- The competition lasts from July 3rd to August 3rd, with finalists showcasing their projects live on a high-stakes demo day.
- Experienced mentors from all throughout the Tezos ecosystem get together for the event.
- The Etherlink Hackathon 2025: Summer of Code will bring together developers from all over the globe to create cutting-edge apps on the Tezos L2 network, Etherlink, and will be launched at TezDev.
Get your keyboards, developers! Encode Club, the premier blockchain education and community platform, and Trilitech, the London-based Tezos R&D Hub, are officially announcing 2025 to be the Summer of Code. A brand-new hackathon is scheduled to begin on July 3. The Etherlink Hackathon 2025: Summer of Code will bring together developers from all over the globe to create cutting-edge apps on the Tezos L2 network, Etherlink, and will be launched at TezDev, the yearly blockchain conference for the Tezos ecosystem.
The month-long virtual event seeks to establish Etherlink as a leading platform for DeFi, gaming, and creative applications while providing thousands of dollars in prizes across four competitive tracks and the chance to be mentored by Tezos ecosystem professionals.
The hackathon pushes developers to take use of Etherlink’s distinct benefits, which include lightning-fast transactions with confirmations in less than 500 ms, near-zero fees at a fraction of a cent, and the strong security carried over from Tezos L1. The competition lasts from July 3rd to August 3rd, with finalists showcasing their projects live on a high-stakes demo day.
Significant momentum in the Etherlink ecosystem coincides with the time. Total value locked (TVL) on Etherlink has risen beyond $40M in recent months due to a flurry of launches and network activity, indicating increasing developer and user engagement. The successful implementation of the Calypso upgrade, which offers up to 30x faster smart contract storage and improved network reliability, and the introduction of the DeFi aggregator Oku, which gives Etherlink users access to Uniswap v3 capability, are recent milestones.
The architecture of Etherlink tackles the main issues that modern developers face. Its permissionless node operation enables everyone to operate nodes, post commitments, and safeguard the network, while its non-custodial rollup architecture guarantees no exclusive third-party control. Stakeholders may vote, provide ideas, and influence network growth thanks to decentralized governance.
There are four different hackathon tracks with $8,100 prize pools each. From lending platforms to synthetic assets and payment rails, developers are challenged by the Best DeFi Application track to create cutting-edge financial protocols that take use of Etherlink’s EVM-compatible environment. From straightforward PvP games to virtual worlds driven by NFT, the Best Game or On-Chain Interactive Experience category looks for innovative uses of smart contracts in gaming contexts.
With an emphasis on accessibility and creative economy applications, the Collab Culture track focuses on NFT projects and collaborative technologies that encourage interaction between various audiences. The wildcard category for innovative ideas that highlight unorthodox applications of blockchain technology is the Vibecode: Wildest & Most Unexpected Project.
First place receives $4,050, second place receives $2,700, and third place receives $1,350 for each track. A $5,400 Grand Prize for Best Overall Project, a $1,350 Community Choice Award chosen by the general public, and $1,350 in honorable mentions for deserving projects are among the other special honors.
Leading Web3 infrastructure partners, such as Sequence for Web3 game development and smart wallet integration, Thirdweb for developer SDKs and smart contract tools, Redstone for real-time data solutions, and Goldsky for blockchain indexing and data streaming, are supporting the hackathon. To speed up growth, these collaborations provide participants access to technical resources and training.
Experienced mentors from all throughout the Tezos ecosystem get together for the event. Participants will gain from the advice of Sofia Senatorova, Web3 Gaming Product Manager, and Efe Kucuk, Head of Gaming at Trilitech, on games and products.
Vinciane Jones (Art Partner Manager) and Aleksandra Art (Head of Arts at Trilitech) will assist with the arts and culture track. Beata Lipska (TechRel Squad Lead at Trilitech) will oversee the coordination and assistance during the whole hackathon. Other internal mentors include Aaron Mallet for marketing, Taurai Ushewokunze for infrastructure, Camille Bouzerand for DeFi knowledge, and Alex Skene for product advice. Mentors will provide advice in the areas of technical implementation, creative applications, product development, and gaming.
Throughout the hackathon, registration is still open, and submissions are due on August 4 at 01:59 BST. The demo day, when finalists present to judges and the community, comes after the judging process, which starts on August 5. Developers can register and learn more at the official hackathon website.
Etherlink is a Layer 2 blockchain that uses Tezos Smart Rollups technology and is compatible with EVM. In order to facilitate quick interaction and asset transfers across other networks, it gives developers the ability to deploy any EVM codebase with ease and move users and assets between Ethereum and other interoperable chains. Learn more: https://www.etherlink.com/
Leading blockchain education and community platform Encode Club supports the next generation of Web3 developers and entrepreneurs by hosting bootcamps, hackathons, and educational programs.
