Blockchain technology has changed how we think about payments. It’s especially big for recurring transactions. Platforms like Superfluid are making it easier for businesses and creators to set up real-time automated payments. And they don’t need to rely on traditional banking systems anymore. These platforms use blockchain to create secure and transparent experiences for managing subscriptions and ongoing payments.
The blockchain market is expected to grow by 82.4% annually through 2030. These numbers really show how blockchain-based recurring payments are set to change the financial landscape.
What’s really cool is how these platforms work in a decentralized way. This gives users more control over their payments. Instead of waiting for monthly billing cycles, blockchain-based platforms let you make payments in real-time. It’s a whole new way of handling recurring payments. It’s also more secure for both businesses and consumers. Other platforms like Civic and Utrust are doing similar things and shaking up industries like finance and content creation.
Blockchain-based recurring pay platforms are growing fast. Superfluid has raised over $12 million. Centrifuge has also raised around $21 million to innovate more in decentralized finance.
In this blog, we’ll explore how blockchain-based recurring payment platforms are developed and how you can build one like Superfluid.
Overview of the Superfluid Platform
Superfluid is a platform that makes continuous payments possible. It works for things like salaries and rent using cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. Here’s how it works and what makes it stand out:
How Superfluid Works?
Superfluid lets you set up “streams” where payments are made every second. For example if someone earns $15 an hour, Superfluid will convert that into a per-second rate and send it to their wallet in real time.
Core Components
- Super Tokens: These are special tokens that allow flexible payments without locking up capital.
- Super Apps: These smart contracts interact with streams and can respond to changes in the blockchain.
- Super Host: This runs the entire system and manages interactions between tokens, agreements, and apps.
- Low Transaction Costs: Users only pay gas fees when opening, editing, or closing a stream, which makes it cheaper for ongoing payments.
Super Agreements
These set the rules for how money flows. The two main types are:
- Constant Flow Agreement: This makes sure payments happen at a steady rate.
- Instant Distribution Agreement: This splits tokens between multiple people in specific amounts.
Applications
- Payroll: Employees can get paid continuously instead of once a week or month.
- Subscriptions: Things like gym memberships or software subscriptions can be paid automatically.
- Token Vesting: This gradually gives tokens to team members or contributors in DAOs.
- DeFi Integration: People can automatically invest part of their income into DeFi platforms using methods like dollar-cost averaging.
Key Market Takeaways for Blockchain Recurring Pay Platform
According to GMInsights, blockchain-based recurring payment platforms are growing really fast. The Web3 payment solutions market was worth $9.64 billion in 2023. It’s expected to reach $93.5 billion by 2032. That’s a big jump with an annual growth rate of 28.5%.
Source: GMInsights
We are seeing this growth because, people these days are looking for secure and efficient payment systems, especially for subscriptions, memberships, and regular billing. Blockchain removes middlemen. This lowers transaction fees and processing times. It also makes things more transparent and secure.
Smart solutions and strong partnerships also help the growth of these platforms. For example, Civic uses blockchain for secure identity checks and recurring billing. This helps businesses avoid fraud and makes around $12 million a year. Utrust allows merchants to accept crypto payments with smart recurring billing systems. They’re earning over $35 million annually. RippleNet is another big player. It helps more than 175 banks manage global recurring payments.
Even Visa is looking into blockchain-based recurring payments using Ethereum smart contracts to fix issues with pull payments.
A Perfect Time to Invest in Developing a Blockchain Recurring Pay Platform
Now is a great time to invest in building a blockchain-based recurring pay platform like Superfluid. More and more people are getting into decentralized finance and blockchain technology. These platforms let businesses accept real-time payments in cryptocurrency. This means no delays from banks and much lower transaction fees. It makes payments smoother and more efficient.
Plus with recurring payments, you get a steady flow of revenue. Users also enjoy easy subscription models for the things they need.
