Contributing to PayPol Protocol

First off, thank you for considering contributing to PayPol! Every contribution helps build the financial infrastructure for the agentic economy.

Whether you're fixing a bug, building an agent, improving docs, or proposing a new feature, this guide will help you get started.

Code of Conduct
Ways to Contribute
Getting Started
Building a Community Agent
Project Architecture
Development Workflow
Code Style
Pull Request Process
Bounty Program
Getting Help

Code of Conduct

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone. Please be respectful, constructive, and patient with other contributors. Harassment, trolling, and unconstructive criticism will not be tolerated.

Ways to Contribute

There's something for every skill level:

For Beginners

Fix typos or improve documentation
Add code comments to complex functions
Write tests for existing agents
Translate documentation to other languages
Report bugs with detailed reproduction steps

For Intermediate Contributors

Build a new AI agent (see Bounty Board)
Add features to the TypeScript SDK
Improve the dashboard UI/UX
Write integration tests
Add new framework integrations

For Advanced Contributors

Optimize or audit smart contracts
Improve ZK circuit performance
Implement new escrow mechanisms
Build cross-chain infrastructure
Design new protocol features

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Purpose
Node.js	>= 20	Runtime for all TypeScript services
npm	>= 10	Package management
Git	latest	Version control
Docker	latest	Database and production deployment

Optional (for smart contract work): | Foundry | latest | Solidity compilation and testing |

Setup

# 1. Fork the repository on GitHub
# 2. Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/paypol-protocol.git
cd paypol-protocol

# 3. Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/PayPol-Foundation/paypol-protocol.git

# 4. Install dependencies
npm install
cd apps/dashboard && npm install && cd ../..
cd packages/sdk && npm install && cd ../..
cd services/agents && npm install && cd ../..

# 5. Set up environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your keys (see Environment Variables section below)

# 6. Start the dashboard
cd apps/dashboard
npx prisma generate
npx prisma db push
npm run dev
# Open http://localhost:3000

Environment Variables

Create a .env file from .env.example. Key variables:

Variable	Required	Description
`RPC_URL`	Yes	Tempo L1 RPC (`https://rpc.moderato.tempo.xyz`)
`DATABASE_URL`	Yes	SQLite path (default: `file:./paypol_saas.db`)
`DAEMON_PRIVATE_KEY`	For agents	Wallet key for on-chain operations
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	For AI features	Powers AI agent discovery

Tip: For most contributions (frontend, docs, simple agents), you only need RPC_URL and DATABASE_URL.

Building a Community Agent

This is the most impactful way to contribute. Each agent you build becomes part of the PayPol marketplace and earns AlphaUSD on every job.

Step 1: Create from Template

# Copy the starter template
cp -r templates/agent-template agents/my-agent
cd agents/my-agent
npm install
cp .env.example .env

Step 2: Define Your Agent

Edit src/index.ts:

import { PayPolAgent } from 'paypol-sdk';
import express from 'express';

// Define your agent
const agent = new PayPolAgent({
  id: 'my-cool-agent',            // Unique, lowercase, hyphens only
  name: 'My Cool Agent',           // Display name on marketplace
  description: 'Does amazing things on Tempo L1',
  category: 'defi',                // defi | security | analytics | automation | compliance | payroll
  version: '1.0.0',
  price: 10,                       // AlphaUSD per job
  capabilities: ['thing-1', 'thing-2'],
});

// Handle incoming jobs
agent.onJob(async (job) => {
  const { prompt, payload, callerWallet } = job;

  // YOUR LOGIC HERE
  // - Call APIs
  // - Execute on-chain transactions
  // - Analyze data
  // - Run AI models

  return {
    jobId: job.jobId,
    agentId: 'my-cool-agent',
    status: 'success',
    result: {
      action: 'something_cool',
      data: { /* your result data */ },
    },
    executionTimeMs: Date.now() - job.timestamp,
    timestamp: Date.now(),
  };
});

// Start Express server
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());
agent.mountRoutes(app);

const PORT = process.env.AGENT_PORT || 3020;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`My Cool Agent running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Step 3: Test Locally

# Build and start
npm run build
npm start

# Test health
curl http://localhost:3020/health
# Expected: {"status":"ok","agents":["my-cool-agent"]}

# Test manifest
curl http://localhost:3020/manifest
# Returns agent metadata (name, skills, price, etc.)

# Test execution
curl -X POST http://localhost:3020/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "Do the thing", "callerWallet": "0xYourWallet"}'

Step 4: Register on Marketplace

# Edit .env with your wallet and GitHub handle
npm run register
# Your agent is now live on the PayPol marketplace!

Step 5: Submit Your PR

git checkout -b feat/my-cool-agent
git add agents/my-agent
git commit -m "feat: add my-cool-agent for doing amazing things"
git push origin feat/my-cool-agent
# Open a Pull Request on GitHub

On-Chain Operations

Your agent can execute real transactions on Tempo L1 (gas is free!):

import { ethers } from 'ethers';

const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider('https://rpc.moderato.tempo.xyz');
const wallet = new ethers.Wallet(process.env.DAEMON_PRIVATE_KEY!, provider);

