Banking Next

Horizon Bank - A Fintech Bank Application

A modern fintech banking application built with Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS, featuring secure bank integration through Plaid and ACH transfers via Dwolla.

💡 Inspiration

This was an interesting challenge - building a secure banking application in a week. I chose Appwrite over traditional AWS services here because it provided a faster development cycle while still maintaining security standards. The integration of Dwolla and Plaid APIs was crucial - I wanted to demonstrate I could work with real-world financial APIs. Sentry.io was added for error monitoring because in a banking app, you need to catch and address issues immediately.

🌟 Features

• Secure Authentication: User registration and login powered by Appwrite
• Bank Account Integration: Connect and manage bank accounts using Plaid API
• ACH Transfers: Facilitate secure bank transfers through Dwolla's ACH API
• Real-time Error Monitoring: Integrated Sentry.io for immediate issue detection and resolution
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first interface built with Tailwind CSS
• Type Safety: Built with TypeScript for enhanced code reliability

🚀 Live Demo

Visit the application at: https://banking-next-khaki.vercel.app

There are two ways to explore the application:

Option 1: Quick Demo Access

Use these pre-configured demo credentials for instant access:

• Email: demo@account.com
• Password: Testing123

Option 2: Full Experience

1. Create your own account through the sign-up process
2. After signing up, you'll be guided to connect your bank account through Plaid
3. Use these Plaid sandbox credentials to link a Chase checking or savings account:
   • Username: user_good
   • Password: pass_good

🛠️ Technical Stack

• Frontend Framework: Next.js
• Language: TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Backend as a Service: Appwrite
• Financial APIs:
  • Plaid (Bank account integration)
  • Dwolla (ACH transfers)
• Monitoring: Sentry.io
• Deployment: Vercel

🏗️ Local Development

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/horizon-bank.git
   cd horizon-bank
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install
   

3. Set up environment variables:

   cp .env.example .env.local
   

Required environment variables:

NEXT_PUBLIC_APPWRITE_PROJECT_ID=
NEXT_PUBLIC_APPWRITE_ENDPOINT=
PLAID_CLIENT_ID=
PLAID_SECRET=
DWOLLA_API_KEY=
DWOLLA_API_SECRET=
SENTRY_DSN=

4. Start the development server:

   npm run dev
   # or
   yarn dev
   

The application will be available at http://localhost:3000

🔒 Security Features

• Secure bank account integration through Plaid's OAuth flow
• Encrypted data storage with Appwrite
• Real-time error tracking and monitoring with Sentry.io
• Secure ACH transfers through Dwolla's verified API
• Environment variable protection for sensitive credentials

📱 Key Components

• Auth System: Complete authentication flow with registration, login, and password reset
• Bank Integration: Seamless bank account connection through Plaid Link
• Transfer System: ACH transfer capabilities between connected accounts
• Dashboard: Real-time account balance and transaction monitoring
• Profile Management: User profile and settings management

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Next.js team for the amazing framework
• Appwrite for the robust backend services
• Plaid and Dwolla for their comprehensive financial APIs
• Sentry.io for error tracking capabilities
• The open-source community for their invaluable resources

🔗 Contact

Matthew Bixby - LinkedIn - matthew.bixby1@gmail.com

Project Link: https://github.com/yourusername/horizon-bank