Client Zero:
The Bottleneck of Traditional Trade.
Caraway Tea Company, a mid-sized importer based in Poughkeepsie, NY, sources premium botanicals from remote suppliers in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Despite having strong relationships, their supply chain was choked by the banking system:
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Slow Liquidity: Wire transfers took 3–5 business days to clear, delaying shipments.
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High Friction: Intermediary banks charged $35–$50 per wire, plus unfavorable FX rates.
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Trust Gaps: Suppliers often demanded payment before shipping, forcing Caraway to take 100% of the risk on unseen quality.
Physical Verification + Digital Settlement.
Caraway Tea migrated their purchasing workflow to the Pekoe.trade pilot program.
1. The Physical Node: Instead of relying on paper promises, goods were routed through Pekoe’s New York Verification Node. Physical inspection immediately validated the weight, moisture content, and grade of the tea.
2. The Smart Trigger: Upon verification, the Pekoe protocol automatically triggered a USDC (Stablecoin) payment.
3. Instant Liquidity: The supplier received funds in their digital wallet in seconds, not days.
The Impact by the Numbers
Settlement Time
Traditional Bank Wire
3-5 Days
Pekoe.trade Protocol
< 2 Minutes
Supplier Satisfaction
Traditional Bank Wire
Low (Waiting for funds)
Pekoe.trade Protocal
High (Instant Capital)
Transaction Fee
Traditional Bank Wire
$45 + FX Spread
Pekoe.trade Protocol
< $0.01 (Solana Network)
Quality Verification
Traditional Bank Wire
None
Pekoe.trade Protocal
100% Tested and Verified
Financial Risk
Traditional Bank Wire
High (Blind Payment)
Pekoe.trade Protocal
Zero (Verified Payment)
Reconciliation Effort
Traditional Bank Wire
Manual (Hours of Admin)
Pekoe.trade Protocal
Automated (Instant Sync)
"The tea industry runs on thin margins and cash flow. Pekoe didn't just save us fees; it increased our velocity. We can turn capital over three times faster now that we aren't waiting on the Swift network."
— Founder, Caraway Tea Company