Presented to you by CardanOx which is a workstream of the Oxford Blockchain Society, and funded by Project Catalyst.

​📅 Dates: 15th – 23rd February 2025 📍 Format: Hybrid (Online + Physical Hubs) 🏆 Prize Pool: $4,000

​Bounty list and hackathon guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rL8hHsflbFYtIPTQb8DYw5_KUDehO7-T206Bz6H0ebE/edit?usp=sharing

​Why participate? 🚀 Dive into blockchain development with Cardano, Haskell, Aiken, Plutus & Project Catalyst 🏆 Compete for $4,000 in prizes 🛠 Work on real-world blockchain solutions 🌎 Hack remotely from anywhere or join a hackathon hub in London and other UK cities 🎤 Closing ceremony in Oxford on 23rd February with live project presentations

​Who should join?

​Developers, designers, & blockchain enthusiasts (beginners welcome!)

​Anyone interested in learning about smart contracts, dApps, and the Cardano ecosystem

​Teams or solo participants – we'll help you find teammates if needed

​Pre-Denver: get into the hacking spirit!

​How it works: 1️⃣ Register: Sign up now to secure your spot! 2️⃣ Hack from Home or a Hub: Work on your project remotely or join a hackathon hub. 3️⃣ Attend Workshops: Gain skills in Cardano, smart contracts, and blockchain development. 4️⃣ Submit Your Project: Final deadline: 22nd Feb @ 23:59PM GMT. 5️⃣ Closing Ceremony: Join us in Oxford for live demos & winner announcements!

​📩 Sign up now and share with your friends.

​#Blockchain #Hackathon #Cardano #Web3 #Crypto

​We also have a telegram group for the hackathon! Be sure to join: https://t.me/+BQ8I5FJLiAg3Zjk0

​Happy hacking!

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💰 Oxford Blockchain Society Hybrid Hackathon – $4,000 Prizes

🏆 Main Project Bounties

For end-to-end blockchain projects built during the hackathon, judged on technical execution, innovation, and real-world impact.

🥇 First Prize – $750

🏆 Awarded to the most outstanding project that demonstrates technical depth, originality, and a meaningful use case.

🔹 Expectations:

• A fully developed prototype or working proof-of-concept
• Strong use of Cardano’s blockchain, smart contracts, or ecosystem tools
• Clean, efficient, and well-documented code🔹 Potential Ideas:
• Decentralized prediction markets powered by Cardano smart contracts
• AI-driven governance tools for on-chain voting (e.g., Project Catalyst enhancements)
• Real-world asset tokenization using Cardano NFTs or stablecoins

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🥈 Second Prize – $400

🏅 For an excellent project that falls just short of the top prize but still demonstrates strong execution and innovation.

🔹 Expectations:

• A functional and deployable project with a clear use case
• Good user experience and technical implementation🔹 Potential Ideas:
• On-chain NFT lending system with collateralized borrowing
• Privacy-preserving identity verification using zero-knowledge proofs
• Cardano-based freelancer escrow system

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🥉 Third Prize – $250

🥉 **For a solid project that is well-executed and innovative but requires further refinement.**🔹 Expectations:

• A project with working smart contracts or dApps
• Good technical approach but may need more polish🔹 Potential Ideas:
• Decentralized bounty system for open-source contributions on Cardano
• Gamified on-chain governance participation rewards

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💡 Innovation Prize – $250

💡 **For the most creative and unique project, even if it’s experimental.**🔹 Expectations:

• An unconventional idea that explores new blockchain use cases
• Doesn’t need to be fully polished but should showcase innovation🔹 Potential Ideas:
• Dynamic NFTs that evolve based on real-world data
• Decentralized AI-powered content moderation system

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🏅 Commendable Prize – $250

🏅 **For a promising project that doesn’t quite fit into the main prize categories but still deserves recognition.**🔹 Expectations:

• A well-structured concept that shows potential
• Might be incomplete but has a clear roadmap for development🔹 Potential Ideas:
• Cross-chain collaboration tools to connect developers across ecosystems
• Cardano-based public goods funding protocol

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🏅 4 x Research prizes ($150 each)

🏅 Cardano is a research heavy blockchain, and hese bounties support research-driven contributions that deepen the understanding of Cardano’s ecosystem, technology, and potential impact. Here are some examples of research projects you can work on:

• Cardano & Real-World Adoption 🌍 – Investigate and present how Cardano is being adopted in real-world applications, from finance to supply chains.
• Comparative Blockchain Analysis 🔄 – Compare Cardano’s technology, scalability, or security with other blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, or Polkadot.
• Future of On-Chain Governance 📜 – Research and analyze governance models in blockchain and propose improvements for Cardano’s governance systems.
• Decentralized Identity & Privacy 🆔 – Explore how decentralized identity solutions (e.g., Atala PRISM) enhance security, privacy, and access.

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🎯 Themed Mini-Bounties – $1,000 Total ($100 Each)

For smaller, focused challenges that target specific areas of the Cardano ecosystem.

