literacy, and digital financial inclusion.
At the beginning of this project, one of the other Ambassadors commented that “Some people choose not to be digitally included,” and honestly, I didn’t get it at first. Why would anyone choose to be excluded? But after talking to some of the banker ladies, I’m beginning to understand.
It’s not that they’re against using apps or evolving how ROSCA users can participate, they just don’t trust the technology, or the people behind it, or who might have access to their information. They seem to** ONLY** trust the people in THEIR ROSCA.

Xiaoji Song

Shifting Power in the Informal Economy: Implications on Digital Financial Inclusion Strategies — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Xiaoji Song ・ Jul 25

#ilfambassadorreport

What is the informal economy in Europe, and how are they structured, formed, and understood by different communities who are involved in them? This was the major question that I kept coming back to in the past few months of research outreach. Despite this being the most basic question and the starting point of my research, the insights I gathered throughout my research and outreach process have continuously challenged my assumptions of what economic informality means in the European context. These assumptions not only challenge our understanding of the nature and scale of the informal economy, but also how digital financial inclusion can be done and strategized in our globalized world.
In the past months, I have conducted extensive literature research, mapped out diverse relevant civil society stakeholders, built 5 project partnership with NGOs, grassroot communities, and community-based organizations, talked to 20+ community leaders from civil society stakeholders who represent or work with 5 distinct communities who are often involved in the informal economy in Berlin and Madrid, with more talks and interviews being scheduled and conducted. In the project updates, I want to revisit some of the assumptions on informal economies and how they are challenged in the European context, with the case studies from Berlin and Madrid. By re-visiting these assumptions, I also start to rethink what strategies on digital financial inclusion can lead to a better world for those at risk.
To start with, I want to first give some context and background.
Informal Economy: What exactly do we mean?
Key Insights:

Informal economy is economic activities, workers, and economic units that are, in law or in practice, not covered or insufficiently covered by formal arrangements.

From the informal sector to the informal economy, the nature of the activities and their definition are defined in relation to the development of modern industrialized societies and capitalism. The informal economy involves economic activities, workers, and units not fully covered by formal arrangements, like labor laws, social protection, taxation, and business registration. The understanding of the informal economy has evolved through the work of organizations like the ILO and WIEGO, alongside academic contributions. Early ILO work focused on the informal sector as unregistered, unprotected enterprises. A significant shift in 2002 broadened the scope to the informal economy, encompassing all economic activities and employment relationships not adequately covered by formal arrangements, even within formal enterprises. The 2023 ICLS further refined this, focusing on “informal productive activities.” This evolution reflects a move from viewing informality as a characteristic of enterprises to recognizing it in diverse employment forms due to trends like globalized employment schemes.

Sheena Allen

Financial Exclusion in the Southern U.S. — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Sheena Allen ・ Jul 21

#ilfambassadorreport

My research project is progressing well and remains aligned with the original scope of visiting 6–8 cities to conduct in-person case studies with individuals who are unbanked, underbanked, or part of the working poor. As a reminder of my research setup, approximately 85–90% of the selected cities are in the Southern U.S., which is the primary focus of the research. The remaining cities are located outside the South to allow for regional comparison.
To date, I’ve completed case studies in two cities—Miami, FL and the DMV area—and have also conducted interviews with several fintech founders. In total, I’ve engaged with 60 participants so far across these sessions.
A major highlight has been the session in Washington, D.C., which reinforced my belief that many national datasets misrepresent underserved communities due to a lack of culturally competent and trust-based engagement. Participants shared that they likely wouldn’t have been as open or honest if someone less relatable had asked them the same questions. That moment validated the importance of a grassroots, community-centered approach.
One challenge arose in New York City, where I was unable to secure a local partner organization that would have been able to help gather a significant number of participants within the timeline needed. After reassessing, I shifted that planned session to Memphis, TN, where I have stronger local relationships and better alignment with the research goals. This pivot allows the project to stay on schedule without compromising research integrity.
Overall, the project remains on track to be completed within the timeline of my ambassadorship, and I’m encouraged by the depth of insights gathered from both participants and fintech leaders as I head into the second half of the research period.

Smriti Parsheera

Researching Financial Inclusion in the Global South — ILF Ambassador Final Report

Smriti Parsheera ・ Sep 2

#ilfambassadorfinalreport #research

As a 2024 Research Ambassador, my aim was to study the impact of digital technologies on society and contribute to deepening the state of knowledge on issues of financial inclusion, access, and digital equity. As the ambassadorship draws to a close, I am pleased to update the community on the key activities that were undertaken towards pursuing these goals. This report summarizes the findings of my research project to understand the state of digital and financial inclusion in the Lahaul & Spiti region of India, which was previously discussed here. In addition, it provides the details of a few other initiatives that I was involved in, such as the launch of Interledger's new Call for Papers grant to support research on financial inclusion and payments interoperability.
Research Project -- Pinging Paradise
My research project, 'Pinging Paradise', sought to study the lived experiences of digital and financial inclusion in the remote district of Lahaul & Spiti in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The project's name was inspired by the breathtaking landscape, poetic isolation, and rugged terrain of the region, and the desire to understand how its residents 'ping' or interact with the digital world.
The motivation for this study stemmed from two main factors. First, my personal connect with the area as a native of the region. Second, the general gap in knowledge about digital and financial inclusion among India's tribal or adivasi (original inhabitants) population. The majority of Lahaul & Spiti's residents belong to the notified Scheduled Tribes (STs), a group that constitutes about 8.6% of the India's population. Tribal regions are often characterized by their geographical seclusion, unique cultural traditions and slower pace of development. Notably, the data shows that ST households formed the most financially excluded social group in India. This makes it relevant to understand the contours of digital and financial inclusion in tribal regions while also locating that inquiry in the local context and customs of each community.

