Algorand Hackathon: France FAQs
Learn more about our first regional hackathon in France.
Overview
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Algorand Regional Hackathons are competitions aimed at expanding the Algorand startup ecosystem. For those looking to launch a crypto startup, these hackathons offer an ideal platform to demonstrate your capabilities while competing with other top-tier developers.
It's important to note that the Algorand Hackathon: France is designed for developers and entrepreneurs. We built this hackathon for developers to gain deep technical knowledge and experience to build functioning solutions on Algorand and for entrepreneurs to find Algorand as the best blockchain technology for their business. Our goal is to support winning teams beyond the product development phase and give them priority access to participate in incubation and acceleration programs we will launch.
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- Read the rules here. We strongly recommend that all participants familiarize themselves with the official guidelines.
- Know the team size limit. Our team limit is five members. Stick to the rules to avoid disqualification.
- Understand the evaluation criteria. Take the time to thoroughly understand how the judges will evaluate your project. Align your project with the criteria to maximize your chances of winning.
- Build within the hackathon tracks. Ensure that your project aligns with one of the tracks listed on the landing page. Judges are more likely to favor projects that fit the theme well and address specific challenges.
- No copying or plagiarism. Do not copy code, ideas, or projects from others, as this can lead to disqualification.
- Always be respectful. Be professional and help us foster a positive environment between the participants, judges, mentors, and organizers.
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Yes! Please register here when you decide you would like to take part. Registration will provide access to the workshop sessions, team formation information, and exclusive Office Hours with world-class Algorand developers and Web3 pros. If you’re on a team, you will still need to register as an individual in order to be eligible for the prizes. You don’t need to include any of your project details at this time. After you register, we will send you information via email on how to submit your project.
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Algorand Hackathon: France focuses on supporting new initiatives that have not yet secured external funding. To qualify for the hackathon, projects should not have initiated their development process more than six months prior to the hackathon's starting date. However, if you have previously developed, are in the process of developing, or have garnered venture investment for a different Algorand-based project, you remain eligible to participate and claim victory. Participants must indicate in the application form whether their project incorporates any pre-existing code. Teams are also obliged to disclose all pertinent details about such work.
Please note that the term "pre-existing code" does not include open-source code authored by third parties. We encourage participants to integrate existing Algorand protocols and other open-source resources into their projects.
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You don't need to be a developer to join. If your strengths lie in Marketing, Business Development, Design, and similar areas, many technical creators are looking for business-savvy partners.
Finding technical co-founders who complement your skills is crucial, though. Algorand hackathons demand that teams quickly progress through development while also crafting a business strategy, making both business acumen and engineering skills vital for success in this competition.
Programs and resources
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Once you have registered, we will share information via email about how to form a team, find a team to join, or find other participants to join your team. You can sign up for the team formation session here. Additionally, you can join our Discord server to find teammates.
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A technical challenge in a hackathon is like a fun puzzle for participants to solve using their technical skills. It’s a specific task or problem where participants brainstorm, code, and build something cool within a set time.
The challenges often focus on solving bugs or creating a smart contract, allowing participants to show off their skills, learn new things, and create something amazing.
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In addition to the various prizes, a select few projects will be invited to join the next Algorand Incubator cohort. The Algorand Incubator is an eight-week program designed to help you validate your ideas and prepare your team for rapid scaling.
We offer dedicated support to the most promising projects in the areas of team formation, ideation, and product-market fit.
We will provide mentorship, tools, training, and networking opportunities to help you achieve your entrepreneurship goals and dreams. -
- Algorand Developer Portal: The main starting point for all Algorand, blockchain and Web3-related resources.
- AlgoKit Repo: It’s easy to get building thanks to AlgoKit our solution to speed up your Web3 building process.
- Bootcamps GitHub repository: This repo contains all the content from our Python and Typescript bootcamps. It is the perfect place to learn how to use all the features available within the Algorand Virtual Machine (AVM) and to find examples of fully working dapps.
- AlgoDevs Youtube channel: A wide range of 5-10 minute videos covering everything from Algorand native features to tutorials on how to write and deploy smart contracts.
