DoraHacks is a global hackathon organizer and one of the world's most active multi-chain Web3 developer platforms. We lead a global hacker movement, providing crypto-native toolkits to help developers worldwide team up and fund their ideas through hackathons, bounties, grants, grant DAOs, and public good staking.
As part of our mission to foster innovation and support open-source development, we offer the global Web3 community and all developer communities the opportunity to host hackathons on our platform at no cost.
If you're part of a Web3 company, DAO, or simply want to organize a hackathon, you can apply to host it on the DoraHacks platform at no cost. This guide will walk you through the steps to create your hackathon successfully.
How to Apply to Host a Hackathon:
Step 1: Visit DoraHacks.io
- Navigate to the Hackathon page. Click the “Create Hackathon” button.
*Alternatively, you can access the Organizer Dashboard page and click the “New Hackathon” button. (View the detailed steps to create a Hackathon on the Organizer Dashboard page blow.)
Note:
- Log in or create an account to get started.
- Your hackathon must be hosted under an organization. If you don’t have one yet, set it up first.
Step 2: Select Hackathon Category and Type
a. Choose the Category of your hackathon:
- Crypto/Web3
- Frontier Tech
- Student Hackathon
- Custom Options for Student Hackathons - Customize Registration Form: Enable this option to let participants register through an external form (e.g., Google Form or Typeform). If no external form is provided, participants will register using their DoraHacks profile by default.
b. Select the Type of your hackathon:
- In-person (IRL): For IRL Hackathons, additional details like the physical address of the event are required.
- Virtual
Make sure to choose the category and type that best fits your event's focus and format.
c. Make this hackathon private (optional): You can set a password to restrict access to your hackathon. Participants will need to enter the password either when submitting their BUIDL or viewing the hackathon details page.
Step 3: Fill in the Hackathon Details
a. Fill in the hackathon title, upload a cover image, and complete the hackathon details form. This form includes all the materials needed to launch the event, such as the tags (keywords), prizes, tracks, rules, and more. (See the Prep Materials Checklist for full details.)
b. Create a custom URL for your event on DoraHacks.io. We recommend including your event name in the URL for easy recognition.
c. Set up the hackathon timeline. In addition to the start and end times, you can enable the Pre-registration feature to allow participants to register in advance.
*Note: To ensure a fair experience for all participants, organizers cannot modify time and prize information after the hackathon goes live. For changes, please contact DoraHacks through Telegram: @dorahacksofficial or Discord: https://discord.gg/gKT5DsWwQ5.
d. Provide a contact person for DoraHacks to verify the event and help get it online. Additionally, select a team member to serve as the primary contact for participants.
e. Finally, check the “Agree to User Agreement” box to complete your submission.
- You can save your event as a Draft if you're not ready to publish it. Submit it when all the information is finalized.
Create a Hackathon on the Organizer Dashboard page
1. Visit the Organizer Dashboard page and log in with your organizer account.
2. In the Dashboard, find the section labeled “New Hackathon”and click it to start setting up your event.
3. Enter the Hackathon title, select your hackathon category, and select the start and end dates for the event.
4. You’ll be directed to the new hackathon management page. Click the Checklist button in the upper-right corner to review the required information.
5. After completing the checklist, click the Submit for Review button to submit your hackathon.
Step 4: Open the Organizer Dashboard to create tracks & bounties (optional)
Creating “Tracks”
Use the "Tracks" interface to add tracks, customize track names, and specify judging criteria for each track. Note: The judging criteria added here are only visible to judges on the scoring page.
*Now, Tracks support multiple selections! You can choose multiple tracks and set the maximum number of tracks each BUIDL can apply for in the hackathon.
Important: If you create a track, hackers will be required to select a track/multiple tracks when submitting their BUIDLer application form.
Creating Bounties
- Go to "Bounties" and select "Settings & Sponsors".
- Set bounty selection as "Required" or "Optional" and limit the number of bounty applications.
After configuring these settings, you can add multiple Hackathon Sponsors as follows:
After adding a sponsor, go to the "Bounties" tab to set up and allocate bounty details for that sponsor.
Important: Once the hackathon begins, you can only edit the names of existing tracks or bounties. If any were created by mistake, please contact DoraHacks on Telegram: @dorahacksofficial or Discord: https://discord.gg/gKT5DsWwQ5
Step 5: Contact Us
Reach out via Telegram: @dorahacksofficial or Discord to discuss further details.
Once everything is ready, we’ll launch your event on the DoraHacks platform within 1-2 business days.
Step 6: Manage Your Hackathon
Once your event page is live, you can manage it through the Organizer Dashboard. This includes editing event details, managing project reviews, and handling evaluations. (View the detailed Hackathon management guide >>)
Hackathon management currently supports the following features:
- Edit Hackathon:
- Edit the Hackathon page content (Overview & Details)
- Customize tabs
- Set custom questions for participants
- Manage team permissions (Administrators)
- BUIDL/BUIDLer Management:
- Review projects (BUILDs)
- View/export participant lists (Hackers)
- Send group messages to participants (Group messages)
- Tracks & Bounties Configuration and Judging Management:
- Customize Tracks; Invite judges to comment & score (Tracks)
- Customize Bounties; Invite judges to comment & score (Bounties)
- aMACI on-chain judging
- Assign the Winners
About DoraHacks
DoraHacks is a global hackathon organizer and one of the world's most active multi-chain Web3 developer platforms. It creates a global hacker movement and provides crypto native toolkits to help developers around the world team up and fund their ideas and BUIDLs via hackathons, bounties, grants, grant DAOs, and public good staking.
By far, more than 5300 projects from the DoraHacks community have received over $40 million in grants and other forms of contributions from supporters worldwide. A large number of open source communities, DAOs, and more than 70 major blockchain ecosystems are actively using Dora's infrastructure (DoraHacks.io) for open source funding and community governance.