Digital Financial Services Grantees

BessPay

BessPay ILF Interim Report

BessPay for BessPay ・ Jul 20

#progressreport #interledger #besspay #thegranteereport

Across the Global South, micro and small businesses are the heartbeat of local economies. Yet when it comes to getting paid online or expanding across borders, too many are left behind—facing high transaction fees, slow settlements, limited local currency options, and inaccessible payment systems.
There are over 440 million MSMEs in emerging economies employing billions of people, but the majority remain excluded from modern financial systems. This exclusion limits their ability to participate in global digital trade and stifles economic growth.
The BessPay Plugin is our answer—a new kind of payment solution that is open, affordable, and designed for entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Built on Interledger Open Payments and piloted through the SouthLink Marketplace, BessPay connects marketplaces to faster, cheaper, and more inclusive cross-border payments.
Our vision is simple: enable any MSME—from a craft seller in Jamaica to a freelance developer in Nairobi—to get paid instantly, in local currency, from anywhere in the world.
Our Journey to date
The first months of this journey were about establishing a strong technical and collaborative foundation. Working closely with the Interledger's tech team and Chimoney’s engineers, we refined our architecture to support secure, scalable, and currency-flexible integration.
On the technical side, backend APIs are developed and User Interface components are functional. We began sandbox integration with Chimoney's wallet infrastructure. Even with a leadership transition following our Technical Lead’s departure in July, the team adapted quickly and remains on track to deliver the MVP by September 30, 2025.
Commercially, we've formed milestone-based partnerships with Chimoney (for digital wallet and financial processing and settlements) and Journey Horizon, Sharetribe’s premier implementation partner, to support the development of the BessPay Marketplace Template. Journey Horizon, founded in 2018, has grown to a team of over 50 professionals, delivered 100+ Sharetribe-powered marketplaces, and continues to support 20+ live platforms through maintenance and enhancements. Their experience and strategic support are integral to our marketplace readiness.
We also benefit from the personal support of Juho Makkonen, CEO of Sharetribe, who continues to champion the project’s mission to provide easier. Cheaper and faster payments for MSMEs globally.

Maria Gorrettie Namuddu for Kanzu Finance

Kanzu MicroLoans — ILF Grant Progress Report 1

Maria Gorrettie Namuddu for Kanzu Finance ・ Jul 12

#progressreports

Project Update
We’ve made strong progress on the backend implementation of the entire loan lifecycle, from loan product creation and credit scoring to disbursement and repayment integrations. The frontend for self-service loan application is still under development, but once live, users will be able to request and repay microloans entirely through the Kanzu Finance mobile and web apps.
Key updates:

The Rafiki adapter is under development to support disbursement and repayment processing via ILP.

The MoMo integration for mobile money disbursement is complete and tested.

The team is 90% staffed. We are still working on the sales department.

Talks and consultations with the Bank of Uganda and the Ministry of Finance are underway regarding obtaining the NPS and the digital lending licenses.

The board profiles for the new board are complete, and candidates have been put forward. The technical stack is nearly ready, and we are gearing up to begin end-to-end user testing in the next development sprint.

Kanzu Banking Core-Rafiki Dual Data Sync Strategy

The solution empowers financially underserved populations, aligns with the Interledger Foundation’s mission to foster open payments, and brings real-world ILP adoption to grassroots financial systems.

Muhammad Arif for Paysys Labs

Paysys Labs — ILF Grant Progress Report

Muhammad Arif ・ Jul 2

#progressreports

Project Update
Our project is progressing as planned and remains on track with the proposed timeline. So far, we have successfully submitted the following information for establishing a strong foundation for project alignment, communication, and stakeholder engagement.

Project Charter

Stakeholder Map

Initial Project Timeline

In the next phase, we delivered the following documents which outlined key user needs, remittance service flows, and regulatory compliance obligations for RafikiRemit.

Customer Needs and Remittance Service Flows for the customers in Pakistan

Regulatory Compliance Plan (KYC-AML-CFT for Inward Remittances to Pakistan)

Technical Specification Document & Architecture

A key milestone achieved has been the clear articulation of both the customer needs and compliance scope early in the project, which has helped streamline cross-functional collaboration.
We are now entering the next stage, focused on design, development and testing-related deliverables.
Progress on Objectives, Key Activities
Our use case is around implementing a node of ILP Test network which enables ABL’s consumer accounts to become available as Wallets on the global ILP network. This enables the ABL account holders to receive remittances from other registered and regulated financial institutions on ILP network.

The envisaged high-level architecture of Rafiki integration with ABL’s systems involves the Rafiki Instance connecting to the ILP network and interfacing with ABL’s core banking through the Open Connect middleware, which also integrates with the bank’s compliance systems.

Uchi Uchibeke for Chimoney

Integrate Interledger to Chimoney Wallets: Prototype — ILF Grant Final Report

Uchi Uchibeke for Chimoney ・ Aug 5

#finalreports #grantreports #paymentpointers #ilfgrantee

Chimoney’s Phase 2 prototyping project aimed to expand access to seamless global financial services by using Interledger Protocol (ILP). The objectives were to:
Simplify cross-border payments
Simplify developer access to ILP-based financial tools like Rafiki
Empower individuals and businesses in underserved markets or those who serve underserved markets
Throughout the project, Chimoney built and deployed a suite of ILP tools, including deploying Rafiki v1.1.2-beta (latest version at time of implementation), APIs for sending payment to a Payment Pointer, and for Payment processing, and Multicurrency Wallets, enabling issuing of Interledger Payment Pointers from a consumer App and via API by Businesses to their users. These tools enabled programmable money movement across countries and currencies and made sending payments as easy as sending a text. The Chimoney Dev Portal and API documentation were launched, with a focus on developer experience and ease of integration. Integrations with third-party services like Mobile Money providers and local banks in various countries were expanded. Chimoney also rolled out user-facing features, including a lightweight app that allows users to receive, send, and manage payments using Interledger Payment Pointers, Email, or Phone number.
Key outcomes include the creation of numerous Interledger-enabled Payment Pointers and the signing of new integration agreements with key organizations, alongside the successful launch of Chimoney's first-ever direct-to-consumer (B2C) product, the Chimoney App, positioning it as an ILP-powered consumer wallet for Canada & diaspora. Contributions were also made to the open-source community through SDKs, documentation, and active participation in events like Hacktoberfest, which saw substantial contributions via GitHub.

