Blockchain Hackathons: What Are They and How Are They Driving the Future of the Technology? 

Vindico’s blockchain and web3 enthusiast, Kieran Williams, explains how hackathons are fuelling collaboration, learning, and development within the blockchain space. 

Blockchain Hackathons are dynamic and immersive experiences that promote learning, collaboration, and innovation within the blockchain community.

The events he has attended so far have lasted 72 hours, and see developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and other tech enthusiasts come together to collaborate intensively on blockchain-related projects. 

Participants form teams or go solo to work on creating innovative prototype applications using blockchain technology within a limited timeframe in an environment where in person help and mentorship is readily available via the partner organisation’s mentors or other hackers at the event. 

The aim? 

To encourage innovation and creativity in blockchain technology, while providing a platform for learning and experimenting that leads to creating viable solutions that could potentially be developed into real-world applications.

“I was drawn to blockchain because of the community-oriented nature of the technology,” says Kieran. 

“It's designed to empower individuals rather than just drive corporate profit. The developer community is incredibly inspiring and fun to be a part of. Their innovative and collaborative spirit continually pushes the boundaries of what's possible, creating a dynamic and exciting environment to work in.”

Kieran has been involved with blockchain hackathons since 2022. 

“In a blockchain hackathon, we typically start by forming a team and brainstorming innovative ideas that leverage web3 technology, to create something with merit that hasn’t been done before. These projects are also typically shaped by the bounty specifications that the event partners put out in hopes of winning prizes” explains Kieran. 

“We then delegate tasks based on our skills. Using Solidity, we write smart contracts to handle the blockchain interactions. The frontend has typically been built using React and frameworks such as NextJS to create a user-friendly interface quickly. We use tools like Hardhat for testing and deploying our contracts and Ethers.js/ Wagmi for frontend interactions with the smart contracts. Throughout the hackathon, we constantly iterate on our project, ensuring it meets the requirements of the bounty while also being innovative and functional.” 

Kieran’s first hackathon was Eth Denver’s 2022 virtual event where he and three other developers he met via LinkedIn from around the world came together to work on the project.

“We developed a decentralized electrical grid simulation system using Raspberry Pis to simulate electrical transmission substations and LEDs to represent properties. Our project won the Chainlink grand prize and several other smaller awards. This experience ignited my passion for blockchain projects. When my university friends expressed interest in blockchain hackathons, we decided to sign up for the 2024 ETHGlobal London event together.” 

ETHGlobal is an organisation that facilitates hackathons, where sponsors offer bounty prizes for projects that use their technologies in specified ways. At their London event, Kieran and his team built HumanStorage – a blockchain-based vault for crucial documents with Worldcoin integration for secure identity verification. 

You can find out more about the project here.

“It allows users to encrypt and store important files, ensuring decentralised security and availability,” says Kieran. 

“Users can interact with their documents using AI, making document management both intuitive and secure. We won the Filecoin runner-up prize and the Worldcoin pool prize for this project.”

With communities coming together to drive innovation within the space, blockchain   technology is moving quickly – so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of developments on the horizon. 

“The next exciting developments in blockchain include the advancement of zero-knowledge proofs (zk proofs), which enhance privacy and scalability,” says Kieran. 

“I'm also thrilled about account abstraction, which simplifies the user experience, making Web3 more accessible to everyday users. Additionally, the integration of AI with blockchain, like in our HumanStorage project, opens up new possibilities for secure and intelligent data management. These innovations are paving the way for a more inclusive and efficient digital ecosystem.” 

As hackathons continue to inspire and connect the brightest minds in the industry, they are not only driving the future of web3 technology but also shaping the next generation of tech innovators, too. 

Kieran Williams is part of the award-winning development team at Vindico. He’s currently leading the team behind our ongoing projects with our client Person-Centred Software. Outside of Vindico, Kieran continues to enjoy creative outlets, developing full stack side projects, creating and playing music with his band, and driving blockchain developments through hackathons and community collaboration.