diff --git a/frontend/src/components/bounty/BountyFlowDiagram.tsx b/frontend/src/components/bounty/BountyFlowDiagram.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc295e33b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/bounty/BountyFlowDiagram.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,348 @@
+import React, { useState } from 'react';
+import { motion, AnimatePresence } from 'framer-motion';
+
+/* ── Types ── */
+interface Stage {
+  id: string;
+  label: string;
+  description: string;
+  icon: string;
+  color: string;
+  lightColor: string;
+  x: number;
+  y: number;
+}
+
+const STAGES: Stage[] = [
+  {
+    id: 'post',
+    label: 'Post',
+    description: 'A bounty sponsor creates a new bounty with a reward, description, and acceptance criteria.',
+    icon: '📋',
+    color: '#3B82F6',
+    lightColor: '#DBEAFE',
+    x: 0,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'claim',
+    label: 'Claim',
+    description: 'A contributor claims the bounty, signaling intent to work on it. This may require staking collateral.',
+    icon: '✋',
+    color: '#8B5CF6',
+    lightColor: '#EDE9FE',
+    x: 120,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'work',
+    label: 'Work',
+    description: 'The contributor works on the bounty, implementing the required features or fixes in their fork.',
+    icon: '⚒️',
+    color: '#F59E0B',
+    lightColor: '#FEF3C7',
+    x: 240,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'submit',
+    label: 'Submit',
+    description: 'The contributor submits their work via a pull request, attaching evidence and a completion summary.',
+    icon: '📤',
+    color: '#10B981',
+    lightColor: '#D1FAE5',
+    x: 360,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'review',
+    label: 'Review',
+    description: 'The sponsor reviews the submission. They can approve, request changes, or reject with reasoning.',
+    icon: '🔍',
+    color: '#EC4899',
+    lightColor: '#FCE7F3',
+    x: 480,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'payment',
+    label: 'Payment',
+    description: 'Once approved, the bounty reward is released to the contributor. The bounty is marked as completed.',
+    icon: '💰',
+    color: '#22C55E',
+    lightColor: '#DCFCE7',
+    x: 600,
+    y: 0,
+  },
+];
+
+/* ── Arrow path between two points ── */
+function arrowPath(x1: number, y1: number, x2: number, y2: number): string {
+  const midX = (x1 + x2) / 2;
+  const midY = (y1 + y2) / 2;
+  const controlOffset = 40;
+  // For horizontal flow, add a slight curve
+  return `M${x1},${y1} C${x1 + controlOffset},${y1} ${x2 - controlOffset},${y2} ${x2},${y2}`;
+}
+
+/* ── Arrowhead marker ── */
+const ArrowMarker = () => (
+  <defs>
+    <marker
+      id="arrowhead"
+      markerWidth="10"
+      markerHeight="7"
+      refX="9"
+      refY="3.5"
+      orient="auto"
+    >
+      <polygon points="0 0, 10 3.5, 0 7" fill="#94A3B8" />
+    </marker>
+  </defs>
+);
+
+/* ── Stage Node ── */
+interface StageNodeProps {
+  stage: Stage;
+  index: number;
+  total: number;
+  activeId: string | null;
+  onHover: (id: string | null) => void;
+  onClick: (id: string) => void;
+}
+
+const StageNode: React.FC<StageNodeProps> = ({ stage, activeId, onHover, onClick }) => {
+  const isActive = activeId === stage.id;
+
+  // Calculate connector positions
+  const nodeWidth = 80;
+  const nodeHeight = 80;
+
+  return (
+    <g
+      className="cursor-pointer"
+      onMouseEnter={() => onHover(stage.id)}
+      onMouseLeave={() => onHover(null)}
+      onClick={() => onClick(stage.id)}
+    >
+      {/* Glow when active */}
+      {isActive && (
+        <circle
+          cx={stage.x + nodeWidth / 2}
+          cy={stage.y + nodeHeight / 2}
+          r={50}
+          fill="none"
+          stroke={stage.color}
+          strokeWidth={3}
+          opacity={0.3}
+        >
+          <animate
+            attributeName="r"
+            from={42}
+            to={55}
+            dur="1.5s"
+            repeatCount="indefinite"
+          />
+          <animate