The potential for profit is huge. Blockchain recurring payment systems open up new ways to make money. Look at platforms like Superfluid. They already let users make real-time crypto payments for subscriptions and services.
Another example is Uphold. It helps users manage recurring payments like subscriptions and automatic crypto staking. In 2020 Uphold made over $50 million in revenue.
Then there’s CoinPayments. They provide recurring payment gateways for crypto transactions. Since launching, they’ve processed over $10 billion in transactions. Blockchain makes everything more secure and transparent.
Users trust these platforms more. By cutting out third-party middlemen these platforms can offer much lower fees. Businesses love this. As more people turn to crypto and decentralized solutions, building a blockchain recurring pay platform could not only meet the growing demand but also become a profitable business.
Business Model of the Superfluid Platform
Superfluid has a unique protocol. It lets users create “money streams” for things like salaries or subscriptions. It uses Super Tokens to represent the user’s share of assets. This allows for instant asset transfers and keeps transaction costs low. Everything works smoothly and efficiently.
- Instant Asset Transfers: Users can quickly transfer assets across different protocols and grab market opportunities.
- Low Transaction Costs: Superfluid keeps fees low by cutting out middlemen. This makes it cheaper for users.
- Interoperability: It works seamlessly with other DeFi protocols.
- Security and Transparency: Superfluid uses strong encryption and auditing systems to keep assets safe and ensure transparency.
Revenue Streams
Superfluid makes money in a few ways:
- Transaction Fees: They charge fees for transactions like swaps or liquidity provision.
- Liquidity Provision: Users who provide liquidity to pools can earn rewards while Superfluid takes a small cut of the trading fees.
- Asset Management Fees: Superfluid charges management fees for services like yield farming or staking.
- Protocol Upgrades and Consulting: They also offer consulting services to other projects using their tech.
- Partnerships and Collaborations: Superfluid partners with other DeFi projects to share revenue and reach new markets.
Financial Performance
As of March 2025, Superfluid has streamed over $150 million. They process about $1.6 million in transactions every day. This shows the platform is gaining a lot of traction in the DeFi space.
Funding History
Superfluid has raised funds in a few rounds:
- Seed Funding (2021): They raised $9 million. Investors included Multicoin Capital, Balaji Srinivasan, and Stani Kulechov from Aave. This helped develop their streaming payment tech.
- Strategic Funding Round (2024): In February 2024, they raised $5.1 million from Fabric Ventures. This round was smaller but helped attract the right investors for the next phase.
Superfluid has raised about $14.1 million so far. This funding has helped them expand and reach more users.
Must-Have Features in a Blockchain-Based Recurring Pay Platform
Here are some of the must-have features for blockchain-based recurring pay platform,
1. Customizable Payment Schedules
A great feature is being able to set your own payment schedule. You should be able to pick how often and how much you want to pay. This helps you manage subscriptions or bills without having to do it manually. It makes the platform much easier to use and works for different needs.
2. QR Code-Based Payments
QR codes make payments super easy. You just scan the code linked to someone’s wallet and the payment is done instantly. It’s perfect for mobile payments. You don’t have to type in wallet addresses or payment details. This makes things faster and safer.
3. Accrual-Based Accounting
Accrual-based accounting is helpful for businesses. It lets you see your revenue and expenses even before payments are made. This way businesses can get access to funds right away. It also helps reduce fees and speeds up the process using things like lazy evaluation.
4. Cross-Border Payment Capabilities
Blockchain makes cross-border payments much easier. You don’t need middlemen or to deal with different currencies. This is great for global businesses. It saves money and speeds things up making international payments more efficient.
5. Transparent Audit Trails
Blockchain keeps a record of every transaction. Everything is traceable and visible in real-time. This helps businesses and regulators keep track. It builds trust and makes sure everything is compliant.