1️⃣ Best Use of Plutus or Aiken 🛠️ ($100)

🏆 **Showcase an innovative smart contract using Plutus or Aiken.**🔹 Expectations:

• Must be deployed on Cardano testnet or mainnet
• Code should be efficient and well-documented🔹 Potential Ideas:
• Escrow contracts for decentralized marketplaces
• Smart contract-based token airdrop mechanism

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2️⃣ Best Decentralized Tooling 🏗️ ($100)

🏆 **Build a tool that enhances the developer experience on Cardano.**🔹 Expectations:

• Should be an SDK, API, or CLI tool that improves usability🔹 Potential Ideas:
• A local testing framework for Aiken smart contracts
• A blockchain indexer for real-time transaction data

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3️⃣ On-Chain Governance Innovation 📜 ($100)

🏆 **Develop a feature related to Cardano’s governance model (e.g., Project Catalyst).**🔹 Expectations:

• Should improve voting, transparency, or governance🔹 Potential Ideas:
• A decentralized dashboard for tracking Catalyst proposals
• A mobile-friendly voting tool for Catalyst participants

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4️⃣ Privacy & Security on Cardano 🔐 ($100)

🏆 **Implement a solution using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) or privacy-enhancing tech.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• Anonymous on-chain credential verification system
• ZKP-powered decentralized identity authentication

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5️⃣ Interoperability & Cross-Chain Solutions 🔄 ($100)

🏆 **Build something that connects Cardano with other blockchains.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• A wrapped asset bridge for Cardano and Ethereum
• Cross-chain lending protocols

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6️⃣ Sustainability & Social Impact 🌍 ($100)

🏆 **A project using Cardano to address global challenges.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• Blockchain-based carbon credit tracking
• A Cardano-powered impact investment platform

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7️⃣ Best Use of Cardano’s Identity Tools 🆔 ($100)

🏆 **Leverage DID solutions like Atala PRISM.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• A decentralized credential verification system for universities
• A Web3 reputation system based on DID

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8️⃣ Gaming & NFTs on Cardano 🎮 ($100)

🏆 **Create a game, NFT project, or innovative entertainment use case.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• An NFT-based tournament system with rewards
• A gamified Cardano staking experience

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9️⃣ Stablecoins & DeFi Innovation 💰 ($100)

🏆 **Build a solution leveraging stablecoins or novel DeFi mechanisms.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• A decentralized remittance system using stablecoins
• Algorithmic stablecoin governance mechanisms

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🔟 Most Useful DAO Infrastructure 🏛️ ($100)

🏆 **A tool that helps DAOs operate on Cardano.**🔹 Potential Ideas:

• A Cardano-native DAO treasury management tool
• Decentralized contributor reward system for DAOs

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📣 Content & Engagement Bounties – $500 Total ($50 Each)

For valuable educational and promotional content. Ideas:

1️⃣ Best Twitter/X Thread on Your Hackathon Experience 📢 ($50)

🏆 Write an engaging Twitter thread documenting your project.

2️⃣ Best Video Devlog or Demo of Your Project 🎥 ($50)

🏆 Create a high-quality demo or development log video.

3️⃣ Most Engaging Hackathon Blog Post 📝 ($50)

🏆 Write a detailed blog post about your hackathon journey.

4️⃣ Best Meme About the Hackathon 😂 ($50)

🏆 Create a fun and engaging meme related to the event.

5️⃣ Top LinkedIn Post About Learning Cardano Development 🌐 ($50)

🏆 Share your learning journey on LinkedIn.

6️⃣ Best Technical Explainer on Plutus/Aiken 🔍 ($50)

🏆 Write an in-depth explainer on smart contracts.

7️⃣ Best Walkthrough for New Cardano Devs 🛠️ ($50)

🏆 Create a step-by-step guide for beginners.

8️⃣ Most Creative Use of an Existing Cardano Tool 🏗️ ($50)

🏆 Showcase how you used an existing Cardano framework.

9️⃣ Best Use of Open Source in Your Project 🔓 ($50)

🏆 Highlight your project’s open-source contributions.

🔟 Best Community Engagement (Reddit, Discord, Twitter, etc.) 💬 ($50)

🏆 Engage with the community through valuable discussions.

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Oxford Blockchain Society

The Oxford Blockchain Society (OBS) is one of the top university based Blockchain societies in the world, dedicated to fostering blockchain innovation and education at the University of Oxford. As part of our ongoing efforts to engage students, postdocs and other university ecosystem members with cutting-edge decentralised technologies, we have organised numerous successful events, workshops, and hackathons. In October 2024, we will be hosting an in-person mini hackathon focused on Cardano technology, aimed at introducing students to the world of blockchain development and inspiring innovation within the Web3 space. We have 2500 followers on Facebook, 443 members in our discord group and 180 people in our open telegram group. We anticipate onboarding at least 80 new members each year, particularly around freshers week. Additionally, we tend to take members to global hackathons and conferences, fully funded by the society/our sponsors. A lot of our OG members have gone off to start companies which have raised millions each and continue to go from strength to strength. We run a huge annual conference which has some of the top speakers and sponsors in the blockchain space,

CardanOx

CardanOx is a specialised workstream of the Oxford Blockchain Society, focusing on the development and promotion of Cardano technology. As a student hub, CardanOx seeks to engage students with blockchain projects, research, and community-building centred on the Cardano ecosystem. By leveraging this workstream, our Mini Cardano Hackathon will provide students with unique access to expert resources, development tools, and guidance tailored specifically to Cardano. This workstream aims to position Oxford University as a centre of Cardano innovation and adoption within the academic and broader blockchain communities.