Technology
A working platform today, with blockchain transparency to follow. The pilot runs on a tested web app and an auditable ledger. The chain is added once the pilot and a clean security audit are complete.
The platform today
Contribio works in any phone or laptop browser and installs like an app, with push notifications. Every part of the pilot is built; what remains before launch is setup.
| Area | Status | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Student app | Built and tested | Earning, spending, lessons, team projects, event check-in, referrals and votes |
| Staff portal | Built and tested | Approvals, mentoring and sign-off, lessons, student records, cross-university projects and integrity flags |
| Vendor and sponsor portals | Built and tested | Pay codes, bonus floats, perks, funded tracks, challenges and credential checks |
| Admin console | Built | Funded pools, vendor floats, votes, support inbox, emergency switches and daily reconciliation |
| Card top-ups | Built, not yet live | Card payments into a student's Balance; withdrawals stay off until legal sign-off |
| Blockchain backend | Built, not yet connected | Soulbound Reputation, credential anchors and a transparent Opportunity Fund |
| Academic credentials | Proposed | Verified module results, after the blockchain stage |
Built to be trusted
Points stand for real money, so the rules are strict: nothing pays out without funding, and nothing pays out without validation.
Funded before it's listed
A reward only appears once the money behind it is set aside, and that money is held separately for the people it belongs to.
Validated before it pays
Staff mentors sign off milestones and claims, lessons check understanding and events use check-in codes. Each university has at least two approvers.
A ledger you can audit
Every movement of points is recorded and can't be edited or deleted afterwards. Balances are reconciled every day.
Integrity checks
Daily pattern checks flag possible gaming for staff to look at. They are prompts to look, never automatic verdicts.
No passwords
Students and staff sign in with their university login or a one-time email link that expires after 15 minutes.
Privacy by design
Staff see summaries; opening a full record needs a reason the student can see. Nothing outside the app is tracked, and sponsors see outcomes, not individuals.
The blockchain stage
Planned for September 2027, after the pilot and a clean security audit. The chain adds public proof; it is not a currency or a token to trade.
Soulbound Reputation
A non-transferable public record of earned standing. It can't be sold, moved or bought.
Credential anchors
Proof that a student's credential hasn't been altered, which anyone can check without seeing their activity.
A transparent Opportunity Fund
A public record of what goes into the shared fund and what it pays for.
The contracts are EVM smart contracts on Polkadot, and the backend is already built. The app's own ledger stays the record of balances, so a delay on the chain never holds students up, and nobody needs a wallet: a self-custody wallet may be offered later as an option, never a requirement.
Once the chain is live, the next step is verified academic credentials, such as module results.
What a university needs
Joining is mostly people and paperwork. We help with each step.
Sign-in
University single sign-on, or one-time email links to the student email domain while single sign-on is set up.
Data protection
A data protection impact assessment, privacy notices and a data processing agreement, all in place before launch.
People
At least two staff approvers, plus mentors for team projects.
Rewards and partners
A reward pool for micro-tasks and lessons, an optional department project pool, and campus vendors and sponsors, whom we help to sign up.
How it's built
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| App | Next.js and React web app, installable on phones, with push notifications |
| Ledger and data | PostgreSQL, with append-only ledger records and daily reconciliation |
| Sign-in | One-time email links and university single sign-on (OpenID Connect) |
| Card payments | Stripe, once top-ups are switched on |
| Blockchain | EVM smart contracts on Polkadot (planned for September 2027) |
Bring Contribio to your university
The pilot is free for universities. Talk to us about joining, or read how the model works.