Building StacksBuilder: A Developer's Journey Through Multi-Wallet Integration and Smart Contract Deployment

Introduction

A month ago, I embarked on building StacksBuilder—a platform designed to help Stacks developers showcase their work, establish a reputation, and connect with opportunities in the Bitcoin ecosystem. What started as a simple idea has evolved into a comprehensive platform with some unique technical challenges and solutions that I'd love to share with the community.

This isn't your typical "how to build a dApp" tutorial. Instead, I want to walk you through the real challenges I faced, the solutions I discovered, and the lessons learned while building a production-ready application on Stacks.

The Vision: More Than Just Another Portfolio Site

StacksBuilder aims to be the premier platform for Stacks developers to:

• Create comprehensive profiles with verified GitHub integration

• Showcase projects with rich metadata and smart contract analysis

• Build reputation through community endorsements

• Connect with Bitcoin companies and opportunities

• Participate in bounty programs and challenges

But the real challenge wasn't the concept - it was building a robust, secure, and user-friendly platform that could handle the complexities of the Stacks ecosystem.

Challenge 1: Multi-Wallet Authentication That Works

One of the first major hurdles was implementing authentication that works seamlessly across multiple Stacks wallets. Most tutorials show you how to connect to one wallet, but real users have different preferences - some use Hiro Wallet, others prefer Xverse, Leather, or Asigna.

The Problem

Each wallet has its own connection method, different capabilities, and varying levels of browser integration. Users expect to:

• Connect with their preferred wallet

• Stay connected across browser sessions

• Have their choice remembered

• Switch wallets when needed

The Solution: Unified Wallet Management

I created a comprehensive wallet management system that abstracts the differences between wallets:

export interface WalletInfo {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  icon: string;
  description: string;
  downloadUrl: string;
  isInstalled: boolean;
  connect: () => Promise<void>;
}

export type SupportedWallet = 'hiro' | 'leather' | 'xverse' | 'asigna';

The key insight was to create a unified interface that:

1. Detects installed wallets automatically

2. Stores wallet preference securely

3. Handles connection state across page refreshes

4. Provides fallback options when preferred wallet isn't available

Key Implementation Details

Wallet Detection:

export async function detectInstalledWallets(): Promise<SupportedWallet[]> {
  const installed: SupportedWallet[] = [];

  if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
    if (window.StacksProvider || window.btc) installed.push('hiro');
    if (window.LeatherProvider) installed.push('leather');
    if (window.XverseProviders) installed.push('xverse');
    if (window.AsignaProvider) installed.push('asigna');
  }

  return installed;
}

Persistent Connection State:

export const setConnectedWallet = (wallet: SupportedWallet) => {
  connectedWallet = wallet;
  if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
    localStorage.setItem('stacksbuilder_connected_wallet', wallet);
    sessionStorage.setItem('stacksbuilder_session_wallet', wallet);
  }
};

This approach ensures users don't have to reconnect their wallet every time they visit the site, significantly improving the user experience.

Challenge 2: Smart Contract Deployment and Testing

Deploying smart contracts to Stacks testnet and ensuring they work correctly was another significant challenge. The documentation exists, but the real-world implementation details are often missing.

The Smart Contract Architecture

I designed a modular contract system:

;; Developer Profiles Smart Contract
(define-map profiles 
  principal 
  {
    display-name: (string-ascii 50),
    bio: (string-ascii 500),
    location: (string-ascii 100),
    website: (string-ascii 200),
    github-username: (string-ascii 50),
    twitter-username: (string-ascii 50),
    linkedin-username: (string-ascii 50),
    skills: (list 20 (string-ascii 30)),
    specialties: (list 10 (string-ascii 50)),
    created-at: uint,
    updated-at: uint,
    is-verified: bool
  }
)

Deployment Strategy

Rather than manually managing contract addresses, I created an automated deployment pipeline:

Clarinet Configuration:

[contracts.developer-profiles-v2]
path = "contracts/developer-profiles.clar"
clarity_version = 2
epoch = 2.4

Automated Address Updates: I built a PowerShell script that automatically updates the frontend configuration after deployment:

$pattern = "CONTRACT_ADDRESS: process\.env\.NEXT_PUBLIC_CONTRACT_ADDRESS \|\| '[^']*'"
$replacement = "CONTRACT_ADDRESS: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_CONTRACT_ADDRESS || '$ContractAddress'"
$newContent = $content -replace $pattern, $replacement

This eliminated the manual step of updating contract addresses and reduced deployment errors.

Testing Strategy

I implemented comprehensive testing using Clarinet's Vitest integration:

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    environment: "clarinet",
    pool: "forks",
    poolOptions: {
      threads: { singleThread: true },
      forks: { singleFork: true },
    },
    setupFiles: [vitestSetupFilePath],
  },
});

This setup allows for proper contract testing in a simulated environment before deploying to testnet.

Challenge 3: Secure Data Persistence Without Compromising UX

One of the most complex challenges was implementing secure data persistence that works across browsers while maintaining a smooth user experience. Users expect their data to be available when they return, but blockchain applications have unique security requirements.