To read grant reports and updates from our last quarterly roundup, you can find them here. Be sure to read our September Newsletter to learn more about Interledger, and don't forget to sign up to get our news directly to your inbox!

Get the September Scoop! Your Monthly Roundup of Highlights

Ayesha Ware — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:40 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

New Universities join the Interledger Community!

We’re excited to welcome Alabama A&M University (USA), United States International University of Africa (Kenya), and Hague University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands)! These institutions join us in shaping the future of open finance through the NextGen Higher Education Grant.

This grant supports Universities in building programs that offer real-world experience with open-source technology and inclusive digital finance.

The grant is still open! Institutions can apply for up to $50,000 USD, with Letters of Intent due by October 3, 2025. Learn more about the grant and read about the 2025 EDU grantees here.

Community News

We’re looking for the next Director of Fundraising!
This role will help advance our mission by shaping fundraising strategies, cultivating partnerships, and driving sustainable growth. For more details on the job and how to apply click here.

Researching Financial Inclusion in the Global South

In Smriti Parsheera’s final ambassadorship report, she dives into the financial and digital landscape in India’s Lahaul & Spiti region. She explores how geography, education, connectivity, and culture shape people’s access to financial tools. Read the report to learn more.

Multiple Uses of Friction in Digital Financial Services

In the latest Digital Money Blog, Interledger Ambassador Caroline Sinders explains how friction in design can be used to benefit or harm the user. When thoughtfully applied, it can create space for clarity and safety in digital systems. Learn more in the blog.

Tech Bytes

Hacktoberfest

This October, join the Interledger community in celebrating open source by contributing to curated issues, earning swag, and taking part in events around the world—or even hosting your own! Get involved in #Hacktoberfest.

Rafiki Updates

From a POS service to enabling ILP-based card payments, the tech team has some new updates! Read the full blog to learn more.

Work Weeks 2025

The Interledger tech team gathered throughout the year to collaborate on projects like Rafiki and Web Monetization. From in-depth technical sessions to real-time problem solving, these work weeks were key to building what’s next. Read more in the blog.

Interledger Hackathon

Join us at the annual Interledger Hackathon in person at Inspark, Plaza Carso, Mexico City, on November 8 and 9, 2025. Learn more about the hackathon and apply here.

Missed the Hackathon AMA? Catch up on the key insights.

We hosted a great live session with Finnosummit to answer questions about the Interledger Hackathon and Open Payments. If you missed it, you can catch up with the highlights in our blog.

In the Press

In the latest article from Business Fights Poverty, Chief Programs Officer Chris Lawrence explores how open learning can unlock solutions to global challenges by embracing failures as part of the process. Read the article.

Discover why interoperability is the key to unlocking stablecoins’ full potential in the latest article by Briana Marbury, President and CEO of ILF. To truly rival debit and credit cards, stablecoins must move seamlessly across borders, currencies, and platforms. Lean more in the article in Finextra.

ILF Chief Programs Officer Chris Lawrence challenges the traditional notion of financial inclusion in the an article from Exeleon Magazine. He argues that true inclusion isn’t about assimilation into legacy systems, but about building new infrastructures. Read “Rethinking Financial Inclusion: Building Systems Worth Joining.”

In a recent Mobile Time column by Briana Marbury, she highlights how true financial inclusion in Latin America means more than access, it’s about recognizing “invisible” community finance and bridging it with open technology to creating inclusive systems. Read more in the article.

We also have our Global Trends blog, highlighting some of the most impactful developments and articles on digital finance and financial inclusion in August.

Events

Summit

Join us for a highly curated and exciting event as we host this year’s Interledger Summit in Mexico City. Apply for a ticket and stay tuned for more information on speakers, sessions, and engaging demos.

Finnosummit

We’re excited to be launching a new research paper in partnership with Finnosummit at their upcoming event. The paper explores how to unlock financial interoperability in Latin America.

Briana Marbury will also deliver a keynote on the industry stage at 1:15 PM on Thursday, September 25: “Building the Internet of Opportunity with Interledger.” Join us at the session or stop by our booth — we’d love to connect!

Student Hackathons

The first student hackathon in Oaxaca kicked off our series of student hackathons throughout Mexico! Next up is Universidad Mexiquense del Bicentenario (UMB), Universidad Politécnica de Yucatán (UPY), and Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN).

These hackathons give students practical experience with Interledger technology and a chance to tackle real-world payment challenges! Sign up here.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

August Update: Hackathon Tickets Open + Grantee Highlights

Ayesha Ware — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:22:59 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

Ready to Innovate?

Join us at the annual Interledger Hackathon to build game-changing solutions using our Open Payments API. Compete with other innovators for up to $12,000 USD in prizes. Participants can apply individually or have a team of up to 4 (ages 18+). This hackathon will be in person at Inspark, Plaza Carso, Mexico City, on November 8 and 9, 2025. Learn more about the hackathon and apply here. Let’s create the future of payments—together.

Community News

This month has been full of momentum across the Interledger community, with exciting updates from both our grantees and ambassadors.

BessPay, Chimoney, and AMUCCS have shared new insights into their projects from community activities to implementation and prototyping. We’ve also heard from Ambassadors Xiaoji Song, Victoria Coker, Gavin Chait, Andria Barrett, Sheena Allen, and Caroline Sinders, each reflecting on their respective research from interviews on the unbanked to technical analysis of current digital infrastructure.

