TBD, a subsidiary of Block, has announced the launch of the TBD Hackathon in collaboration with the Africa Bitcoin Conference. This competition is designed to drive innovation and technological advancement in Africa’s payment systems using the tbDEX open-source protocol.
Hackathon Details and Timeline
The submission period for the TBD Hackathon will open on July 31, 2024, and close on September 15, 2024. The event will culminate with the final competition held from December 9-11, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, during the Africa Bitcoin Conference.
Empowering African Developers
The TBD Hackathon aims to harness the potential of African developers and innovators by bringing together top builders and entrepreneurs to tackle challenges in payment systems across the continent. Many African countries currently struggle with issues such as limited banking access, high transaction fees, and inefficient cross-border payments. TBD’s tbDEX open-source trust protocol seeks to address these issues by connecting users with their preferred wallet providers and financial institutions, offering competitive exchange rates and fees.
Competition Format and Prizes
Participants will develop payment applications utilizing the tbDEX protocol, with access to a sandbox of example Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) for testing. Teams of up to two people are expected to use the tbDEX SDK to build their projects. Six finalist teams will be selected and invited to Nairobi to present their solutions to a panel of judges. The top three projects will receive the following prizes:
- First Prize: $15,000 in BTC
- Second Prize: $10,000 in BTC
- Third Prize: $5,000 in BTC
Call for Participation
Angie Jones, Global VP of Developer Relations for TBD, encourages developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators from across Africa to join the hackathon. “Whether you are an experienced professional or an enthusiastic newcomer, the TBD Hackathon offers a unique platform to create the next generation of financial tools for the continent.”
