At Merehead, we built BrickFi - a blockchain platform that turns rental properties into NFT-based investment assets. With secure smart contracts, automated payouts in USDC, and full fiat integration, BrickFi lets anyone earn from real estate without owning it. A DeFi gateway to global property investing.
Project Overview
When we started working on BrickFi, our mission was to make real estate investing as simple as owning a digital asset. We wanted to build a bridge between traditional property income and blockchain technology — allowing anyone to invest in rental properties through NFTs, no matter where they live. That vision became BrickFi: a platform where every NFT represents a share of real rental income, not just a speculative token.
The Challenge
From the very beginning, we knew the idea was powerful but the implementation would be technically demanding. Combining Web3, fiat payments, legal structures, and real-world real estate meant solving dozens of complex problems at once. We needed to design an entire ecosystem that was secure, automated, and user-friendly enough even for people who had never touched crypto before.
One of the core elements of BrickFi is the NFT issuance algorithm — the process through which each tokenized property becomes part of the platform. This entire workflow happens automatically, without any investor involvement.
BrickFi Inc. — the company behind the platform — identifies rental-ready properties and negotiates lease agreements directly with property owners. For each property, a new SPV company is created under the BrickFi umbrella. That SPV then mints a limited number of NFTs — usually around a thousand — each representing a fractional right to the rental income generated by that property. These NFTs don’t give ownership of the physical asset itself; instead, they provide the holder with a proportional share of the rent revenue.
Once issued, the NFTs are listed on the BrickFi marketplace, where investors can purchase them, earn monthly returns in USDC, or resell them later for potential profit. The entire process — from legal agreement to blockchain minting and payment distribution — is managed by BrickFi’s infrastructure.
Architecture & Tech Stack
Under the hood, BrickFi runs on a modular architecture that connects blockchain logic, financial APIs, and user interfaces seamlessly. The backend uses PHP and PostgreSQL, while the blockchain layer relies on Solidity and Ethers.js running on Polygon for low fees and fast transactions. We integrated Stripe for USD operations and Circle for USDC payments, making it easy for users to invest with either fiat or crypto. Security was critical: Cloudflare provides WAF protection, while two-factor authentication and IP whitelisting safeguard administrative zones.
Userflow
To make the platform as smooth and intuitive as possible, we started by developing a clear and efficient information architecture. We built a visual system map that illustrated how all parts of the platform interact — navigation, search, naming conventions, and relationships between every screen and data module. This structure became the foundation for everything that followed. It optimized user flows, helped us identify friction points early, and provided designers and developers with a shared blueprint. Thanks to this step, the project evolved much faster and with fewer revisions.
Example of Userflow
Wireframes
The next stage was creating several versions of wireframes — low-fidelity layouts that show what should appear on a web page or a mobile app screen. They help visualize the overall structure, understand how users will navigate the interface, and identify what needs to be improved to make the design intuitive and enjoyable. At this point, we evaluate usability and refine the flow to ensure a smooth and engaging user experience.
Example of Wireframes
User Interface Design
Once the wireframes are approved, they move to the design team, who transform them into a complete user interface layout. The designers select the color palette, create icons and buttons, design visual accents, and add text elements. In the BrickFi project, we chose a minimalist, clean design with a white background and bright red buttons and icons. This style helps draw users’ attention to key actions and creates positive emotional associations, making the platform both intuitive and visually appealing.
Development Process
The project began with detailed planning and task creation in our project management system. We prefer using YouTrack because it offers flexible functionality, clear analytics, and seamless integration with our internal systems — allowing real-time notifications for every department.
YouTrack Agile Board
Communication between development teams took place via Discord, with regular meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and upcoming priorities. This approach ensures consistent collaboration and transparency across all departments.
Discord communication
Our project team was divided into several key departments: design, frontend, backend, blockchain, and QA/testing. We also had dedicated DevOps specialists responsible for setting up development environments, automating processes, and managing continuous code deployment and updates.
The entire development process lasted 3 months and was managed using a hybrid Scrum + Kanban methodology. This approach combines structured sprints with the flexibility needed to adapt to new requirements. During the process, we introduced several functional updates — for example, adding parameters that allowed the system to handle both residential and commercial real estate assets, which significantly expanded the platform’s capabilities.
Release
The release stage is often the most challenging — not from a technical standpoint, but from an emotional one. When a project is almost complete yet still revealing new bugs, it can’t be delivered “today,” no matter how much the team wants it. This uncertainty can be mentally and emotionally draining. In this project, it took about two weeks of continuous work to fix all issues — from user registration bugs to minor text adjustments.
Despite the fatigue, this stage is an essential part of every development cycle. After months of coding, testing, and refinement, the project was successfully delivered to the client. Over the following month, we continued to receive small requests and promptly fixed minor issues to ensure stable platform performance and a seamless user experience.
Result
Development time: 3 months.
Team: 2 Back-end, 2 Front-end, 1 QA, 1 Designer, 1 DevOps, 1 PM.