2025 UN Internet Governance Forum

In the latest article by Ayden Federline, he reflects on the question what would it take to make digital finance interoperable, inclusive, and rights-respecting by design? He explores the insights and experience at the UN IGF and shares the new Policy Blueprint for Interoperable Payment Protocols.

Tech Bytes

University of Cape Town Hackathon

Students at the University of Cape Town took on real-world financial challenges at the FinHub X Interledger Hackathon. Hear directly from the winning teams, Direla, Fin Illuminaries, and FlowFi, as they reflect on their experience, what they built, and how they see the future of inclusive digital payments.

Web Monetization Update

For all new updates to the Web Monetization extension and share tools for developers and creators, read the latest update from Tseli.

Pixel Pioneers Bristol 2025

From performance debugging to visions of an agentic web, this conference was all about community, creativity, and the future of the internet. Read more about the insights and highlights in the blog by Adri Boros.

In the Press

In the latest article from Mobile Time, it highlights the Interledger Foundation advancements in cross-border payments in Latin America. Read “Interledger impulsa pagos transfronterizos en Latam” to learn more.

Interledger Foundation President & CEO, Briana Marbury shares her vision for lowering remittance costs and expanding financial access across Mexico and Latin America, in the latest article from ITSitio México, “Remesas con menos comisiones es la propuesta de Interledger Foundation para México y Latinoamérica.”

Fintech News Africa covered the University of Cape Town and Interledger Hackathon. Read about the diverse student teams building real open payment solutions, in the article “UCT, Interledger Host Hackathon to Drive Open Payments in Africa”.

We also have our Global Trends blog, highlighting some of the most impactful developments and articles on digital finance in July.

Grant Applications Are Open! See what's new this month at Interledger.

Ayesha Ware — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:21:41 +0000

All the latest news and opportunities from the Interledger Community

From integrating Rafiki into existing financial infrastructure to expanding payment options in web-based platforms, this grant supports fintech solutions that drive financial inclusion and enable borderless transactions. The next application window will run until August 1, 2025, offering up to $250,000 USD in funding. Learn more about the grant and apply here.

Community News

UN Open Source Week 2025

Vineel Reddy, Community Manager, joined the UN Open Source Week held at the United Nations in New York City last month. He shares key takeaways on how open technologies are shaping digital public infrastructure and advancing financial inclusion. Catch up on his reflections in the blog.

Redefining financial inclusion with Chimoney

Chimoney is redefining financial inclusion through open, borderless payments powered by the Interledger Protocol. Read more about the founder, Uchi Uchebeke, and his story. Based on the FM Podcast episode with Chimoney, read more here.

Kanzu Microloans

Kanzu Finance shares their first progress report, highlighting key milestones in the backend implementation of the entire loan process. Supported by Interledger, their work is helping expand access to financial services in Uganda. Read the full report to learn more.

RafikiRemit

In their first grant progress report, Paysys Labs shares how they plan to revolutionize cross-border payments in Pakistan by integrating into the global Interledger network. Learn more in the report.

Tech Bytes

University of Cape Town Hackathon

This last month we helped host an incredible hackathon with the Financial innovation Hub at UCT—and it was a huge success! From groundbreaking ideas to real-world fintech solutions, the energy and innovation were inspiring. Read more about the winners and how it all unfolded in the blog.

El Universo Interledger

We’re excited to share our first deep-dive Interledger guide in Spanish, crafted by Marian Villa, Developer Advocate. The post demystifies the Interledger Stack, from ILP and STREAM to Rafiki and Open Payments with visuals, examples, and real-world context. Read it also in English here.

Rafiki Work Week in Cluj, Romania. Stay tuned for more details on the progress!

In the Press

In the latest article from ITWeb, “Students find solutions to real-world payment challenges” at the UCT Financial Innovation Hub and Interledger Foundation hackathon.

In the latest article from Finextra, “Money has been digitized, but its movement still faces physical roadblocks”, Briana Marbury explores the infrastructure gaps that continue to hinder the flow of digital money—and why interoperability is key to unlocking truly inclusive financial systems.

We also have our Global Trends blog, highlighting some of the most impactful developments and articles on digital finance in July.

Listen to the latest episode of The Future Money Podcast as Ayesha Ware and Chris Lawrence talk with ILF grantee, Adam Waring about gFam, a live social media platform (now closed) that allowed creators to be paid by web monetization, tips and/or advertising-revenue. Listen to his journey and thoughts on Web Monetization. Available on all podcast platforms.

Join us on Slack to connect, ask questions, and be a part of the community.

The Grantee Report: Quarterly Roundup

Ayesha Ware — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:50:15 +0000

We're back with our Summer quarterly roundup, featuring grant reports and updates from our Ambassadors, Grantees, and Partners shared over the past few months. Catch up on anything you might have missed!

In March, our ILF Ambassador community grew with the addition of a new cohort.

Andria Barrett - 2025 ILF Ambassador

Andria Barrett ・ Mar 26

#intros #ambassador2025 #ilfambassadorreport

Hello from Canada!
I'm proud to be included in the 2025 cohort. I'm a fierce advocate for inclusion and leverage over 15 years of experience helping organizations — from tech startups to nonprofits — create inclusive environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
My project, “Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion,” focuses on ROSCA users and aims to discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage global participation.
ROSCA is the acronym for Rotating Savings & Credit Associations. In Jamaica, it’s called a “pardna”. In Nigeria, it’s called a “susu”. In Guyana, it’s called a “box-hand” and in South Africa, it’s called a “stokvel” but in academia, it’s called a ROSCA.

Recently, Andria attended the 2025 Payments Canada Summit with several ILF colleagues, The summit highlights innovations, challenges and opportunities within the Canadian payment ecosystem. Andria also had the opportunity of participating in session titled Interoperable cross-border transfers: revolutionizing migrant remittances and featured with several ILF Colleagues.

