Etherlink Hackathon 2025 Launches With $40,000 Prize Pool

The Etherlink Hackathon 2025, a month-long virtual competition, has been officially launched with a prize pool of $40,000. Organized by Trilitech, a Tezos R&D hub, and Encode Club, a leading blockchain education platform, the hackathon aims to showcase the future of Tezos’s high-speed Layer 2 network, Etherlink. The event kicks off on July 3 and will run until August 3.
Participants, including teams and solo builders, will be challenged to leverage Etherlink’s standout features, such as sub-500 ms transaction confirmations, extremely low fees, and robust security, to develop innovative DeFi protocols, immersive on-chain games, collaborative NFT experiences, and other groundbreaking blockchain concepts. The competition will culminate in a demo day finale where finalists will pitch their projects live in front of judges from Tezos’s developer ecosystem.
The hackathon is designed to capitalize on the growing momentum behind Etherlink, which has seen a surge in total value locked on the network, surpassing $40 million. This growth is attributed to recent launches such as Oku, a DeFi aggregator integrating Uniswap v3 functionality, and the network-wide Calypso upgrade, which significantly reduces smart-contract storage times and enhances stability. These developments reflect a burgeoning developer and user base eager for low-cost, high-throughput blockchain experiences.
Entrants will compete in four tracks, each with an $8,100 prize pool. The Best DeFi Application track focuses on reimagining finance on-chain using Etherlink’s EVM compatibility. The Best Game or On-Chain Interactive Experience track celebrates games that leverage smart contracts for unique experiences. The Collab Culture track rewards tools and NFT experiences that foster social and creative economies. The Vibecode track, a wildcard category, accepts the wildest and most unexpected projects that push the boundaries of blockchain technology.
Track winners will receive $4,050 for first place, $2,700 for second, and $1,350 for third. Additionally, a $5,400 Grand Prize will be awarded to the Best Overall Project, and a $1,350 Community Choice Award will be determined by community voting. Honorable mentions worth $1,350 will also be given to promising upstarts.
Participants will have access to workshops and tools from Web3 infrastructure partners, including Goldsky, Sequence, Thirdweb, and Redstone. Mentors from Trilitech and the broader Tezos ecosystem, such as Efe Kucuk, Sofia Senatorova, Aleksandra Art, and Vinciane Jones, will guide teams through various challenges. Overall coordination is led by Beata Lipska, Trilitech’s TechRel Squad Lead, with support from internal experts in DeFi, marketing, and infrastructure.
Registration for the hackathon remains open throughout the event, with submissions due by August 4 at 01:59 BST. Judging will commence on August 5, leading up to the live demo day. Developers interested in participating can find more details and sign up on the official hackathon website.
Etherlink, powered by Tezos Smart Rollups, allows teams to deploy any EVM codebase and seamlessly migrate users and assets from Ethereum and other chains. This summer’s code sprint presents an opportunity for builders to push the envelope of DeFi, gaming, and on-chain creativity, making it a significant event in the blockchain development community.

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