- Algorand Discord: A place to keep up-to-date, ask questions, get code examples, and discuss anything Algorand. Connect with the DevRel team with any queries.
Projects
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The hackathon is scored out of 100 and judged on the following criteria:
Evaluation
What we’re looking for
Points
Functioning MVP
The project should showcase strong Algorand protocol implementation, utilizing features such as Algorand Standard Assets (ASAs) for tokenization or Atomic Transfers for secure, seamless multi-party transactions.
The project should also prioritize providing an intuitive and seamless user experience. Good UX design and interface can enhance user adoption and engagement.
The project should consider the needs and preferences of its target users and demonstrate a clear understanding of their pain points.
40
The Team
A strong team that can demonstrate the ability to work effectively with complementary skills.
30
Product Market Fit
Winning projects should demonstrate potential for adoption and market impact. They should have a clear understanding of their target audience, the competitive landscape, and how they differentiate themselves.
Consideration of business models, revenue generation, and the project's potential to attract users or customers can be influential.
20
Pitch and presentation
A well-prepared and compelling pitch or presentation is essential to showcase the project's value proposition, market potential, and technical capabilities.
The team should be able to articulate their project clearly, concisely, and convincingly to the judges.
10
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- Name and email address of primary team leader
- Product name/Project name
- A product/project one-liner
- A list of teammates
- Background/previous experience of each of the teammates
- Location of team leader (this will be the POC for prizes)
- A product/project logo
- A link to your project’s Twitter account
- GitHub repo link(s)
- We strongly encourage all projects to be open source or at least open-source your smart contracts, but if you prefer to keep it private, send a tarball or zip file to hackathon@algorand.foundation. This ensures that hackathon organizers and judges can evaluate your work.
- A demo of your project (please keep this to approximately 3 minutes). Please also submit demo instructions.
- A pitch deck (max 8-10 slides)
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- Introduction: Give a brief introduction about the founders and the company's mission in the Web3 space.
- Problem statement: Define the problem you're addressing, specifically in the context of decentralization, blockchain, or the broader Web3 landscape.
- Solution: Describe your decentralized product, platform, or protocol that addresses the problem.
- Market opportunity: Demonstrate the size of the Web3 market, potential for growth, and any emerging trends in the space.
- Tokenomics (if applicable): If you have a token, explain its utility, distribution, and how it adds value to your ecosystem.
- Traction (if applicable): Provide any milestones achieved, early adopters, on-chain metrics, partnerships, or other indicators of progress in the Web3 ecosystem.
- Decentralization strategy: Detail how you plan to ensure decentralization, governance mechanisms, and community involvement.
- Competitive landscape: Show key competitors in the Web3 space and your differentiators, especially in terms of technology, security, and community.
- Financial and funding projections: Give an overview of your financial outlook.
- Ask: Clearly state what you're asking for from investors or the community (e.g., funding amount, partnerships, staking, or other forms of support).
- Algorand technology advantage: How are you using Algorand technology in your business; explain why Algorand core features are essential for the project
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During the final hackathon event we will share the challenges and participants will have a limited time to solve them. To submit your solution to one of the technical challenges, you only have to make a pull request to the challenge repository.
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- Our live ideas sheet: This will be a live sheet and updated regularly.
- Beginner and Intermediate Developer Bootcamps: A good place to get warmed up for the hackathon, get a refresher on blockchain concepts, and meet the Algorand community
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No, each participant is allowed to submit just one project and can be a member of only one team. We encourage you to concentrate on creating your most exceptional product idea.
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Yes, you can, but just because you submit your pull request does not mean that you will automatically be selected as the winner.
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Yes, keep an eye out on https://algorand.co/events
Other rules
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No, there is no registration fee required to participate in the hackathon. It is a free event open to all interested participants.
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No, there are no restrictions on the tools or services that you can use during the hackathon. Participants have the freedom to choose and utilize any tools, technologies, or services they deem necessary for their projects.
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Unfortunately, due to the volume of hackathon submissions, 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 Algorand Hackathon team and/or the judging panel.
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The best place to ask questions is on Discord, the specific channel relating to your query. Once you sign up, you can also schedule some time during DevRel Office Hours, where you can ask for complex products and build advice on your hackathon project.