You can watch Andria's vlog for her thoughts on the conference.

Bridging Financial Gaps in the South Through Community-Led Research

Sheena Allen ・ Apr 15

#research #intros #ilfambassadorreport #ambassadors2025

My name is Sheena Allen, and I'm a tech founder, international speaker, and advocate for financial inclusion. I grew up in Terry, Mississippi, a small town in a state that continues to rank among the highest for unbanked and underbanked populations in the United States. Financial exclusion wasn't just something I read or heard about from others. Instead, it was something that directly impacted much of my family and community members.
That experience has shaped the foundation of my work. Starting with an idea for a receipt app in 2016, I've spent nearly a decade building within the fintech space, creating products that sit at the intersection of technology and financial empowerment. Most notable was CapWay, a VC-backed digital banking platform focused on creating financial access and opportunities for financially underserved communities. Beyond just debit cards, CapWay also was a platform for financial education.

In April, Sheena initiated the first of several case studies about financial gaps in Miami, Florida. Her initial work involved interviewing participants about their experiences with financial exclusion in the Southern United States.

You can read more about Sheena’s work on this project here.

Hop Sauna, a social marketplace framework - introduction and roadmap

Gavin Chait for Hop Sauna ・ Apr 13

#ilfambassadorreport #tech #engineering #ambassadors2025

The purpose of the Interledger Foundation Ambassadorships is to support early-stage efforts at building bridges into the adoption and use of the open payments protocols. My Ambassadorship is all about enhancing accessibility to a technical protocol that most shouldn't need to know about to experience value from it.
Putting new payment systems into use is less about telling people, than putting it where they most need it as simply as possible.
My project, Hop Sauna, is an open-source template stack ready for custom development of community-moderated Open Payments-enabled web shops, including a base server and client, with documentation, to support rapidly creating new types of federated commercial social applications.

In his recent blogpost Gavin shares an update on the challenges challenge for any community recovering from centralisation and how difficult it is to change behaviours.

Surfacing harmful design patterns

Caroline Sinders ・ Apr 15

#intros #ilfambassadorreport #research #ambassadors2025

Hi! I’m Caroline Sinders (Caro for short); I’m a human rights researcher, and artist, originally from New Orleans, Louisiana and now based in the midwest, with long stints in London and Berlin in between. I’ve worked with organizations like the UN, the Information Commissioner’s Office (the UK’s data protection and privacy regulator), Amnesty International, the Mozilla Foundation, the Wikimedia Foundation, the Harvard Kennedy School and others. As an artist, I’ve worked with or had my work shown with the Tate Exchange in the Tate Modern, the Photographer's Gallery, MoMA PS1, the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans, Honor Fraser Gallery, Ars Electronica, Drugo More, the European Media Art Platform, the European Commission's Sci Art residency, Eyebeam and others.
I’m so excited to be an Interledger Ambassador with the 2025 cohort, and to be exploring a topic really close to my heart: harmful design patterns. Harmful design patterns, sometimes called ‘dark patterns’, ‘manipulative design’, ‘deceptive design’, ‘anti-patterns’, or ‘online choice architecture’, are all the same phenomena which are design patterns that unintentionally or intentionally trick, confuse, or nudge users into making decisions they normally wouldn’t make. If you are reading this and thinking, “I don’t think I’ve come across a harmful design pattern before,” the sad truth is that you have :/
Have you ever unsubscribed from a newsletter and found you’re still subscribed? Have you ever booked a seat on a budget airline and realized you were ‘nudged’ or ‘directed’ to purchase add ons you didn’t really need, or have you ever clicked on a cookie banner?
You have encountered a harmful design pattern, but there are hundreds of different types.

Shifting Power in the Informal Economy: How to Research and Build Towards a Trans-local Community for Economic Justice

Xiaoji Song ・ Apr 14

#research #intros #ilfambassadorreport #ambassadors2025

Hi, strangers, old friends, and new friends!
It is Xiaoji (she/they) again, I am mostly based in Berlin, and now sending you greetings from my hometown Wuhan. I am here to explore and show some glimpses of how Interledger Ecosystem can support the needs and wants of the informal communities: As I am honored to be part of the 2025 Ambassador cohort, I want to introduce you to my project Shifting Power in the Informal Economy, and to share some updates and thoughts.
Informal economies are not marginal—they are central to how millions of people survive and build community. From street vendors and care workers to sex workers and undocumented migrants, informal workers sustain themselves and each other through everyday practices of resilience. Industrialized societies rely heavily on their labor, even as they continue to deny them recognition and legitimacy. Yet the people behind these economies are often pushed to the periphery—excluded from labor rights protections, shut out of financial systems, and rendered invisible in the very policymaking spaces that most deeply shape their lives.
Informal economy is not often discussed in the case of Europe. In a continent that boasts over 90% digital connectivity, the needs and struggles of informal workers in increasingly digitalized financial systems remain widely overlooked. This project begins from that contradiction and the belief that people navigating informal economies already hold essential knowledge and strategies for survival, care, and resistance…

Digital Financial Services Grantees

Wallet Guru Prototype Final Report

Fernando Almiñana ・ Jun 17

#grantreports #progressreports #finalreports #paystreme

Fernando Almiñana shares in great detail the prototyping phase of his project Wallet Guru.