Development Steps for a Blockchain Recurring Pay Platform like Superfluid
Here are the steps to develop a blockchain-based recurring pay platform,
1. Define Use Cases and Requirements
First, you need to figure out what your platform will be used for. Payroll subscriptions, rent, freelance payments or royalties. Think about who will use it and what they need. Decide which cryptocurrencies or stablecoins you want to support. You also need to set goals for security scalability and keeping costs low.
2. Choose the Blockchain Network
Consider transaction speed, gas fees, smart contract support and the overall ecosystem. Ethereum is a great place for smart contracts. Polygon has lower fees. Solana is super fast. Pick the one that suits you best. This will impact the way your platform functions, as well as the user experience.
3. Design Token Standards
Super Tokens are a key part of your platform. Similar to normal tokens, but with additional capabilities. This allows users to make payments indefinitely with no locking of their own funds. Ensure compatibility with major wallets and platforms for these tokens. This will ease their transition to using your platform.
4. Develop Smart Contracts
With the Constant Flow Agreement, payments flow constantly for a fixed amount. Good for salaries or subscriptions. The Instant Distribution Agreement shares payments with multiple payees. That obviously works well for royalties or for shared revenue. These contracts have to take care of securely setting up payments and stopping them.
5. Build the Protocol’s Core
This is like the brain of your system. It manages token agreements and smart contracts to keep payments running smoothly. It also handles upgrades and lets users have a say in how the platform evolves. Making this part solid ensures everything else works well.
6. UI and UX Design
A simple and easy-to-use interface is a must. Users should set up payments, check their status and make changes without hassle. Real-time payment tracking is key. Users want to know where their money is at all times. Make sure the platform works smoothly on both desktop and mobile. A great user experience keeps users coming back.
7. Implement Security and Auditing Protocols
Security is super important. Get smart contracts audited by trusted firms. This helps find and fix vulnerabilities before they become problems. Use multi-signature wallets and role-based access controls to keep things safe. Regular security checks and compliance with regulations like AML and KYC will build trust with users. Trust is everything in payments.
8. Test Launch and Iterate
Start by testing your platform on a testnet. This helps you find bugs and performance issues before going live. Next run a beta test with early users. Gather feedback and make improvements. Once you’re confident, launch on the main network.
Cost of Developing a Blockchain Recurring Pay Platform like Superfluid
Development Stage | Cost Range ($) | Key Factors Influencing Cost |
1. Research and Planning | 1,000 – 5,000 | Market research, project roadmap, consulting fees |
2. UI/UX Design | 2,000 – 10,000 | Complexity of design, number of screens, designer experience |
3. Front-End Development | 3,000 – 15,000 | UI complexity, wallet integration (MetaMask, etc.), responsiveness |
4. Back-End & Smart Contract Development | 4,000 – 40,000 | Smart contract complexity, blockchain choice, API integrations |
5. App Features | ||
– Basic Streaming | Included | Part of front-end and back-end development |
– Advanced Features (Conditional Payments, DAO, etc.) | 5,000 – 20,000 | Complexity of tokenomics, governance model |
6. Testing & Security Audits | 2,000 – 30,000 | Scope of testing, auditor fees, bug fixes |
Building a blockchain payment platform like Superfluid comes with some unique costs. It’s a bit different from regular software development. Let’s dive into it.
- Smart contract complexity and security: Smart contracts handle payment logic and they need to be very secure. The more complex your rules or token types the longer it takes to build. Security audits are essential since bugs can cause big losses and they aren’t cheap.
- Choosing the blockchain network: Ethereum is popular, but gas fees are high. High fees can drive users away. Layer-2 solutions have lower fees but they come with their own challenges. Gas fees are unpredictable. This makes budgeting tricky.
- Token integration and interoperability: If you want to support multiple tokens or different blockchains, it gets more complicated. You might need to build bridges or use cross-chain solutions. This adds more development work and testing time.
