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Hello, Bitcoin community.
During the ICP WCHL25 Hackathon, we submitted the first functional version of ZatoBox #1064780 : a modular, open source point-of-sale system for physical and digital merchants. We met the deadline. We delivered.
But we weren’t selected.
And that’s okay.
Because this experience gave us something more valuable than a prize: clarity. It forced us to reflect, to refocus, and to recover the drive that brought us here in the first place.

🧭 Where we stand now

The hackathon was only the beginning. While we weren’t among the finalists, the lessons were undeniable — and the direction forward became crystal clear.
We're currently in the process of:
  • Cleaning and restructuring our GitHub repo, which, like many rushed hackathon projects, ended up cluttered with leftover OCR components and quickfixes.
  • Rebuilding the backend from scratch, with a stable, modular, and well-documented architecture for real-world deployment.
  • Removing our previous ICP (Internet Computer Protocol) integration from the roadmap. While it served us during the event, we’ve chosen to simplify and focus on more universally accessible tools.
  • Preparing for BTC Pay Server integration, as our long-term Bitcoin payment engine for non-custodial, trustless transactions.
These steps are currently in progress and not yet publicly deployed.

🔭 What’s coming next (ETA: 30–60 days)

  1. Final repo cleanup and contributor documentation
  2. Full backend reimplementation
  3. BTC Pay Server integration
  4. Initial ZatoBox Cloud version (self-hosted + plug & play option)
  5. Community engagement and visibility campaign

🤝 Open call to collaborators

ZatoBox was born open source — by design, not by convenience.
We believe in building public infrastructure for private businesses. Technology that respects ownership, sovereignty, and simplicity.
We’re looking for contributors who want to help us build:
  • Backend and frontend developers (Python / FastAPI / React)
  • UX/UI designers
  • Product thinkers and system architects
  • Bitcoiners who understand real-world adoption
  • Creators and community organizers
If you care about local commerce, sovereignty, and building tools that work for people, we’d love to hear from you.

🎯 Our mission remains unchanged

Empower 50,000 small businesses in 5 years,
without banks, intermediaries, or vendor lock-in.
ZatoBox is a toolset for real merchants.
We want any entrepreneur — even non-technical ones — to launch a store, accept Bitcoin, sync inventory, and grow their business... in minutes.

We didn’t win the hackathon.
But we gained something much more important: focus, momentum, and a better version of ourselves.
This is just the beginning.

Discord (coffee & code): https://discord.gg/2zUVsv9aMF GitHub (main): https://github.com/ZatoBox/main
0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Car 13h
Great job! 👏👏👏 I agree the work is the win! thanks for sharing the journey. If there is anything I can personally do definitely reach out to me. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves.
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Khunsa OP 9h
@Car, great to see you around again.
I appreciate that you’re following what we’re building.
I’ll be sharing weekly updates with the project’s progress and developments.
If it’s convenient for you, feel free to reach out at ikhunsa@proton.me to keep a direct line open.
We can also connect on Discord if something specific comes up.
ZatoBox is moving forward no shortcuts, no rush, but with clear direction.
And if at any point you happen to know others with sharp insight and clear judgment like yours,
I’d be glad to hear their thoughts as well.
I’m always open to perspectives rooted in experience that can help ZatoBox reach its full potential for Bitcoin adoption.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Car 8h
Awesome will reach out!
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 11h
Why is this on a bitcoin forum? This is related to NFTs and ICP (shitcoin). https://github.com/ZatoBox/main
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Thanks for the comment, @anon. Looking back, not making it to the next round might’ve been a good sign. The ICP part was more of a tactical experiment (haha). Honestly, I’m not a fan of tokens with no backing or projects that offer no real value.
But if you were in my shoes, trying to get a bit of funding without compromising principles just to push real Bitcoin adoption harder doesn’t sound too bad, right?
Feel free to check out the GitHub in the coming weeks. Everything’s being cleaned up, and it’ll be 100% open source, verifiable… and ICP-free. In fact, we only used ICP to meet the minimum identity requirement for the hackathon we didn’t go beyond basic user registration (haha). So rest assured: zero commitment to ICP.
ZatoBox is and will always be 100% Bitcoin. No gimmicks. And yes, some fiat too so people who are still outside the orange circle can cross over more easily. 🔶
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Bravo! well explained.
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Thanks for the support👏@4dcfa2e179.
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