In today’s digital economy, consumers are no longer satisfied with rigid payment structures that don’t reflect how they actually use services. Whether it’s streaming content, topping up mobile data, or paying for utilities, people want flexibility, transparency, and immediacy. Yet in many parts of the world—especially across Latin America—financial infrastructure still relies on outdated systems like subscriptions, prepaid cards, or manual top-ups. These models introduce friction for users and inefficiencies for service providers.
Wallet Guru was created to bridge that gap. By integrating the Interledger Protocol (ILP) and Open Payments into a mobile-first platform, Wallet Guru enables real-time, usage-based payments in multiple currencies. Our mission is to build an inclusive financial ecosystem that aligns with how people live and consume today—giving them the ability to pay for what they use, as they use it.
This need is not only driven by user frustration—it is backed by data. A 2022 Deloitte study, based on interviews with 9,000 consumers, found that over half of respondents prefer pay-as-you-go models over subscriptions. The same study noted that consumers often forget about their subscriptions, spending an average of $219 monthly while only being aware of about 40% of that expenditure—highlighting the potential appeal of more transparent, usage-based models. Wallet Guru directly addresses this disconnect by replacing rigid billing cycles with real-time microtransactions that give users full control.
Demand isn’t limited to consumers alone. Our first integration partner, Sabby OTT, conducted its own market research in the content creation space and found strong support for Wallet Guru’s model among producers, distributors, and tech partners. What consistently generated excitement was Sabby’s “pay-as-you-watch” innovation—made possible by Wallet Guru’s real-time microtransaction infrastructure. Industry stakeholders called this model a game-changer for accessibility, especially in emerging markets and among casual viewers who prefer commitment-free engagement.
Our prototype phase focused on proving this concept in the real world. Over the past nine months, we built and deployed a complete MVP: a cross-platform mobile wallet, a web-based admin dashboard, and a gateway hub for service provider integrations. Our first implementation with Sabby OTT demonstrated Wallet Guru’s potential by allowing users to pay per minute of video watched—an experience that felt natural and intuitive to users. We delivered all planned milestones on time and without deviation, and performance testing across QA teams and early adopters validated the system’s scalability, accuracy, and usability. With a working foundation in place, our focus now shifts to enabling companies to adopt more flexible, consumer-centric business models through the Paystreme Network—models that reflect how people actually use and value digital services.

Meet our new Digital Financial Services Grantees

Project Introduction: Kanzu Microloans – Real-Time Credit Access for the Underserved

Maria Gorrettie Namuddu for Kanzu Finance ・ May 4

Hello Community,
We’re excited to introduce the Kanzu Microloans project by @Kanzu Finance Limited, developed with support from the Interledger Foundation through the Financial Services Grant. With this project, we are building an open, instant microloans infrastructure embedded within our flagship platform, Kanzu Banking, and powered by Rafiki and the Interledger Protocol (ILP).
This solution is designed to address the persistent challenges faced by community-based savings groups such as SACCOs, VSLAs, and investment clubs. While these groups play a vital role in grassroots financial inclusion, they continue to face long loan processing times, fragmented systems, and limited access to credit when it’s needed most.
Our aim is to provide a mobile-first, interoperable platform where SACCO members can apply for and receive microloans instantly via mobile wallets—with repayment terms tailored to their needs. By leveraging open payments technology, we are eliminating bottlenecks and enabling true financial agility for underserved communities.

Rafiki Remit: Advancing Seamless Remittances in Pakistan

Muneeb Asif for Paysys Labs ・ May 2

#remittance #interledgerfoundation #paysys #rafiki

We are thrilled to kick off our journey with the Interledger Foundation and share the story behind "Rafiki Remit" — a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming cross-border remittances in Pakistan. At the heart of this project is Paysys Labs, a leading digital financial services company based in Pakistan.
Founded in 2016, Paysys Labs is a leading provider of digital financial services. Over the years, we've become a trusted partner in the fintech ecosystem by delivering secure, scalable, and innovative financial technology solutions.
Our work centers on creating seamless digital experiences that enhance customer access to financial products and services. We're committed to financial inclusion and digital transformation.

Introducing the BessPay Plugin Project

BessPay for BessPay ・ Apr 30

The BessPay Plugin is a new project that will integrate Interledger Open Payments into the Sharetribe marketplace platform, enabling micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the Global South to accept and send cross-border payments with lower costs, local currency support, and no-code setup.
This work is supported by a grant from the Interledger Foundation’s Digital Financial Services (DFS) Unlocked program and will be piloted through our Sharetribe-powered marketplace, SouthLink, which will connect MSME sellers in Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia with global buyers seeking authentic goods, services, and experiences.
Why Sharetribe?
Sharetribe powers thousands of marketplaces in over 70 countries, enabling entrepreneurs to launch online platforms for e-commerce, services, rentals, and more without writing code.
Today, these platforms rely heavily on traditional payment providers like PayPal, Stripe, and local gateways. But MSMEs face persistent barriers:
High transaction fees
Slow settlement times
Limited support for local currencies
Inaccessibility in many Global South markets
The BessPay Plugin addresses these issues by enabling Interledger Open Payments making it easier, cheaper, and faster for MSMEs to get paid, both locally and internationally.

Bowie State University FinTech $print Event

BSU Students Thank You For Your Vote

Andrew Mangle ・ May 10

#community #education

Andrew Mangle shares highlights...

Bowie State University wrapped up an exciting and inspiring FinTech $print event, supported by our ongoing collaboration with the Interledger community. During this event, student teams explored innovative ways to leverage the Interledger Protocol (ILP) to enhance digital financial inclusion and provide accessible financial solutions for underserved populations. Using the Design Thinking model, students focused on the underbanked and digital financial inclusion. Participants led with empathy, sought to define the challenges of financial inclusion, and produced three refined ideas.
We're thrilled to share the compelling student projects that emerged from the event. Your opinion matters to us, and we greatly appreciate your vote on the project you believe holds the most potential. The grand prize was being awarded to the team that got the most votes from the Interledger community.

To read grant reports and updates from our last quarterly roundup, you can find them here. Be sure to read our June Newsletter to learn more about Interledger and don't get to sign up to get our news directly to your inbox!

The Grantee Report: Quarterly Roundup

Ayesha Ware — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:50:14 +0000

In March, our ILF Ambassador community grew with the addition of a new cohort.

