Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 Offers $1 Million Prize Pool to Boost Web3 Adoption

The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation have launched the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025, a global event designed to accelerate Web3 and artificial intelligence adoption across the African continent. The hackathon, with a prize pool of $1 million, will run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30 and aims to attract over 10,000 participants across 15 African countries. Organized by two nonprofit organizations, the event is open to developers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Kamal Youssefi, the president of the board of directors at the Hashgraph Association, emphasized the event's goal to use technologies that converge Web3 with AI to create transparent cognitive solutions that optimize processes and facilitate decision-making and automate the execution. All solutions will be built on the Hedera network across four tracks: onchain finance and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization; ESG sustainability and traceability; self-sovereign identity (SSI) and AI; and gaming, metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Up to 15 outstanding teams will receive prizes based on innovation, impact, and alignment with the hackathon’s goals.

This Hackathon covers large areas in Africa, with onsite events in over 20 African cities such as Lagos, Cairo, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Cape Town, Casablanca and Tunis. Interest in Africa’s Web3 potential is growing, with more than 50 partners and 100 universities and tech hubs having already joined the Hedera Africa Hackathon. Due to high inflation, a weak banking system and widespread corruption, many people in Africa lack access to reliable financial services. This creates opportunities for Web3 projects to offer alternatives for saving and earning.

Kamal highlighted Africa’s strength in its “young population with ambitious tech talents”. He cited Hedera’s partnership with Orange, a telecommunications operator, to launch digital empowerment programs across 16 African countries — initiatives that “include training, certification and the establishment of incubation and accelerator centers”. Paolo Tasca, executive chairman of the Exponential Science Foundation, noted that “Africa brings a unique advantage to Web3: a demographic edge and a proven capacity for digital adoption. Yet barriers remain, particularly in foundational infrastructure and education.”

Governments are also ramping up talent development. Nigeria, for example, recently launched an annual initiative to train 1,000 citizens in artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies. The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 is not just a competition but a catalyst for innovation and collaboration in the Web3 space. By providing a platform for developers to showcase their skills and ideas, the hackathon aims to accelerate the adoption of Web3 technology in Africa. The $1 million prize pool and the on-site events in over 20 cities are testament to the organizers' commitment to fostering a thriving Web3 ecosystem in the region. As Africa continues to embrace decentralized technologies, events like the Hedera Africa Hackathon will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the continent's tech landscape.