- Decentralized infrastructure and node management: If you decide to run your own nodes you will need servers and regular maintenance. Security is crucial. Even if you don’t run nodes yourself, interacting with decentralized networks adds complexity and costs.
Challenges and Potential Solutions for a Recurring Pay Platform Development
Building a blockchain-based recurring payment platform like Superfluid comes with some big challenges. But don’t worry there are ways to make it work smoothly. Let’s chat about three main challenges and how to fix them.
1. Technical Scalability
Blockchains like Ethereum aren’t very fast. Ethereum can handle about 20 transactions per second. Visa does over 2000. That’s a big difference.
- One fix is Layer-2 scaling solutions like Polygon or StarkNet. These take some of the load off the main blockchain. It makes things faster and cheaper.
- Another idea is sharding. This splits the blockchain into smaller parts called shards. Each shard processes its own transactions. It spreads the load and keeps the network running smoothly.
- Blockchain pruning is also helpful. It lets nodes store only recent blocks instead of the whole blockchain. This makes things more efficient.
2. Recurring Payment Automation in Self-Custodial Wallets
With blockchain users need to approve every transaction with their private keys. This is a hassle when setting up recurring payments.
- Account Abstraction could fix this. It lets smart contracts act like wallets. Users can approve recurring payments in advance. No need to manually approve each payment.
- Visa has a cool idea called delegable accounts. Users can pre-approve certain recipients for recurring payments while keeping things secure.
- Smart contracts are another great option. Platforms like Groundhog use smart contracts to automate billing. Merchants and customers agree on terms upfront. Payments happen automatically.
3. Scalability and Transaction Costs
Blockchain fees can get really high when the network is busy. Ethereum gas fees can spike. Small or frequent payments become too expensive.
- Layer-2 solutions like Polygon or Optimism help here. They process payments off-chain and settle on Ethereum later. This cuts fees and speeds things up.
- Side chains like Orbs or Loom Network are also good. They handle transactions off the main chain but stay connected to Ethereum.
- Efficient consensus mechanisms help too. Ethereum switched to Proof-of-Stake with its merge. This cuts costs and energy use while improving speed.
Conclusion
A blockchain-based recurring pay platform like Superfluid can really change how payments work. It helps businesses with real-time automated transactions using smart contracts. This cuts down on overhead and makes things more efficient. It’s perfect for companies looking for smooth decentralized financial solutions. Businesses can make money through transaction fees or subscriptions. Plus it brings transparency and security. This helps build trust. This way companies can stay ahead in the fast-moving digital economy.
Looking to Develop a Blockchain-Based Recurring Pay Platform like Superfluid?
At Idea Usher we’ve got you covered. With over 500,000 hours of coding experience we know exactly what it takes to bring your idea to life. We’ll build a secure real-time payment platform that’s transparent and automates your transactions. This means less admin work and more financial flexibility for you. Let’s team up and change the way payments work!
FAQs
Q1: How to develop a recurring pay platform?
A1: To build a recurring pay platform, you start by figuring out what features you need. Things like automated billing and user management are key. Then you choose a payment system or blockchain to process the transactions. Smart contracts help automate the payments. After that, you create a simple interface for users and make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
Q2: What is the cost of developing a recurring pay platform?
A2: The cost really depends on what you want to include. A basic platform will be more affordable. But if you’re looking for custom features or extra security it will cost more. You also need to keep in mind ongoing maintenance and updates as the platform grows.
Q3: What are the features of a recurring pay platform?
A3: A recurring pay platform usually has automatic billing and flexible payment options. It also has secure payment gateways and manages user accounts. Real-time transaction tracking is important too! You might add things like fraud protection and reporting tools to make it more useful.
Q4: How can a recurring pay platform make money?
A4: A recurring pay platform can earn money by charging transaction fees. You can offer subscription plans for businesses. Adding premium features like analytics or extra security is another way to make money. Some platforms charge for customizations or integrations with other systems. There are plenty of ways to keep things profitable!