+            attributeName="opacity"
+            from={0.3}
+            to={0}
+            dur="1.5s"
+            repeatCount="indefinite"
+          />
+        </circle>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Node background */}
+      <rect
+        x={stage.x}
+        y={stage.y}
+        width={nodeWidth}
+        height={nodeHeight}
+        rx={16}
+        ry={16}
+        fill={isActive ? stage.color : stage.lightColor}
+        stroke={isActive ? stage.color : stage.color}
+        strokeWidth={2}
+        className="transition-all duration-300"
+      />
+
+      {/* Icon */}
+      <text
+        x={stage.x + nodeWidth / 2}
+        y={stage.y + nodeHeight / 2 - 2}
+        textAnchor="middle"
+        dominantBaseline="central"
+        fontSize={24}
+      >
+        {stage.icon}
+      </text>
+
+      {/* Label */}
+      <text
+        x={stage.x + nodeWidth / 2}
+        y={stage.y + nodeHeight + 18}
+        textAnchor="middle"
+        dominantBaseline="central"
+        className="text-xs font-semibold fill-gray-700"
+        fontSize={13}
+      >
+        {stage.label}
+      </text>
+    </g>
+  );
+};
+
+/* ── Tooltip ── */
+interface TooltipProps {
+  stage: Stage | null;
+}
+
+const Tooltip: React.FC<TooltipProps> = ({ stage }) => {
+  return (
+    <AnimatePresence>
+      {stage && (
+        <motion.div
+          key={stage.id}
+          initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 8 }}
+          animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
+          exit={{ opacity: 0, y: 8 }}
+          transition={{ duration: 0.2 }}
+          className="absolute left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 mt-4 w-72 p-4 rounded-xl shadow-lg border border-gray-100 bg-white z-10"
+          style={{ borderTop: `3px solid ${stage.color}` }}
+        >
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
+            <span className="text-xl">{stage.icon}</span>
+            <span className="font-bold text-gray-900">{stage.label} Stage</span>
+          </div>
+          <p className="text-sm text-gray-600 leading-relaxed">{stage.description}</p>
+        </motion.div>
+      )}
+    </AnimatePresence>
+  );
+};
+
+/* ── Mobile List View ── */
+const MobileListView: React.FC<{
+  stages: Stage[];
+  activeId: string | null;
+  onHover: (id: string | null) => void;
+  onClick: (id: string) => void;
+}> = ({ stages, activeId, onHover, onClick }) => {
+  return (
+    <div className="space-y-2 sm:hidden">
+      {stages.map((stage, index) => {
+        const isActive = activeId === stage.id;
+        return (
+          <motion.div
+            key={stage.id}
+            initial={{ opacity: 0, x: -20 }}
+            animate={{ opacity: 1, x: 0 }}
+            transition={{ delay: index * 0.08 }}
+            className="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 rounded-lg cursor-pointer transition-all"
+            style={{
+              backgroundColor: isActive ? stage.lightColor : '#F9FAFB',
+              borderLeft: `3px solid ${isActive ? stage.color : '#E5E7EB'}`,
+            }}
+            onMouseEnter={() => onHover(stage.id)}
+            onMouseLeave={() => onHover(null)}
+            onClick={() => onClick(stage.id)}
+          >
+            <span className="text-2xl">{stage.icon}</span>
+            <div className="flex-1">
+              <div className="font-semibold text-sm text-gray-900">{stage.label}</div>
+              {isActive && (
+                <motion.p
+                  initial={{ height: 0, opacity: 0 }}
+                  animate={{ height: 'auto', opacity: 1 }}
+                  className="text-xs text-gray-500 mt-1"
+                >
+                  {stage.description}
+                </motion.p>
+              )}
+            </div>
+            {index < stages.length - 1 && (
+              <svg className="w-4 h-4 text-gray-400 flex-shrink-0" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none">
+                <path d="M6 4l4 4-4 4" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" />
