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+# Architecture Notes — Pi Ruby SDK
+
+This document provides architectural notes and design considerations
+for the Pi Ruby SDK. It is intended to help developers understand
+system boundaries, responsibilities, and recommended usage patterns.
+
+This document is descriptive, not prescriptive, and does not represent
+an official roadmap or commitment.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Architectural Positioning
+
+The Pi Ruby SDK operates at the **application backend layer** and serves
+as a secure integration interface between:
+
+- A Ruby-based backend application
+- The Pi Platform Server APIs
+- The Pi Blockchain network (Testnet or Mainnet)
+
+The SDK does **not** function as:
+- A smart contract framework
+- A blockchain node
+- A price oracle or valuation mechanism
+
+---
+
+## 2. Hybrid Payment Model
+
+The SDK implements a **hybrid off-chain / on-chain payment flow**:
+
+| Stage | System | Responsibility |
+|------|--------|----------------|
+| Payment Creation | Pi Platform Server | Payment intent registration and anti-duplication |
+| Transaction Submission | Pi Blockchain | Value transfer and settlement |
+| Payment Completion | Pi Platform Server | Transaction verification and finalization |
+
+This design enables fraud prevention, auditability, and deterministic
+payment lifecycle management.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Payment Lifecycle and State Management
+
+Payments progress through a defined lifecycle:
+
+1. Initialized (`create_payment`)
+2. Submitted (`submit_payment`)
+3. Verified (blockchain confirmation)
+4. Completed (`complete_payment`)
+5. Cancelled (optional terminal state)
+
+While the SDK exposes granular methods, applications are expected
+to persist `payment_id` and `txid` to ensure idempotency and recovery.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Error Handling and Transaction Timing
+
+Blockchain submission is subject to timing constraints and network state.
+The SDK includes retry handling for specific transient errors
+(e.g. `tx_too_early`) to improve reliability.
+
+Applications should still treat all payment operations as
+**potentially asynchronous** and resilient to retries.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Idempotency and Backend Safety
+
+The SDK design assumes that:
+- Backend services may retry requests
+- Network interruptions may occur
+- Payment operations must be resumable
+
+To support this:
+- `payment_id` serves as the primary idempotency key
+- `get_incomplete_server_payments` enables recovery of interrupted flows
+- Transaction verification is performed server-side by Pi Platform
+
+---
+
+## 6. Environment Awareness
+
+The SDK may operate against different Pi Network environments
+(e.g. Testnet or Mainnet). Applications should explicitly separate
+configuration and credentials per environment to avoid cross-network
+confusion.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Design Constraints and Non-Goals
+
+The following are explicitly out of scope for the Pi Ruby SDK:
+
+- Price discovery or exchange integration
+- Decentralized governance logic
+- Smart contract execution
+- On-chain oracle systems
+
+These constraints are intentional and align with Pi Network’s
+application-first ecosystem model.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Security Considerations
+
+- API keys and wallet private seeds must never be exposed to clients
+- All SDK usage should occur server-side
+- Payment state must be stored durably in application databases
+
+Failure to follow these guidelines may result in fund loss
+or policy violations.
+
+---
+
+## Disclaimer
+
+This document is provided for architectural clarity only.
+Implementation details may evolve without notice.
+All final authority rests with the Pi Network Core Team
+and repository maintainers.