The Polkadot Hackathon 2024, organized by OneBlock+, has wrapped up successfully, bringing together developers from around the world to build and innovate within the Polkadot ecosystem. 

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Key Event Details 

The event took place across two key locations—Singapore (September 16-17) and Bangkok (November 15-16). It provided a platform for participants to showcase their skills within the rapidly evolving Polkadot blockchain ecosystem. With a theme centered around the continued growth and development of the Polkadot network, the hackathon brought together 611 developers from 44 countries, resulting in an overwhelming 191 project submissions. Polkadot Hackathon 2024 demonstrated not only the power of blockchain technology but also the growing interest in developing with Polkadot. 

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A hackathon is an event where developers, designers, and entrepreneurs come together in a competitive environment to build new technology solutions within a tight timeframe. The Polkadot Hackathon, in particular, is focused on creating applications to enhance the Polkadot blockchain ecosystem. Generally, these events encourage participants to think outside the box and explore new ideas. Whether it’s through improving developer tools, building decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, or creating entirely new use cases, the Polkadot Hackathon provides participants with an opportunity to change the way blockchain works. 

This year’s hackathon exceeded expectations in terms of participation and engagement. A total of 611 developers participated in the event, a surprising 52.75% growth from the previous year. The event spanned across two locations, Singapore and Bangkok, both of which attracted a diverse group of participants from more than 44 countries. Notable contributions came from developers in China, India, the U.S., Vietnam, and Nigeria, as well as from countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.

In terms of project submissions, the hackathon saw an impressive 191 projects submitted—a 91% increase over the initial targets set by the event organizers. The excitement surrounding the event was also quite strong, with it producing 399K social media impressions. 

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Highlights from Singapore

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The Singapore leg of the hackathon, held on September 16-17, saw 269 developers participate and 65 project submissions. This event had a significant engineering focus, with participants specializing in various areas of development. Among the 269 developers:

• 41% were full stack engineers
• 12% were blockchain developers
• 10% were product managers
• 7% were UI designers

Out of the 65 submissions, 25 projects advanced to the finals, and 12 were awarded prizes across four categories. The social media engagement during the Singapore hackathon was strong, with the event garnering 168K total impressions.

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Bangkok Hackathon Success

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The Bangkok leg of the hackathon, which took place in November, was even larger and more diverse. A total of 342 developers participated, and 126 projects were submitted. As with the Singapore event, developers from around the world joined the competition, with notable participation from China (36%) and India (18%).

In Bangkok, 70 projects advanced to preliminary review, and 27 projects reached the finals. Like in Singapore, 12 projects emerged as winners, demonstrating the depth of talent and innovation present at the hackathon. The Bangkok event also generated 231K social media impressions.

Another standout moment during the Bangkok hackathon was a special video address from Dr. Gavin Wood, the co-founder of Polkadot. Dr. Wood encouraged participants to continue pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology and to consider the long-term implications of their projects. 

The judging panel featured experts from some of the top Web3 companies, such as Parity, Moonbeam, Bifrost, Crust, Acala, and Certik. Judges evaluated projects based on both their technical innovation and business potential. This ensured that the winners were not only great coders but also created blockchain solutions that were sustainable and ready for long-term success in Web3. 

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What Projects Were Built?

The projects submitted during the hackathon spanned a variety of categories, reflecting key trends in blockchain technology. These categories include:

• Developer Tools (19%): Tools to enhance the developer experience, making it easier to build on Polkadot.
• Decentralized Finance (DeFi) (17%): Blockchain-based financial applications that offer users more control over their assets.
• Platforms (16%): New platforms to enable various blockchain applications to interact seamlessly with Polkadot.
• GameFi (6%): Blockchain gaming applications that combine gaming and decentralized finance.
• Layer 1 Projects (4%): Projects focused on building new blockchains.
• DAOs (3%): Decentralized Autonomous Organizations aimed at creating governance systems that don’t rely on a central authority.

Many of the developers who participated in the event also had previous experience with Substrate, the framework used to build Polkadot-based blockchains. Substrate’s flexibility and modularity particularly make it an ideal choice for developers looking to create custom blockchains with specific features or interoperability requirements.

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Developer Support 

In addition to cash prizes and media exposure, winning teams were offered mentorship to help them grow their projects. OneBlock+ also provided valuable support for these teams to:

• Apply for grants and funding
• Improve their user experience and UI design
• Promote their projects to the broader blockchain community

OneBlock+ also plans to continue supporting the developers who participated in the hackathon by offering:

• More developer workshops to teach Rust and Substrate
• Regular online discussions to help teams refine their ideas
• Polkadot Accelerator Programs to help winners raise funds and grow their projects

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Looking Ahead

Last year’s event was just the beginning. OneBlock+ is already planning for the next edition, which will likely include expanding to new regions globally, a closer collaboration with top universities and Web3 communities, and a Polkadot 2.0 Hackathon to explore new features in the Polkadot ecosystem. As new hackathons take place, blockchain users can be sure to expect a better Polkadot and overall more efficient Web3.

For the full Polkadot Hackathon 2024 by OneBlock+ click here.