Outline

FAQs

What is the Hyperdrive Hackathon?

Solana’s Hyperdrive Hackathon is global, online competition designed to grow the Solana startup ecosystem. If you're considering building a crypto startup, this hackathon is the perfect opportunity to showcase what you can build in the world’s most competitive hackathon.

Remember: Solana Hackathons are different from traditional hackathons that you may have participated in. They are intended for serious developers and entrepreneurs to compete over a 6-week period in order to formulate a business idea, sprint through development, and pitch the product by submitting a project in the hackathon.

Do I need to register first before submitting a project?

Yes, please register for an account at solana.com/hyperdrive. If you are part of a team, each individual team member must register to join teams in the hackathon.

A project submission form will be available on the platform 1 week before the Hackathon submission deadline. In order to be eligible for any prizes, teams must complete the project submission form before the deadline.

Are Solana Hackathons for new projects, and who is eligible to win?

Our Hackathon is for new projects that haven’t raised outside capital. It is not intended for established projects who have been building the same product for years and have already raised venture funding.

Projects cannot have started development more than 2 months before the commencement of the Hyperdrive Hackathon. Projects will only be judged on the code and work produced between the start and end dates of the Hackathon. This rule does not mean that if you previously built an unrelated product and raised funding that you’re ineligible. If you’re an entrepreneur or developer building a new product that you haven’t raised funding for yet, then you may compete and be eligible to win.

Builders need to indicate in the submission form if they’ve used pre-existing code in project submissions. Project teams are also required to disclose all relevant information in the submission form. If, upon inspection, a project team is found to have completed substantial work before 2 months prior to the hackathon, the hackathon organizer retains the sole right to disqualify the project from the competition.

Note: “Pre-existing code” does not refer to open-source code developed previously by others. In fact, we encourage project founders to compose with existing Solana protocols.

Where can I access developer resources?

Check out the Developers page on Solana’s official website. This resource has all the documentation, tools, tutorials, and guides needed to launch a product on Solana today.

Where can I ask technical questions?

Head over to the #dev-questions channel in the Hyperdrive Discord Server.

Can I submit a project individually or do I need to join a team?

You may submit a project as a solo founder. However, we recommend reaching out to other builders on the platform who may add value to your project. Solana Hackathons are highly competitive and so we recommend teaming up with others to develop your project as much as possible.

Even though the Hyperdrive Hackathon is online, are there in-person events I can attend while working on my hackathon project?

Yes! Ecosystem teams around the world are hosting coworking spaces running concurrently with the Hackathon. RSVP for one the hacker house locations at solana.com/events.

Do I need to be technical to join the Hyperdrive Hackathon?

It is not a requirement to be an engineer to participate. If you have skills in Marketing, Business Development, Design, etc., there are many technical builders in need of a business-minded co-founder.

However, it is critical that you find technical co-founders that pair well with your skillset. Solana Hackathons are intended for entrepreneurs to sprint through development and compete to launch new crypto startups, so both business and engineering competencies are important in these competitions.

Where can I find project ideas?

While builders are encouraged to come up with novel concepts, Superteam has created a repository of project ideas.

What is the required information in the project submission form?

Hackathon projects will need to provide the following:

  • Name & Email address of primary team leader
  • Product name
  • A 50 word max description of the product
  • A list of teammates
  • The backgrounds/previous experience on each of the teammates
  • Where the team is located in the world
  • A product logo
  • Github or GitLab repo link(s)
    • While open-source repos are encouraged, you may keep your repo private. If you decide to close-source your code, you are required to share with hackathon@solana.org so hackathon organizers and judges can review.
  • A product link, with testing instructions
  • Presentation link
    • Presentations can be submitted as a slide deck and/or a video presentation. Videos should not be longer than 3 minutes.
    • Here is a template to use for your slide decks
  • A link to your project Twitter account

Hackathon builders should view their project submissions as a pitch to potential investors. That is why you should allocate enough time to ensure your presentation is clear, concise, and high quality.

How will projects be judged?

Hackathon project submissions will be judged on a variety of factors. After projects are submitted, they are evaluated by a judging panel to determine a shortlist based on a review of the code and presentation. As Solana Hackathons are intended to be a speed run through the launch of a new project, it's important that all participants spend time finishing their marketing and presentation, as well their code.

All projects will be reviewed, and judges will consult these factors as they evaluate:

  • Background: Who is the team creating this product? And why are they interested in creating a solution to the problem they set out to solve?
  • Functionality: How well does this project work? What is the quality of code?
  • Potential Impact: How big is the total addressable market for this project? What will be the impact of this project on the broader Solana ecosystem?
  • Novelty: How unique is this project's concept?
  • User Experience: How well does this project utilize Solana's performance to create great UX for downstream users?
  • Open-source: Is this project open-source? How well does the project compose with other primitives in the Solana ecosystem?
  • Business Plan: Is there a viable business to be built around this project? At their core, Solana Hackathons are startup competitions, so this is critical. Also, it is key to allocate enough time on your project presentation (slides or video) to give a holistic view of your project.

After judges complete individual evaluations, the Solana Foundation team will sync with the judges and choose the winners while taking into account their feedback/scores. Winners of the event will be announced within a month of the Hackathon submission date.

May I submit multiple projects?

No, each builder can only submit 1 project (and be part of only 1 team). Solana Hackathons are highly competitive, so you should focus on developing your best product concept.

What is the Hyperdrive Code of Conduct?

The Solana Foundation welcomes builders globally to participate in our Hackathon. We intended to create an environment that values engineering, collaboration, creativity, competition, and impact. Accordingly, hackathon administrators, judges, and participants are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct outlined below for the duration of the Hackathon. The Solana Foundation will enforce this code and have the sole right to disqualify any individual or team that breaks the code.

  • Be Respectful: Be kind and respect all participants in the event. Do not insult or put down other participants.
  • Be Professional: Remember that harassment, racism, sexism, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate during Solana Hackathons or when using the platform. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, and/or religion. Sexual images in public forums, deliberate intimidation, online stalking, sustained disruption of virtual presentations, or any other inappropriate action is strictly prohibited.
  • Be Thoughtful: In the spirit of open-source and inclusiveness, there may be minors participating in the hackathon. Keep this in mind when communicating or speaking in public forums.
  • Be Open: We welcome participants from all backgrounds. This event is about increasing awareness for Solana and the greater crypto space. Please be welcoming to all who register for the event and help us foster a positive and productive environment for all.
  • Believe in Yourself: Crypto opens the door for anyone to permissionlessly build applications that will change how we all interact with finance, gaming, and everything in-between. Dream big and use this powerful technology to create products that will change the world for the better.

We encourage all participants to read through the official rules here .

Will all builders who submit a Hackathon project receive feedback?

Unfortunately, due to the volume of hackathon submissions we receive, we will not be able to provide direct feedback to all participants. However, we can guarantee that all project submissions will be reviewed by the Solana Foundation and/or the judging panel.