Developers spent 2025 testing the network in real-time, producing more than 700 projects that reflected the chain’s focus on accessible and efficient building.
Algorand spent 2025 running hackathons, with over 700 real-world projects built on the blockchain.
Hackathons are where an ecosystem’s pulse actually shows in the blockchain industry. They compress developers, tools and ambition into a short window, revealing the strengths and friction points of a development environment. Patterns that usually take months to observe, like preferred tools, common bottlenecks and repeatable workflows, become visible within a single event.
Blockchain projects organize hackathons to create a public space where developer experience is demonstrated rather than described. When teams work with the stack in real time, the ease — or difficulty — of moving from idea to implementation becomes immediately visible.
As one of those organizers, layer-1 blockchain Algorand spent a busy year in 2025, running and supporting hackathons all over the world.
Algorand’s hackathon marathon kicked off in May with Bolt.new Hackathon. Organized by Bolt with Algorand as its blockchain partner, the hackathon attracted over 125,000 participants who competed to develop a wide array of products.
Algorand anchored the blockchain challenge of the hackathon by making its environment accessible to participants and encouraged participants to build on the L1 blockchain. Developers could build on Algorand using widely-used programming languages, such as Python and TypeScript — without having to learn blockchain-specific languages.
The turnout was huge: more than 500 teams entered the track, probing different ideas and stress-testing what could be built on the chain. When evaluations concluded, StartSnap.fun ranked first, taking home $25,000.
Fast forward to September, a month vibrant with events, Algorand organized the Berlin Hackathon: AI Meets Blockchain in partnership with AI Agents Berlin and 42 Berlin Blockchain. On Sept. 3-4, the two-day sprint brought developers into w3.hub to explore how AI and blockchain — two cutting-edge technologies — can work together.
During the hackathon, 50 builders submitted a total of 18 projects, including an AI-assisted decentralized application (DApp) on weather analysis, a smart contract audit protocol and a marketplace for tokenized access to data streams.
The same week witnessed another hackathon, organized by Algorand, Harvard/Boston Hackathon. Algorand partnered with EasyA, a Web3 education platform, to invite participants to develop on the blockchain. Nearly 300 participants from Ivy League and Boston tech circles submitted over 45 projects, mainly focusing on catering to the needs of young users.
Algorand ran the next hackathon days later in India. Organized with Web3 education provider Rise In, the Bengaluru Hackathon was a student hackathon that attracted 140 developers on Sept. 11-12. A total of 45 projects were submitted that offered innovation in areas like AI and payments.
Next stop was Istanbul. The same duo hosted 80 participants at the Istanbul Hackathon on Sept. 28-29. Developers submitted 25 projects at two tracks: AI consumer applications and open innovation. Winners include an Algorand-based price prediction oracle, a swipe-to-invest platform for early startups and a software development kit for Algorand integrations.
Algorand concluded the marathon with the London Hackathon on Oct. 18-19. The swarming event saw 250 participants competing across coding and no-code tracks. A total of 68 projects were submitted; an Asset Protection-as-a-Service protocol, an AI marketplace and a decentralized compute network were among the winners.
The hackathon marathon gave birth to over 700 project submissions on Algorand, covering areas such as AI, decentralized finance (DeFi), payments and developer experience. Across all tracks, developers worked directly with Algorand’s tools under identical time pressure, making the chain’s strengths visible in practice.
Across these events, a clearer picture emerged: Algorand’s focus on speed, low fees and multi-language support has made the chain a practical environment where builders can turn ideas into reality without friction. The results showed that Algorand’s developer experience remained stable and predictable, regardless of the teams’ choices for building.
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