The short answer

  1. Create a free HiddenPay link at hiddenswap.com/pay with the address you want to be paid to.
  2. Copy the README badge snippet.
  3. Paste it into your README.md and commit.
  4. Optional: add the link to .github/FUNDING.yml so it shows on GitHub’s Sponsor button.

The badge is a plain image with a link. GitHub, Codeberg and GitLab show it like any other badge, with no script.

Why a crypto button in a README

Many open source projects get small donations from people around the world. Card platforms do not work for everyone, and some sponsors prefer not to link a card or a bank to the projects they support. A crypto donation link works from anywhere, and your sponsors can pay with the coin they already hold.

Step 1: pick the coin you want to receive

You choose one coin to receive. Your sponsors can still pay with any coin we support.

  • Monero (XMR) keeps the amounts and your address private. It is the default.
  • Bitcoin (BTC) is the most widely held.
  • USDT on Tron keeps a stable value.

Use an address from a wallet you control, not an exchange account. For Monero, create a new subaddress just for this project, so donations to it stay separate.

At hiddenswap.com/pay:

  1. Choose the coin you receive and paste your address.
  2. Keep Donation selected, so sponsors pick the amount.
  3. Add the project name, if you like. Payers see it.
  4. Create the link and save the owner key. It is shown once. It is the only way to see payments and change the link.
  5. Open Customize the look in your dashboard. Pick the word (Donate, Tip, Support, Sponsor, Contribute or Pay), the style, shape, size and colour, and one of four badge styles.

Step 3: paste the badge

The README badge snippet looks like this, with your own link code:

[![Donate with any coin](https://hiddenswap.com/pay/YOURCODE/badge.svg)](https://hiddenswap.com/pay/YOURCODE)

The larger button works in a README too:

[![Donate with any coin](https://hiddenswap.com/pay/YOURCODE/button.svg)](https://hiddenswap.com/pay/YOURCODE)

Put it near the top, beside your other badges, or in a “Support the project” section at the end.

You can also change the look right in the snippet. Add options to the image address, for example badge.svg?badge=big&color=3b82f6 for a large blue badge. Anything you leave out uses the look saved in your dashboard.

Step 4: add it to the GitHub Sponsor button

GitHub shows a Sponsor button on repositories that have a FUNDING.yml file. The custom key takes up to four links of your own. Create .github/FUNDING.yml with:

custom: ["https://hiddenswap.com/pay/YOURCODE"]

Commit it to the default branch. The Sponsor button then lists your link.

Other places it works

  • Codeberg and GitLab READMEs use the same Markdown.
  • Project websites and docs: use the HTML button snippet.
  • Forums: use the BBCode snippet.
  • Release notes and chats: use the plain link.

What your sponsors see

Your sponsor opens the link, picks the coin they hold and the amount, and gets a deposit address for that one payment. The swap runs and your coin is sent straight to your address. They need no account and no email. The page works without JavaScript and in Tor Browser.

The swap fee is inside the rate they see. You pay nothing to create or keep the link.

Questions

Does the badge track visitors to my README? No. It is a static image with no script. GitHub loads README images through its own image proxy, so we do not see who views your README.

Can I change the address later? No. The address is fixed so nobody can redirect your donations. To be paid somewhere else, create a new link and update the badge.

Can I see who donated? You see each payment’s coin, amount and status in your dashboard. You do not see who paid. That is by design.

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