+              </svg>
+            )}
+          </motion.div>
+        );
+      })}
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+/* ── Main Component ── */
+const BountyFlowDiagram: React.FC = () => {
+  const [activeId, setActiveId] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+  const svgWidth = 680;
+  const svgHeight = 130;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="w-full max-w-3xl mx-auto">
+      {/* Desktop SVG Diagram */}
+      <div className="hidden sm:block relative">
+        <svg
+          viewBox={`0 0 ${svgWidth} ${svgHeight}`}
+          className="w-full h-auto"
+          aria-label="Bounty lifecycle flow diagram"
+          role="img"
+        >
+          <ArrowMarker />
+
+          {/* Connection lines */}
+          {STAGES.slice(0, -1).map((stage, i) => {
+            const next = STAGES[i + 1];
+            const x1 = stage.x + 80;
+            const y1 = stage.y + 40;
+            const x2 = next.x;
+            const y2 = next.y + 40;
+            return (
+              <path
+                key={`arrow-${stage.id}-${next.id}`}
+                d={arrowPath(x1, y1, x2, y2)}
+                fill="none"
+                stroke="#CBD5E1"
+                strokeWidth={2}
+                markerEnd="url(#arrowhead)"
+                className="transition-colors duration-300"
+                style={{
+                  stroke: activeId === stage.id || activeId === next.id ? stage.color : '#CBD5E1',
+                  strokeWidth: activeId === stage.id || activeId === next.id ? 3 : 2,
+                }}
+              />
+            );
+          })}
+
+          {/* Stage nodes */}
+          {STAGES.map((stage, index) => (
+            <StageNode
+              key={stage.id}
+              stage={stage}
+              index={index}
+              total={STAGES.length}
+              activeId={activeId}
+              onHover={setActiveId}
+              onClick={setActiveId}
+            />
+          ))}
+        </svg>
+
+        {/* Tooltip */}
+        <Tooltip stage={STAGES.find((s) => s.id === activeId) ?? null} />
+      </div>
+
+      {/* Mobile List View */}
+      <MobileListView
+        stages={STAGES}
+        activeId={activeId}
+        onHover={setActiveId}
+        onClick={setActiveId}
+      />
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default BountyFlowDiagram;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/HowItWorksPage.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/HowItWorksPage.tsx
index 9b245eb50..10333f9b9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/HowItWorksPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/HowItWorksPage.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { motion } from 'framer-motion';
 import { PageLayout } from '../components/layout/PageLayout';
 import { FlowTabs } from '../components/how-it-works/FlowTabs';
+import BountyFlowDiagram from '../components/bounty/BountyFlowDiagram';
 import { fadeIn } from '../lib/animations';
 
 export function HowItWorksPage() {
@@ -12,6 +13,18 @@ export function HowItWorksPage() {
           <h1 className="font-display text-4xl font-bold text-text-primary mb-3">How It Works</h1>
           <p className="text-text-secondary text-lg">Two paths to earning on SolFoundry</p>
         </div>
+
+        {/* Bounty Lifecycle Flow Diagram */}
+        <div className="mb-16">
+          <h2 className="font-display text-2xl font-bold text-text-primary text-center mb-2">
+            Bounty Lifecycle
+          </h2>
+          <p className="text-text-secondary text-sm text-center mb-8">
+            From posting to payout — understand every stage of the bounty journey
+          </p>
+          <BountyFlowDiagram />
+        </div>
+
         <FlowTabs />
       </motion.div>
     </PageLayout>
diff --git a/test-pr-permission.txt b/test-pr-permission.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9daeafb98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-pr-permission.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test