Change the Game Hackathon FAqs

Algorand Global Hackathons are for developers and entrepreneurs looking to gain deep technical knowledge and experience in building functioning solutions that expand the Algorand ecosystem. These hackathons offer an ideal platform for those who want to launch a blockchain startup to demonstrate their capabilities while competing with other top-tier developers. The Algorand Foundation aims to support winning teams beyond the product development phase and give them priority access to participate in upcoming incubation, acceleration programs and access to funding opportunities.

No, you do not need to be technical to join an Algorand Global Hackathon. While technical skills are crucial for development, the competition thrives on diverse teams. Many skilled programmers will be looking for teammates with strengths in marketing, business development, design, and other non-technical areas.

Algorand Global Hackathons demand that teams quickly progress through development while also crafting a business strategy. This makes both business acumen and engineering skills vital for success in this competition.

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• Read the official hackathon rules. We strongly recommend that all participants familiarize themselves with the official guidelines.
• Know the team size limit. Our team limit is five members. Stick to the rules to avoid disqualification.
• Understand the evaluation criteria. Take the time to thoroughly understand how the judges will evaluate your project. Align your project with the criteria to maximize your chances of winning.
• Build within the hackathon tracks. Ensure that your project aligns with one of the tracks listed on the hackathon homepage. Judges are more likely to favor projects that fit the theme well and address specific challenges.
• ‍No plagiarism. Taking someone else's work and claiming it as your own is strictly prohibited.
• Embrace open source. We encourage you to integrate existing Algorand protocols and other open-source resources into your project.

• Always be respectful. Be professional and help us foster a positive environment between the participants, judges, mentors, and organizers.

Yes! Everyone must register individually, regardless of whether they are part of a team or working as an individual, in order to be eligible for the prizes. Register as soon as you decide to take part, as registration will provide access to team formation information and exclusive office hours with world-class Algorand developers and Web3 pros. You do not need to include any of your project details at this time. After you register, we will email you information on how to submit your project.

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Register now.

Algorand Global Hackathons focus on supporting new initiatives that have not yet secured external funding. To qualify for these hackathons, you should not have initiated your project development process more than six months prior to a hackathon's starting date. However, if you have previously developed, are in the process of developing, or have garnered venture investment for a different Algorand-based project, you may remain eligible to participate and claim victory. You must indicate in the application form whether your project incorporates any pre-existing code. You are also obliged to disclose all pertinent details about such work. Please note that the term "pre-existing code" does not include open-source code authored by third parties.

Algorand Global Hackathons are scored out of 100 and judged on the following criteria.

Once you have registered, you are welcome to begin building but if you are seeking teammates, we will email you with information about how to form a team, find a team to join, and find other participants to join your team. You can sign up for the team formation session on the events page. Additionally, you can join our Discord server to find teammates.

The AI prize is a bonus award. Winners of any track can earn an extra 2,000 USDCa by incorporating AI effectively into their project.

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The women-led team prize is one additional 2,000 USDCa prize that will be awarded to the top woman-led team amongst the projects that place first, second and third in each of the tracks.

• Name and email address of primary team leader
• Product/project name
• A product/project one-liner 
• A list of teammates
• Background/previous experience of each of the teammates
• Location of team leader (the will be the POC for prizes)
• A product/project logo
• A link to your project’s X account
• GitHub repo link(s). We strongly encourage all projects to be open-source or at least open source their smart contracts.
• A 3-minute demo of your project
• Demo instructions
• Pitch deck (max 8-10 slides)

• Introduction: Give a brief introduction about the founders and the company's mission in the Web3 space.
• Problem statement: Define the problem you're addressing, specifically in the context of decentralization, blockchain, or the broader Web3 landscape.
• Solution: Describe your decentralized product, platform, or protocol that addresses the problem.
• Market opportunity: Demonstrate the size of the Web3 market, potential for growth, and any emerging trends in the space.
• Tokenomics (if applicable): If you have a token, explain its utility, distribution, and how it adds value to your ecosystem.
• Traction (if applicable): Provide any milestones achieved, early adopters, on-chain metrics, partnerships, or other indicators of progress in the Web3 ecosystem.
• Decentralization strategy: Detail how you plan to ensure decentralization, governance mechanisms, and community involvement.
• Competitive landscape: Show key competitors in the Web3 space and your differentiators, especially in terms of technology, security, and community.
• Financial and funding projections: Give an overview of your financial outlook.
• Ask: Clearly state what you're asking for from investors (e.g., funding amount, partnerships, staking, or other forms of support).

• Our live ideas sheet: This will be updated regularly during the hackathon.
• Beginner and Intermediate Developer Bootcamps: These bootcamps are a good place to get warmed up for the hackathon, get a refresher on blockchain concepts, and meet the Algorand community.

Algorand stands out by catering specifically to Python developers. Unlike other platforms where you might need to learn an entirely new language to develop smart contracts, Algorand allows you to use semantically and syntactically normal Python. This compatibility lets you leverage your existing coding skills, making your development process more efficient and saving you time. This is an excellent chance to demonstrate your capabilities and engage in the hackathon. Should you need additional support, resources are available for developers.

• AlgoKit Repo: Get started with AlgoKit, the one-stop tool to help developers easily build and launch dapps on Algorand.
• Algorand Developer Portal: This is the main starting point for all Algorand, blockchain and Web3-related resources.
• Bootcamps GitHub repository: This repo contains all the content from our Python and TypeScript bootcamps. It is the perfect place to learn how to use all the features available within the Algorand Virtual Machine (AVM) and to find examples of fully working dapps.
• DevRel GitHub repository on GitHub: Discover working examples of larger ideas, like AMMs and mass NFT airdrops, as well as smaller demos on how to use new features made available within the AVM.
• AlgoDevs YouTube channel: Find a wide range of 5-10 minute videos covering everything from Algorand native features to tutorials on how to write and deploy smart contracts.
• Algorand Discord: Keep up-to-date, ask questions, get code examples, and discuss anything Algorand. Connect with the DevRel team who can answer any queries.

No, each participant is allowed to submit just one project and can be a member of only one team. We encourage you to concentrate on creating your most exceptional product idea.

Yes, check out Algorand events.

No, it is a completely free event that is open to everyone.

No, there are no restrictions on the tools or services that you can use during the hackathon. You have the freedom to choose and utilize any tools, technologies, or services you deem necessary for your project.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of hackathon submissions, we are not able to provide direct feedback to all participants. However, we can guarantee that all project submissions will be reviewed by the Algorand Global Hackathons team and/or the judging panel.

The best place to ask questions is on Discord in the specific channel relating to your query. Once you sign up, you can also schedule some time during DevRel Office Hours, where you can ask for complex products and build advice on your hackathon project.