Equillar: Open-Source Fintech Foundation for Blockchain Investment Platforms

Introduction

Lately, I've been fascinated by the intersection of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and the fintech world. The potential to create transparent, efficient, and accessible financial systems using decentralized technologies has captured my imagination.

As a developer who's spent considerable time working with PHP and Symfony, I found myself constantly thinking: "What if I could combine the reliability and developer experience of these mature technologies with the innovation of blockchain?"

That question led me to dive deeper into Stellar and Soroban smart contracts technologies I had already been exploring and working with for some time. Having developed several smart contracts on the platform, I was consistently impressed by Soroban's approach to making blockchain development more accessible while maintaining enterprise-grade security and performance.

Finally, I decided to channel this knowledge into something concrete: Equillar, an open-source platform designed to help developers learn blockchain development through a complete working example, or as a local development foundation for prototyping fintech solutions.

What is Equillar?

Equillar is a PHP/Symfony-based fintech platform that serves dual purposes: as a learning resource for blockchain development, and as a local development foundation that organizations can use for prototyping. It demonstrates how to build blockchain-powered applications through a practical investment platform example built with Soroban.

What Equillar Offers for Learning

Complete Application Stack

• Backend API: Full Symfony application demonstrating authentication, user management, and blockchain contract interaction
• Frontend Interface: React/TypeScript dashboard with Material UI components showing modern DApp patterns
• Smart Contracts: Soroban contracts demonstrating automated investment management logic
• Database Schema: PostgreSQL schema showing off-chain data management in blockchain apps

Development Infrastructure

• Docker Environment: Easy local development setup with docker.
• CI/CD Pipeline: GitHub Actions workflow with automated testing
• Code Quality: PHPStan static analysis and test suite
• Documentation: Detailed guides for setup, development, stellar wallet installation and how to use the dashboard.

Key Features Implementation

• Multi-role System: Companies, investors, and administrators with different permissions.
• Investment Workflows: Project creation, funding, and automated return distributions.
• Blockchain Integration: Wallet connectivity and smart contract interactions.
• Financial Calculations: Interest calculations, payment schedules, and balance management.

Technology Stack

Backend

• PHP 8.3 with Symfony 7.3
• PostgreSQL database
• Contracts deployed on Soroban and written in the Rust language

Frontend

• React 18
• Typescript
• Material (MUI): For the user interface

Backend / Frontend integration

• Symfony UX together with webpack encore

Who Can Learn from Equillar?

• Developers looking to understand blockchain integration can study Equillar's implementation of Stellar/Soroban connectivity
• Students and universities can use Equillar as a teaching tool for blockchain development and fintech application patterns
• Backend developers familiar with PHP/Symfony can learn how to integrate blockchain without switching technology stacks
• Frontend developers can explore wallet integration and transaction handling in React applications
• Blockchain enthusiasts can study a complete real-world use case beyond simple token transfers

Getting Started

Ready to start learning? Visit the documentation and GitHub repository to begin exploring.