The Network Directory: Browse Who's on the Network Safely
A payment network is more useful when you can see who is on it. KibiPay's public network directory lets anyone browse the participants who have chosen to be listed, find people by handle or display name, and pay them — all without exposing a single private detail. This post explains what the directory shows, what it deliberately hides, and how to use it to discover and pay people safely.
What the directory is for
The directory answers a simple question: who can I pay? Instead of needing someone to hand you their address, you can look them up. It turns a collection of isolated accounts into a browsable network, the way a phone book once turned scattered households into something you could reach. For the identity layer underneath it, see the cross-rail directory.
What you see when you browse
Each listing shows only what is safe to share publicly:
- A handle you can pay.
- A display name so you know who it is.
- An optional profile photo for recognition — see add a profile photo.
- Sometimes a verified marker showing the person proved they control their alias.
That is enough to find and pay someone with confidence, and nothing more.
What the directory never shows
Crucially, the directory does not display phone numbers, email addresses, or account numbers. You can pay someone by handle without ever learning the sensitive details underneath, because resolution happens server-side. This is a deliberate design choice we treat as non-negotiable; the full rationale is in privacy by design.
Listing is opt-in
You are only in the public directory if you choose to be. Plenty of accounts transact without ever appearing — they simply share their handle directly with the people who need it, as described in get paid: share your handle or QR. The directory is a convenience for discoverability, not a requirement, and you stay in control of whether you show up.
Finding the right person
Because handles are unique and display names can repeat, the directory leans on a few signals to help you pay the right person:
- The handle itself is unique — no two accounts share one.
- A verified badge tells you the alias was proven, per verified aliases.
- A photo and display name help you visually confirm.
When you initiate payment, KibiPay confirms the resolved name back to you before you send — a Confirmation-of-Payee-style check, covered in account name checking.
Why safe discovery matters
Open directories have a dark side: scraped phone numbers, spam, and impersonation. KibiPay's approach — public handles, private contact details, opt-in listing, and verification — captures the benefit of discoverability while defusing the usual harms. You get a network you can browse without turning users into targets.
Browse it yourself
Discovery without a data grab
Traditional directories often become surveillance tools: a searchable list of everyone's contact details ripe for scraping. KibiPay's directory is deliberately the opposite. It exposes only what is needed to pay someone — a handle, a name, maybe a photo and a badge — and keeps every sensitive detail server-side. You get the genuine benefit of a browsable network, the ability to find and pay people you might not have a direct line to, without turning participants into a spammer's mailing list. Useful discovery and strong privacy are not in tension here; the design delivers both at once.
Listed or not, you are always reachable
It is worth stressing that appearing in the public directory is purely about discoverability, not about being payable. An unlisted account still receives money perfectly well — its owner just shares their handle directly with the people who need it. So the choice to list is really a choice about visibility: do you want strangers to be able to find you by browsing, or would you rather stay reachable only to those you have told? Either way your wallet works identically, and you can change your mind whenever you like without affecting a single past or future payment.
Take a look at the public network directory, find a handle, and pay it from your demo wallet. To list yourself, open the KibiPay app and opt in. New here? Start with the two-minute walkthrough and explore more on the blog.