CoinDesk and the Crypto Research and Design Lab (CRADL) have partnered to create a humanity-centered hackathon powered by HackerEarth. We’re inviting coders, designers, community organizers, policymakers, economists, urban planners, and artists worldwide to join. If you care about addressing problems for human beings, then you belong at the Web3athon.
Hands-on tech support and over $800k in prizes from over 17 sponsors
Meet a community of humanity-centered builders who want to use Web 3 to solve human problems, not focus solely on the tech
100% virtual participation and flexible time commitments over three-months
We’ve prepared content to ground your ideas and submissions in the hyperlocal needs of people and communities.
Resources and high touch support from protocols for Web2 developers to dive into the world of Web 3
After an explosion of innovation and wealth creation, the crypto industry seems poised for a big impact on the global economy. Still, if it continues on its current trajectory, there’s a real risk its expansion could fail to serve the interests of humanity at large.
For all the talk of crypto’s potential to drive financial inclusion, governance, and agency, it has fallen short of these objectives. With their focus on building, scaling, and monetizing the technology, developers have paid too little attention to those for whom the technology is supposed to serve: the people.
It’s vital to remedy that oversight. Crypto developers must use the incredible power of decentralized technologies to build with hyperlocal communities. They must start building for people's actual day-to-day challenges.
Let’s do real talk. Hackathons are usually exclusive. Especially the ones in crypto. And our CRADL team’s research on how products get made in crypto and the role of hackathons confirmed this reality. So based on our research, we decided to design a hackathon around our CRADL values.
Start with solving human problems, not technical problems.
Elevate the importance of education to help Web2 developers and new folks to understand the fundamentals of Web3.
Expose people to a multi-chain, not winner-takes-all world.
Prioritize expertise beyond the tech industry such as urban planners, designers, community organizers, and policymakers.
Provide attendees with foundational research on the themes with programming, speakers, and research content.
Being intentional about representation with our programming, partners, and hackathon design.
Explore which Theme you'll ideate and build within. Each has a theme brief with resources to ground your submissions in the lived experiences of the themes. The City of Austin is providing Web3athon attendees with data about local initiatives in Austin that pertain to each theme. The Africa Blockchain institute is also supplementing each theme with examples of relevant projects around Africa.
Property Ownership • Land Titles and Trusts • Overcoming Debt • Proof of Land Ownership • Gentrification • Deeds
Financial Access to Loans • Savings • Living Wages • Banking • How People Transact with the Disappearance of Cash
Sustaining Small Business • Arts in Economic Development • Intellectual Property for Creatives • Livable Wages • Cultural Heritage Preservation
Liquidity management • Displacement • Resettlement, Human Rights Abuse Documentation, Digital Identity, Emergency Response Management
Pollution-Related Health Issues • Local Monitoring • Sensors • Clean Water Access • Electricity Grid, Solar Power • Mining
Web3athon has two stages. In Stage 1: Join, you’ll dive deep into research to understand how our hyperlocal themes impact your communities. In Stage 2: Prototype, a select set of groups will receive hands-on support from the chains to turn their vision into reality.
Join to meet people from all over the world trying to use blockchain to solve hyperlocal needs.
Web3athon is powered by
June 10, 3:30 – 4:30pm CT
Hip hop is one of the most important global cultural movements of the last century - and it started before the internet. What if Web3 existed at the advent of hip hop? We riff with a few industry legends at the forefront of Web3 on how we can build regenerative communities and develop the creator economy using blockchain-enabled technologies.
Elizabeth Stewart, Co-founder and Board Member, Civic Innovation Lab
Alex Wykoff, Director of Product, web3, WRST Labs
Asher Demadet, Developer Advocate