Become

Overview

Become is a web-based habit-tracking system that combines real health-metric monitoring with financial and social incentives to drive lasting behavior change. Users form groups, define measurable goals, and optionally stake funds held in on-chain escrow via Solana smart contracts—if you fail your goal, your stake gets redistributed to peers who succeeded.

As the project founder and technical lead, I conceived the original idea, architected the system, and led a team of three through the full development lifecycle.

The Problem

Most wellness apps rely on streaks, badges, or gamification—but these methods often fade over time. Research shows short-term motivation improves dramatically when real money and social connections are involved. Existing platforms either use manual self-reporting (easily gamed) or centralized payment systems (opaque and trust-dependent). We wanted transparent, automated accountability.

My Role & Contributions

As Project Lead & Founder, I:

• Conceived the original concept combining blockchain escrow with peer accountability
• Led system architecture across frontend, database, and smart contract layers
• Built the on-chain staking system using Anchor/Solana with Privy wallet integration
• Integrated Helius RPCs for reliable, high-performance blockchain calls
• Designed the database schema (13 Supabase tables with Row Level Security)
• Coordinated the team through Agile sprints and code reviews

Key Features

💰 On-Chain Financial Stakes

• Solana Escrow: Stake USDC into a smart contract when creating goals
• Automated Resolution: Backend oracle verifies Google Fit data → triggers payout
• Peer Redistribution: Failed stakes flow to successful group members

📊 Verified Health Data

• Google Fit Integration: Steps and calories synced automatically—no self-reporting
• 30-Day Historical Sync: Robust data pipeline with timestamp normalization
• Objective Verification: Goals resolved against real, machine-readable metrics

👥 Social Accountability

• Group Challenges: Create groups, invite friends, compete together
• In-App Chat: Coordinate and encourage within your group
• Progress Visualization: See everyone’s standings in real-time

Technical Architecture

On-Chain Logic

The staking system uses Program Derived Addresses (PDAs) for stateless, deterministic storage:

1. Goal Initialization: init_goal creates a PDA storing creator, resolver, and vault info
2. Stake Escrow: open_stake transfers USDC from wallet to goal vault via SPL token CPI
3. Oracle Resolution: Backend verifies goal completion → signs resolve_success or triggers redistribution
4. Safety Rails: cancel_before_start allows withdrawal if goal hasn’t started

Why Solana? With 400ms block times and sub-cent fees, micro-stakes ($5-10) are economically viable. On Ethereum, gas often exceeds the stake itself.

Data Flow

Mobile Device → Google Fit → Vercel Backend → Supabase
                                    ↓
              Frontend ← Progress Display ← Goal Evaluation
                                    ↓
              Privy Wallet → Solana Program → Reward/Penalty

Leadership & Process

As the Project Lead, I managed the full development lifecycle from ideation to deployment. I directed the technical roadmap, choosing Solana for its efficiency and Privy for its onboarding UX, while overseeing the integration of the Google Fit API and frontend development.

The project was built using Agile methodologies with 2-week sprints, internal code reviews, and heuristic evaluations to ensure a high-quality, user-centric product.

Key Links

• GitHub: github.com/Mechwarrior727/nextjs-capstone
• Live Prototype: nextjs-capstone.vercel.app

What I Learned

• Solana Development: Anchor patterns, account models, and CPI mechanics
• Wallet Integration: Privy for unified traditional + embedded wallet auth
• Oracle Design: Bridging off-chain data with on-chain state transitions
• Full-Stack Coordination: Leading a team through a complex, multi-layer system