Andria Barrett - 2025 ILF Ambassador

Andria Barrett ・ Mar 26

#intros #ambassador2025 #ilfambassadorreport

Hello from Canada!
I'm proud to be included in the 2025 cohort. I'm a fierce advocate for inclusion and leverage over 15 years of experience helping organizations — from tech startups to nonprofits — create inclusive environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
My project, “Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion,” focuses on ROSCA users and aims to discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage global participation.
ROSCA is the acronym for Rotating Savings & Credit Associations. In Jamaica, it’s called a “pardna”. In Nigeria, it’s called a “susu”. In Guyana, it’s called a “box-hand” and in South Africa, it’s called a “stokvel” but in academia, it’s called a ROSCA.

You can watch Andria's vlog for her thoughts on the conference.

Bridging Financial Gaps in the South Through Community-Led Research

Sheena Allen ・ Apr 15

#research #intros #ilfambassadorreport #ambassadors2025

My name is Sheena Allen, and I'm a tech founder, international speaker, and advocate for financial inclusion. I grew up in Terry, Mississippi, a small town in a state that continues to rank among the highest for unbanked and underbanked populations in the United States. Financial exclusion wasn't just something I read or heard about from others. Instead, it was something that directly impacted much of my family and community members.
That experience has shaped the foundation of my work. Starting with an idea for a receipt app in 2016, I've spent nearly a decade building within the fintech space, creating products that sit at the intersection of technology and financial empowerment. Most notable was CapWay, a VC-backed digital banking platform focused on creating financial access and opportunities for financially underserved communities. Beyond just debit cards, CapWay also was a platform for financial education.

You can read more about Sheena’s work on this project here.

Hop Sauna, a social marketplace framework - introduction and roadmap

Gavin Chait for Hop Sauna ・ Apr 13

#ilfambassadorreport #tech #engineering #ambassadors2025

The purpose of the Interledger Foundation Ambassadorships is to support early-stage efforts at building bridges into the adoption and use of the open payments protocols. My Ambassadorship is all about enhancing accessibility to a technical protocol that most shouldn't need to know about to experience value from it.
Putting new payment systems into use is less about telling people, than putting it where they most need it as simply as possible.
My project, Hop Sauna, is an open-source template stack ready for custom development of community-moderated Open Payments-enabled web shops, including a base server and client, with documentation, to support rapidly creating new types of federated commercial social applications.

In his recent blogpost Gavin shares an update on the challenges challenge for any community recovering from centralisation and how difficult it is to change behaviours.

Surfacing harmful design patterns

Caroline Sinders ・ Apr 15

#intros #ilfambassadorreport #research #ambassadors2025

Hi! I’m Caroline Sinders (Caro for short); I’m a human rights researcher, and artist, originally from New Orleans, Louisiana and now based in the midwest, with long stints in London and Berlin in between. I’ve worked with organizations like the UN, the Information Commissioner’s Office (the UK’s data protection and privacy regulator), Amnesty International, the Mozilla Foundation, the Wikimedia Foundation, the Harvard Kennedy School and others. As an artist, I’ve worked with or had my work shown with the Tate Exchange in the Tate Modern, the Photographer's Gallery, MoMA PS1, the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans, Honor Fraser Gallery, Ars Electronica, Drugo More, the European Media Art Platform, the European Commission's Sci Art residency, Eyebeam and others.
I’m so excited to be an Interledger Ambassador with the 2025 cohort, and to be exploring a topic really close to my heart: harmful design patterns. Harmful design patterns, sometimes called ‘dark patterns’, ‘manipulative design’, ‘deceptive design’, ‘anti-patterns’, or ‘online choice architecture’, are all the same phenomena which are design patterns that unintentionally or intentionally trick, confuse, or nudge users into making decisions they normally wouldn’t make. If you are reading this and thinking, “I don’t think I’ve come across a harmful design pattern before,” the sad truth is that you have :/
Have you ever unsubscribed from a newsletter and found you’re still subscribed? Have you ever booked a seat on a budget airline and realized you were ‘nudged’ or ‘directed’ to purchase add ons you didn’t really need, or have you ever clicked on a cookie banner?
You have encountered a harmful design pattern, but there are hundreds of different types.

Shifting Power in the Informal Economy: How to Research and Build Towards a Trans-local Community for Economic Justice

Xiaoji Song ・ Apr 14

#research #intros #ilfambassadorreport #ambassadors2025

Hi, strangers, old friends, and new friends!
It is Xiaoji (she/they) again, I am mostly based in Berlin, and now sending you greetings from my hometown Wuhan. I am here to explore and show some glimpses of how Interledger Ecosystem can support the needs and wants of the informal communities: As I am honored to be part of the 2025 Ambassador cohort, I want to introduce you to my project Shifting Power in the Informal Economy, and to share some updates and thoughts.
Informal economies are not marginal—they are central to how millions of people survive and build community. From street vendors and care workers to sex workers and undocumented migrants, informal workers sustain themselves and each other through everyday practices of resilience. Industrialized societies rely heavily on their labor, even as they continue to deny them recognition and legitimacy. Yet the people behind these economies are often pushed to the periphery—excluded from labor rights protections, shut out of financial systems, and rendered invisible in the very policymaking spaces that most deeply shape their lives.
Informal economy is not often discussed in the case of Europe. In a continent that boasts over 90% digital connectivity, the needs and struggles of informal workers in increasingly digitalized financial systems remain widely overlooked. This project begins from that contradiction and the belief that people navigating informal economies already hold essential knowledge and strategies for survival, care, and resistance…

Digital Financial Services Grantees

Wallet Guru Prototype Final Report

Fernando Almiñana ・ Jun 17

#grantreports #progressreports #finalreports #paystreme

Fernando Almiñana shares in great detail the prototyping phase of his project Wallet Guru.

