EdTech / Fintech
Moneda Crypto
Educational platform with real-time market data.
The situation
The client was an established educator with a curated curriculum teaching crypto fundamentals, financial literacy, and trading strategy to newcomers. They had been delivering content through generic course platforms and third-party API integrations, but wanted full ownership of their data and a platform built specifically for the interactive, market-aware learning experience they wanted to deliver.
The work
Led a 12-month engagement to design and build a custom learning platform that off-the-shelf course tools couldn't support. The interesting work was in the parts a generic course platform doesn't do:
Live market data integrated into the learning experience
Students don't just learn about trading in the abstract — the platform connects to real crypto and stock market data, so lessons, simulations, and exercises happen against actual market conditions in real time.
Portfolio simulation and interactive calculators
Built custom interactive components for students to simulate trading decisions, run portfolio scenarios, and bridge between the learning material and real trading mechanics — features that course-platform plugins can't deliver.
Real-time data delivery at sustainable cost
Built a custom WebSocket relay using Socket.io with Redis as the shared cache layer. Rather than each user session pulling directly from the market data APIs (expensive and rate-limited), the relay maintains shared cached state in Redis and broadcasts updates to all connected sessions through Socket.io. This kept latency low for active learners while keeping per-user data costs sustainable as the platform scaled.
Technical stack
The hardest part
Getting the market data integration right was the technical centerpiece of the engagement. Live market feeds are expensive at scale, and naive implementations either deliver slow data or burn through API budget. Solving for both — low-latency updates during active learning sessions and sustainable per-user cost — required custom infrastructure beyond what any third-party tool would have provided.
Unique capabilities
The platform delivers interactive calculators, portfolio simulation, and course-to-real-trading bridges — features that don't exist on generic course platforms like Teachable or Kajabi. The client retained full ownership of their data, curriculum, and platform end-to-end, with no dependency on third-party plugin ecosystems.
Results
- Operational in production for 3+ years and continuing to onboard new students
- Client retained full ownership of platform, data, and curriculum (no third-party dependency)
- Under ongoing technical retainer with Tumba Web
Role
Led the engagement end-to-end — architecture, technical direction, implementation, and production rollout.
