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Pybara Docs

How It Works

Pybara enables direct peer-to-peer crypto payments between customers and merchants on the Internet Computer. Here’s how the payment flow works.

Payment Flow

Section titled “Payment Flow”

1. Payment Initialization

Section titled “1. Payment Initialization”

When a customer selects Pybara at checkout:

  1. The merchant’s platform (WooCommerce, Shopify, or custom app) calls the Pybara SDK
  2. The SDK calculates the crypto amount based on current exchange rates
  3. A payment session is created with:
    • Order details (amount, currency, order ID)
    • Merchant’s receiving address
    • Token type (ICP, ckBTC, etc.)

2. Wallet Connection

Section titled “2. Wallet Connection”

The customer connects their Internet Computer wallet:

  • Oisy Wallet — Browser-based, Internet Identity authentication
  • Pybara Wallet — Pybara’s native wallet with Internet Identity

The wallet connection uses the Internet Identity protocol for secure, passwordless authentication.

3. Payment Execution

Section titled “3. Payment Execution”

Once connected:

  1. The payment details are displayed in the wallet interface
  2. Customer reviews the amount, recipient, and token
  3. Customer approves the transaction
  4. The wallet executes an ICRC-1 transfer on-chain

4. Payment Verification

Section titled “4. Payment Verification”

After the transaction:

  1. The Pybara canister verifies the payment on the blockchain
  2. The payment is recorded with:
    • Transaction block index
    • Amount and token
    • Timestamp
    • Order reference
  3. The merchant platform is notified of successful payment

5. Order Completion

Section titled “5. Order Completion”

The merchant’s platform receives the payment confirmation and:

  1. Marks the order as paid
  2. Triggers order fulfillment
  3. Sends confirmation email to customer

Architecture

Section titled “Architecture”

Components

Section titled “Components”
┌─────────────┐
│   Customer  │
└──────┬──────┘
       │ 1. Checkout
       ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  Merchant Site  │
│  (WooCommerce)  │
└────────┬────────┘
         │ 2. Initialize payment
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│   Pybara SDK     │
│  (JavaScript)    │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │ 3. Connect wallet
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│  Customer Wallet │
│  (Oisy/Plug)     │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │ 4. Execute transfer
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│  IC Blockchain   │
│  (ICRC-1 Ledger) │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │ 5. Verify payment
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Pybara Canister  │
│  (Blackhole)     │
└──────────────────┘

Key Technologies

Section titled “Key Technologies”
  • Internet Computer — Blockchain platform hosting the payment infrastructure
  • ICRC-1 — Token standard for transfers
  • Internet Identity — Decentralized authentication
  • Blackhole Canister — Immutable smart contract for payment verification

Security

Section titled “Security”

Trustless Design

Section titled “Trustless Design”
  • No custody — Pybara never holds customer funds
  • Direct transfers — Payments go straight from customer to merchant
  • Immutable code — Payment canister is a blackhole (cannot be upgraded)
  • Auditable — Payment canister code is publicly verifiable on-chain

Payment Verification

Section titled “Payment Verification”

Every payment is verified on-chain:

  1. Transaction exists on the ICRC-1 ledger
  2. Amount matches the order total
  3. Recipient matches the merchant’s address
  4. Transaction is recent (within timeout window)

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”