In today’s digital economy, consumers are no longer satisfied with rigid payment structures that don’t reflect how they actually use services. Whether it’s streaming content, topping up mobile data, or paying for utilities, people want flexibility, transparency, and immediacy. Yet in many parts of the world—especially across Latin America—financial infrastructure still relies on outdated systems like subscriptions, prepaid cards, or manual top-ups. These models introduce friction for users and inefficiencies for service providers.
Wallet Guru was created to bridge that gap. By integrating the Interledger Protocol (ILP) and Open Payments into a mobile-first platform, Wallet Guru enables real-time, usage-based payments in multiple currencies. Our mission is to build an inclusive financial ecosystem that aligns with how people live and consume today—giving them the ability to pay for what they use, as they use it.
This need is not only driven by user frustration—it is backed by data. A 2022 Deloitte study, based on interviews with 9,000 consumers, found that over half of respondents prefer pay-as-you-go models over subscriptions. The same study noted that consumers often forget about their subscriptions, spending an average of $219 monthly while only being aware of about 40% of that expenditure—highlighting the potential appeal of more transparent, usage-based models. Wallet Guru directly addresses this disconnect by replacing rigid billing cycles with real-time microtransactions that give users full control.
Demand isn’t limited to consumers alone. Our first integration partner, Sabby OTT, conducted its own market research in the content creation space and found strong support for Wallet Guru’s model among producers, distributors, and tech partners. What consistently generated excitement was Sabby’s “pay-as-you-watch” innovation—made possible by Wallet Guru’s real-time microtransaction infrastructure. Industry stakeholders called this model a game-changer for accessibility, especially in emerging markets and among casual viewers who prefer commitment-free engagement.
Our prototype phase focused on proving this concept in the real world. Over the past nine months, we built and deployed a complete MVP: a cross-platform mobile wallet, a web-based admin dashboard, and a gateway hub for service provider integrations. Our first implementation with Sabby OTT demonstrated Wallet Guru’s potential by allowing users to pay per minute of video watched—an experience that felt natural and intuitive to users. We delivered all planned milestones on time and without deviation, and performance testing across QA teams and early adopters validated the system’s scalability, accuracy, and usability. With a working foundation in place, our focus now shifts to enabling companies to adopt more flexible, consumer-centric business models through the Paystreme Network—models that reflect how people actually use and value digital services.

Meet our new Digital Financial Services Grantees

Project Introduction: Kanzu Microloans – Real-Time Credit Access for the Underserved

Maria Gorrettie Namuddu for Kanzu Finance ・ May 4

Hello Community,
We’re excited to introduce the Kanzu Microloans project by @Kanzu Finance Limited, developed with support from the Interledger Foundation through the Financial Services Grant. With this project, we are building an open, instant microloans infrastructure embedded within our flagship platform, Kanzu Banking, and powered by Rafiki and the Interledger Protocol (ILP).
This solution is designed to address the persistent challenges faced by community-based savings groups such as SACCOs, VSLAs, and investment clubs. While these groups play a vital role in grassroots financial inclusion, they continue to face long loan processing times, fragmented systems, and limited access to credit when it’s needed most.
Our aim is to provide a mobile-first, interoperable platform where SACCO members can apply for and receive microloans instantly via mobile wallets—with repayment terms tailored to their needs. By leveraging open payments technology, we are eliminating bottlenecks and enabling true financial agility for underserved communities.

Rafiki Remit: Advancing Seamless Remittances in Pakistan

Muneeb Asif for Paysys Labs ・ May 2

#remittance #interledgerfoundation #paysys #rafiki

We are thrilled to kick off our journey with the Interledger Foundation and share the story behind "Rafiki Remit" — a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming cross-border remittances in Pakistan. At the heart of this project is Paysys Labs, a leading digital financial services company based in Pakistan.
Founded in 2016, Paysys Labs is a leading provider of digital financial services. Over the years, we've become a trusted partner in the fintech ecosystem by delivering secure, scalable, and innovative financial technology solutions.
Our work centers on creating seamless digital experiences that enhance customer access to financial products and services. We're committed to financial inclusion and digital transformation.

Introducing the BessPay Plugin Project

BessPay for BessPay ・ Apr 30

The BessPay Plugin is a new project that will integrate Interledger Open Payments into the Sharetribe marketplace platform, enabling micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the Global South to accept and send cross-border payments with lower costs, local currency support, and no-code setup.
This work is supported by a grant from the Interledger Foundation’s Digital Financial Services (DFS) Unlocked program and will be piloted through our Sharetribe-powered marketplace, SouthLink, which will connect MSME sellers in Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia with global buyers seeking authentic goods, services, and experiences.
Why Sharetribe?
Sharetribe powers thousands of marketplaces in over 70 countries, enabling entrepreneurs to launch online platforms for e-commerce, services, rentals, and more without writing code.
Today, these platforms rely heavily on traditional payment providers like PayPal, Stripe, and local gateways. But MSMEs face persistent barriers:
High transaction fees
Slow settlement times
Limited support for local currencies
Inaccessibility in many Global South markets
The BessPay Plugin addresses these issues by enabling Interledger Open Payments making it easier, cheaper, and faster for MSMEs to get paid, both locally and internationally.

Bowie State University FinTech $print Event

BSU Students Thank You For Your Vote

Andrew Mangle ・ May 10

#community #education

Andrew Mangle shares highlights...

Bowie State University wrapped up an exciting and inspiring FinTech $print event, supported by our ongoing collaboration with the Interledger community. During this event, student teams explored innovative ways to leverage the Interledger Protocol (ILP) to enhance digital financial inclusion and provide accessible financial solutions for underserved populations. Using the Design Thinking model, students focused on the underbanked and digital financial inclusion. Participants led with empathy, sought to define the challenges of financial inclusion, and produced three refined ideas.
We're thrilled to share the compelling student projects that emerged from the event. Your opinion matters to us, and we greatly appreciate your vote on the project you believe holds the most potential. The grand prize was being awarded to the team that got the most votes from the Interledger community.