User Flow

About Luna Chat

The Vision

What if banking felt like a game you actually wanted to play?

Most people avoid their banking apps. They're confusing, uninviting, and make managing money feel like a chore. Financial literacy remains low because traditional banking interfaces don't engage users. We saw a gap in the fintech space: the need for an approach that combines real banking functionality with psychological engagement.

That's why we built Luna Chat—a gamified financial chatbot that proves banking can be both powerful and fun.

The Problem We're Solving

Banking Engagement Crisis: Users actively avoid checking their finances

Traditional banking apps are complex and intimidating
No incentive structure for good financial habits
Financial literacy stays low because learning feels tedious

Duolingo Proved Something: Gamification works. People spend 30+ minutes daily learning languages through a green owl because it's rewarding. We asked: why can't finance be the same?

Our Solution

We built an AI-powered chatbot named Luna who:

Makes banking conversational and natural
Celebrates every financial action
Rewards good habits with Cosmic Points and achievements
Visualizes financial goals as engaging journeys
Turns bill payments into "asteroid defense" missions

The Technology Stack:

Frontend: Next.js + React + Tailwind + Framer Motion (smooth, beautiful animations)
Backend: FastAPI with MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for intelligent financial intent parsing
Banking API: Capital One's Nessie API (real mock banking data)
AI: Google Gemini 2.5 API for natural conversation and financial advice

Key Features

💬 Natural Conversation

Ask Luna anything about your finances in plain English—no menus, no clicking through screens.

💰 Real Banking Data

Integrated with Capital One's Nessie API for authentic account balances, transactions, and banking operations.

🌟 Cosmic Points System

Every financial action earns rewards:

Check balance: +10 points
View transactions: +15 points
Schedule bill: +30 points
Set savings goal: +50 points
Complete auto-transfer: +75 points

🎯 Savings Goals as Journeys

Visualize your savings goal as a spaceship traveling to a distant planet. Watch your progress move the spaceship closer as you deposit funds. Reach milestones and celebrate achievements.

💳 Bill Asteroid Defense

Bills appear as asteroids heading toward your account. Schedule payments to "defeat" them. Automate recurring bills to permanently eliminate incoming asteroids.

📊 Spending Analytics

Luna analyzes your transactions and provides insights:

"You spent 34% more on dining this month"
"Your biggest category is entertainment at 38% of spending"
"You're 15% under budget this week!"

🌙 Luna's Personality

A friendly moon mascot with 6 unique expressions:

Thinking (processing your request)
Speaking (delivering information)
Celebrating (you earned points!)
Encouraging (motivating you toward goals)
Warning (upcoming bills or overspending)
Happy (achievements unlocked)

The Design Philosophy

We obsessed over aesthetics because design matters. The interface features:

Space Theme: Deep navy to nebula purple gradient with twinkling starfield
Capital One Integration: Vibrant red (#E81B23) for calls-to-action
Cosmic Cyan & Gold: Glowing accents for highlights and rewards
Smooth Animations: Every interaction feels rewarding—rewards popup with floating particles, achievements celebrate with confetti effects
Luna's Expressions: Subtle animations that make the bot feel like a friend, not a corporate tool

Why This Matters

For Users:

Banking becomes engaging instead of stressful
Financial literacy builds naturally through gamification
Healthy money habits feel rewarding, not restrictive

For Capital One:

Innovative onboarding tool for new customers
Increased user engagement with banking features
Proof that AI + gamification + real APIs = better fintech experiences
Addresses their challenge of building tools that help consumers shop smarter and make financially informed decisions

For Fintech Industry:

Demonstrates that gamification works for adult financial management
Shows how emerging AI patterns (MCP agents) enhance traditional banking APIs
Proves beautiful design + technical excellence = competitive advantage

Technical Innovation

Our MCP (Model Context Protocol) server layer demonstrates architectural sophistication:

Parses natural language financial intent
Orchestrates intelligent API calls to Nessie
Formats responses contextually (data visualization, suggested actions, etc.)
Enables the bot to understand nuance in financial requests

This is beyond simple API integration—it's an intelligent agent layer that makes banking feel conversational and intuitive.

The Story Behind It

Built in 24 hours at HackTX 2025, this project represents the intersection of:

Innovation (MCP + Nessie API integration)
Design (space theme + Luna mascot + micro-interactions)
Psychology (gamification principles that actually work)
Business Impact (solving a real fintech problem)

We didn't build another banking dashboard. We built an experience that makes people want to manage their finances.

What's Next

Real Capital One account integration (beyond mock data)
Voice interface for hands-free banking
Community challenges ("Budget Battle" with friends)
Credit score tracking and optimization suggestions
Investment education mini-courses (gamified)
Deployment as onboarding tool for new Capital One customers

Competition Categories

Capital One Best Hack Track: Bold innovation combining real banking APIs with AI and gamification
Design Award: Cohesive space aesthetic + Luna mascot + smooth micro-interactions

The Bottom Line

Capital One Space Navigator proves that fintech doesn't have to choose between innovation and engagement. Banking can be powerful and fun. Users can learn financial literacy and enjoy the experience. Real banking data can power and feel magical.

That's the future of fintech. That's Luna's mission.

Banking that feels like a game you want to play every day. 🚀