The Problem

Traditional web apps use server-side sessions, but decentralized apps need to:

• Store user data securely without a central server

• Persist data across browser sessions

• Handle wallet disconnections gracefully

• Provide offline functionality

• Maintain data integrity

The Solution: Hybrid Cookie + Contract Storage

I developed a sophisticated data persistence system that combines multiple storage mechanisms:

1. Secure Cookie Management:

const DEFAULT_OPTIONS: CookieOptions = {
  expires: 30, // 30 days default
  httpOnly: false, // Client-side cookies for now
  secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production',
  sameSite: 'lax',
  path: '/',
};

2. Profile-Specific Storage:

export const ProfileCookies = {
  setProfileCreated(userAddress: string): void {
    const cookieName = `${COOKIE_NAMES.PROFILE_CREATED}_${userAddress}`;
    setCookie(cookieName, 'true', COOKIE_OPTIONS.PROFILE_TRACKING);
  },

  setProfileData(userAddress: string, profileData: Record<string, unknown>): void {
    const cookieName = `profile_data_${userAddress}`;
    setCookie(cookieName, JSON.stringify(profileData), COOKIE_OPTIONS.PROFILE_TRACKING);
  }
};

3. Form Auto-Save with Debouncing:

export function useFormAutoSave({
  key,
  data,
  enabled = true,
  debounceMs = 1000,
  expirationHours = 24
}: UseFormAutoSaveOptions) {
  const saveFormData = useCallback((formData: CreateProfileForm, step: number = 1) => {
    if (timeoutRef.current) {
      clearTimeout(timeoutRef.current);
    }

    timeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
      const saveData: SavedFormData = {
        data: formData,
        timestamp: Date.now(),
        currentStep: step
      };
      localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(saveData));
    }, debounceMs);
  }, [key, enabled, debounceMs]);
}

Key Benefits

This approach provides:

• Immediate feedback - Users see their data saved in real-time

• Crash recovery - Form data persists through browser crashes

• Cross-session continuity - Users can continue where they left off

• Security - Sensitive data is properly encrypted and scoped

• Performance - Debounced saves prevent excessive storage operations

Challenge 4: GitHub Integration and API Rate Limiting

Integrating with GitHub's API to automatically import developer projects presented unique challenges around rate limiting and authentication.

The Challenge

GitHub's API has strict rate limits:

• 60 requests per hour for unauthenticated requests

• 5,000 requests per hour for authenticated requests

• Complex authentication flows for multiple users

Current Approach and Lessons Learned

I implemented a GitHub username extraction utility that handles various input formats:

export function extractGitHubUsername(input: string): string {
  if (!input) return '';

  const cleaned = input.trim();

  if (!cleaned.includes('github.com')) {
    return cleaned.replace(/^@/, '');
  }

  const patterns = [
    /github\.com\/([^\/\?#]+)/i,
    /github\.io\/([^\/\?#]+)/i
  ];

  for (const pattern of patterns) {
    const match = cleaned.match(pattern);
    if (match && match[1]) {
      return match[1];
    }
  }

  return cleaned;
}

Current Status: I'm still working through the optimal authentication strategy. The choice between OAuth Apps vs GitHub Apps has significant implications for user experience and rate limiting.

Next Steps: Planning to implement a hybrid approach that starts with manual project imports and gradually adds automated features as the user base grows.

Performance Optimizations That Made a Difference

1. Lazy Loading and Code Splitting

Implemented strategic code splitting for wallet connections:

const { deleteProfileOnContract } = await import('@/lib/contracts');

This ensures wallet-specific code only loads when needed, reducing initial bundle size.

2. Debounced Form Saves

Auto-save functionality uses debouncing to prevent excessive storage operations:

timeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
  localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(saveData));
}, debounceMs);

3. Optimistic UI Updates

Profile updates show immediately in the UI while the blockchain transaction processes in the background, providing instant feedback to users.

Lessons Learned and Best Practices

1. Start with User Experience, Then Add Blockchain

The biggest lesson was to build a great user experience first, then integrate blockchain features. Users don't care about the underlying technology - they care about solving their problems.

2. Handle Edge Cases Early

Wallet disconnections, network failures, and browser compatibility issues should be handled from day one, not added later.

3. Test Across Multiple Wallets

Each wallet behaves differently. What works in Hiro Wallet might fail in Xverse. Test early and often across all supported wallets.

4. Implement Proper Error Boundaries

React error boundaries saved me countless debugging hours:

setError(''); // Clear any previous errors
try {
  await createProfileOnContract(contractData);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Profile creation failed:', error);
  setError('Failed to create profile. Please try again.');
}

5. Plan for Data Migration

As your smart contracts evolve, you'll need to migrate user data. Build migration utilities early:

export const MigrationUtils = {
  migrateProfileData(userAddress: string): boolean {
    // Handle data structure changes
  }
};

What's Next for StacksBuilder

The foundation is solid, but there's still much to build:

Immediate Priorities

• Complete GitHub API integration with proper rate limiting

• Implement project showcase with automated metadata extraction

• Add reputation scoring based on community endorsements

• Build job board functionality

Future Features

• DeFi protocol integrations (Zest, BitFlow, Velar)

• Bitcoin NFT gallery for Ordinals and Stacks NFTs

• Advanced analytics and ecosystem insights

• Cross-chain operation monitoring

Conclusion

Building StacksBuilder has been an incredible learning experience. The Stacks ecosystem is powerful but complex, and building production-ready applications requires careful attention to user experience, security, and performance.

The key takeaways for other developers building on Stacks:

1. Invest in robust wallet integration - It's the foundation of user experience

2. Plan your smart contract architecture carefully - Changes are expensive

3. Implement proper data persistence - Users expect their data to be available

4. Test extensively across different wallets and browsers

5. Start simple and iterate - Don't try to build everything at once

If you're building on Stacks or considering it, I'd love to connect and share experiences. The ecosystem is growing rapidly, and there's room for many innovative applications.

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StacksBuilder is open source and available on GitHub. If you're interested in contributing or have questions about any of the implementations discussed, feel free to reach out!

Live Demo: [https://stacks-builder.vercel.app/]
GitHub: [https://github.com/odeyemitobi/StacksBuilder]
Email: odeyemioluwatobiloba11@gmail.com