Adam Kornafeld

Software Engineer

Moov

Roadblock Title:

Beyond the Tap: Building a Production-Ready SDK on Apple’s ProximityReader

Time:

Tuesday - 1:00 PM (Tower C)

Abstract:

Last year at fintech_devcon, Moov’s Richard Kolkovich showed how to build an Android NFC payment reader from scratch: APDU commands, TLV parsing, and PDOL by hand. This year, I will take the same journey from Apple’s side.

iOS ships a certified EMV Level 2 kernel, reached through Apple’s ProximityReader framework — no APDU wrangling, no kernel to build or certify.

But reading a card isn’t the same as shipping a payment product. The card reader token and session lifecycle, testing, security, developer experience, and end-to-end certification all sit between the tap and the money.

In this session, I will walk through the architecture and engineering decisions behind MoovKit, an SDK built on Apple’s ProximityReader framework. Along the way, I’ll share the tradeoffs, lessons learned, and implementation patterns that transformed a platform API into a production-ready developer experience. Whether you’re building on ProximityReader or designing your own SDK, you’ll leave with practical insights into turning complex payment infrastructure into something developers can actually use.

Bio:

Adam is a seasoned software engineer specializing in instant card payments at Moov. With a masters degree in computer science from Hungary, he embarked on a dynamic career journey that led him to the United States. He has been instrumental in solving complex problems through software solutions at various startups. Prior to joining Moov, Adam honed his skills in the wealth management industry. His innovative mindset and expertise have culminated in authoring several software patents, showcasing his commitment to driving technological advancements. Adam is passionate for leveraging software to address real-world challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of fintech.