Building a Scalable Crypto Payment Platform for a California Startup
In 2022, a California-based startup, founded by a passionate crypto expert and strong believer in the future of digital currencies, approached us with a bold vision: to make crypto payments simple, fast, and accessible for online merchants worldwide.
Their mission was twofold:
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Build a robust crypto payment processing platform, and
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Deliver an easy-to-integrate crypto payment gateway plugin for eCommerce platforms.
To bring this vision to life, they needed a technology partner with deep expertise in blockchain, crypto infrastructures, and payment systems.
Our prior experience—particularly architecting distributed processing for one of the world’s largest crypto payment solution providers and integrating their crypto gateway with ACI Worldwide—positioned us as a natural fit for the engagement.
1. Business Challenge
The startup needed to deliver a market-ready MVP, capable of:
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Supporting scalable, real-time crypto payments
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Integrating with major crypto exchanges
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Managing secure crypto wallet operations
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Providing merchants with a seamless eCommerce payment plugin
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Offering an intuitive admin & merchant experience
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Laying a strong foundation for multi-chain expansion
Speed was crucial: the entire MVP had to be built and deployed within 8 months.
2. Our Solution
Working closely with the client, we architected and delivered a complete Crypto Payment Platform MVP, covering blockchain infrastructure, backend microservices, secure APIs, frontend portals, and end-to-end eCommerce integration.
A. Scalable Crypto Payment Processing Engine
We built a modular, high-performance processing backend capable of handling wallet-based and exchange-based payment flows, real-time transaction monitoring, horizontal scaling for high transaction loads, and full auditability and traceability.
B. Exchange Integration Framework
To support payments routed through crypto exchanges, we developed a flexible Exchange Integration Framework. Coinbase was the first exchange integrated. Key features include real-time price discovery, secure exchange-based payment initiation, callback and settlement workflows, and a unified abstraction layer to simplify adding new exchanges.
C. Blockchain Infrastructure Setup
We deployed and managed core Bitcoin infrastructure: a Bitcoin Full Node for on-chain payment handling and a Lightning Network Node for high-speed, low-fee transactions. Both were configured for high availability and secure communication with backend services.
D. API Suite for Wallet & Payments
We built a secure API ecosystem enabling wallet creation & management, payment and invoice (QR code) generation, callback notifications and webhooks, transaction signing and blockchain broadcasting, along with role-based access, encryption, and rate-limiting.
E. eCommerce Payment Gateway Plugin
A lightweight plugin was developed to allow merchants to integrate crypto payments directly into their shopping cart flow. Supported payment modes included wallet payments and exchange payments (via Coinbase). The plugin allows merchants to accept crypto without altering their checkout experience.
F. Admin & Merchant Portal
A streamlined portal was built using Angular TypeScript, offering merchant onboarding and management, transaction dashboards and reporting, settlement settings and payout workflows, and activity logs and monitoring tools. This system enables both merchants and the startup’s internal team to manage day-to-day operations with ease.
G. Technology Highlights
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Frontend: Angular TypeScript–based portal for merchants and admins
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Backend: Distributed microservices architecture (built using NodeJS & Python) hosted on AWS Cloud
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Blockchain: Bitcoin Full Node, Lightning Network
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Exchange Integration: Coinbase API
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Security: Encrypted wallet operations, RBAC, secure API design
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DevOps: Cloud-native CI/CD pipelines for rapid deployment and scaling
3. Results
In just 8 months, we delivered a working, production-ready MVP consisting of a fully operational crypto payment processing platform, a complete eCommerce payment gateway plugin, a secure Angular-based admin & merchant portal, end-to-end integration with a live eCommerce store, and a seamless crypto checkout and settlement workflow. The successful delivery allowed the startup to demonstrate the platform to early merchants and investors, helping them prepare for public launch and future expansion into multiple blockchains and exchanges.
4. Conclusion
This project highlights our ability to deliver complex blockchain and payment solutions from the ground up. Our expertise in distributed architectures, cloud engineering, and crypto technologies enabled the startup to transform their idea into a scalable, market-ready product—within a tight timeline. We continue to support fintech and crypto innovators in building secure, modern, and forward-thinking financial platforms.
Ready to Build Your Crypto or FinTech Product?
Contact L&Q today for a free discovery session.