// Send a marker transaction
const tx = await wallet.sendTransaction({
  to: '0x20c0000000000000000000000000000000000001', // AlphaUSD
  value: 0,
  data: ethers.toUtf8Bytes('my-agent: action completed'),
  type: 0,           // Legacy tx type for Tempo
  gasLimit: 5_000_000,
});

Key Contracts

Contract	Address	Use Case
AlphaUSD	`0x20c0000000000000000000000000000000000001`	Payment token
NexusV2	`0x6A467Cd4156093bB528e448C04366586a1052Fab`	Job escrow
ShieldVaultV2	`0x3B4b47971B61cB502DD97eAD9cAF0552ffae0055`	ZK-private payments
AIProofRegistry	`0x8fDB8E871c9eaF2955009566F41490Bbb128a014`	Verifiable AI proofs

Project Architecture

paypol-protocol/
├── apps/
│   └── dashboard/              # Next.js 16 frontend + API routes
│       ├── app/                # App Router pages
│       ├── app/api/            # REST API endpoints
│       ├── app/components/     # React components
│       └── prisma/             # Database schema (SQLite/PostgreSQL)
│
├── packages/
│   ├── sdk/                    # TypeScript SDK for building agents
│   ├── contracts/              # Solidity contracts (Foundry)
│   └── circuits/               # Circom ZK circuits
│
├── services/
│   ├── agents/                 # Native AI agent service (port 3001)
│   ├── ai-brain/               # Orchestrator + SSE events (port 4000)
│   └── daemon/                 # ZK proof daemon
│
├── agents/                     # Community-built agents
│   ├── contributor-1-treasury/ # Example: Treasury agents
│   ├── contributor-2-staking/  # Example: Staking agents
│   └── ...
│
├── templates/
│   └── agent-template/         # Starter template for new agents
│
├── .github/
│   ├── workflows/              # CI/CD pipelines
│   └── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/         # Issue templates
│
├── CONTRIBUTING.md             # This file
├── BOUNTY.md                   # Bounty program and rewards
└── README.md                   # Project overview

Key Components

Component	Tech	Port	Purpose
Dashboard	Next.js 16, React 19	3000	Web UI, API routes, marketplace
Agent SDK	TypeScript	-	Library for building agents
Native Agents	Express.js	3001	24 built-in AI agents
AI Brain	Node.js	4000	Orchestration, SSE events
Community Agents	Express.js	3010-3099	Your agents!

Development Workflow

Branching

main              ← production-ready code
├── feat/xyz      ← new features
├── fix/xyz       ← bug fixes
└── docs/xyz      ← documentation changes

Branch naming

feat/agent-name - New agent
feat/sdk-feature - SDK enhancement
fix/issue-number - Bug fix
docs/what-changed - Documentation

Commit messages

We follow Conventional Commits:

feat: add token vesting agent
fix: resolve health check timeout for sub-path agents
docs: update SDK registration examples
refactor: simplify escrow settlement logic
test: add unit tests for NexusV2 dispute flow

Keep your fork up to date

git fetch upstream
git rebase upstream/main
git push origin your-branch --force-with-lease

Code Style

TypeScript

Indentation: 2 spaces
Quotes: Single quotes
Semicolons: Yes
Trailing commas: Yes
Strict mode: Enabled in SDK, optional in community agents

Solidity

Version: ^0.8.24
Style: Follow OpenZeppelin conventions
Testing: Foundry (forge test)
NatSpec: Required for all public functions

General

Write descriptive variable names over comments
Handle errors explicitly (no silent catches)
Add JSDoc comments to exported functions
Keep functions small and focused

Pull Request Process

Before submitting

Fork the repo and create a branch from main
Make your changes with clear, descriptive commits
Ensure the code compiles: npm run build (or tsc --noEmit)
Test your changes locally
Update relevant documentation if needed

PR description

Use our PR template. Include:

Summary: What does this PR do and why?
Type of Change: Feature, bug fix, docs, etc.
Testing: How did you verify it works?
Screenshots/Output: Show it working if applicable

Review timeline

Bug fixes / docs: Reviewed within 24 hours
New agents: Reviewed within 48 hours
Smart contracts: Reviewed within 72 hours (extra scrutiny)
Architecture changes: May require discussion in an issue first

After review

Address feedback promptly
Push fixes as new commits (don't force-push during review)
Once approved, a maintainer will merge your PR

Bounty Program

We offer AlphaUSD rewards for high-quality contributions. See the full Bounty Board for details.

Quick overview:

Tier	Reward	Example
Tier 1	50-100 AlphaUSD	Simple agents, docs, bug fixes
Tier 2	100-300 AlphaUSD	Complex agents, SDK features
Tier 3	300-500 AlphaUSD	Smart contracts, ZK circuits
Tier 4	500-1,000 AlphaUSD	Critical infrastructure

Getting Help

Stuck? Here's how to get unstuck:

Read the docs: paypol.xyz/docs/documentation
Check existing agents: Browse agents/ and services/agents/src/agents/ for patterns
Template README: templates/agent-template/README.md has detailed examples
Open an issue: Ask a question
Browse bounties: BOUNTY.md for contribution ideas

Recognition

All contributors are recognized in our README and on the PayPol dashboard. Community agents display your GitHub handle with a link to your profile.

Thank you for helping build the future of decentralized AI finance!

_{PayPol Protocol • Built on Tempo L1 • MIT License}

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