Unstoppable Hackathon

1. Event Overview

The Unstoppable Hackathon is a 33-hour, in-person innovation sprint hosted at LNMIIT, Jaipur, bringing together student developers and researchers to build open-source solutions that strengthen decentralised systems. The hackathon focuses on high‑impact blockchain infrastructure, stability research, and collaborative open-source development.

Dates: 13 December, 9:00 AM – 14 December, 6:00 PM

Venue: LNMIIT, Jaipur

Format: In‑person only

Team Size: Up to 3 members

Eligibility: Students only

Registration Fee: None

Total Prize Pool: $9,000

Prizes and stipends will be paid in liquid cryptocurrencies.


2. Sponsoring Organisations

This event is sponsored by:

These organisations support the hackathon's mission to promote technical excellence, resilience in decentralised systems, and sustainable open-source development.


3. Themes & Tracks

Innovation Track

Teams of up to 3 members can develop new projects that are unstoppable, serverless, backend-free, and technically innovative. The topic should relate to economic, financial, or social stability in a meaningful manner. Participants are encouraged to consult with the Organizing Team to ensure that their proposals align with the scope of this hackathon.

Important: All Innovation Track projects must be started from scratch during the Hackathon. Any project found to be previously developed or significantly prepared in advance may be disqualified.

A selected number of teams will be invited to deliver a final pitch at the conclusion of the event. The pitch should include a presentation and a functional demo of up to 10 minutes.

Following a thorough evaluation, one winning team will be announced a few days after the Hackathon.

Innovation Track – Awards

  • 1 Spring of Code Spot ($1,500)

  • 1 Trophy Soulbound NFT

  • 1 Certificate


Open Contribution Track

Teams of up to 3 members may also participate by resolving issues and tasks in repositories provided by participating sponsors. Contributions should be submitted in the form of pull requests.

All tasks will be announced on the day of the Hackathon, ensuring fairness and preventing pre-solving.

A team’s score will depend on the difficulty of completed issues:

  • Hard – 100 points

  • Medium – 50 points

  • Easy – 10 points

A team’s final score is normalized by dividing the total points by the number of members. Teams will be ranked according to this normalized score.

All submitted pull requests will be thoroughly reviewed and merged within D2 days.

For inspiration, participants may refer to the curated collection of hackathon task ideas by Stability Nexus (Hackathon Task Ideas – available at: docs.stability.nexus/about-us/hackathon-task-ideas).

Open Contribution Track – Awards

Top teams (ranked by normalized score for merged PRs) will receive:

  • 3 Gold Awards

    • 1 Spring of Code Spot ($1,500) each

    • Gold Medal Soulbound NFT

    • Certificate

  • 3 Silver Awards

    • $210 each

    • Silver Medal Soulbound NFT

    • Certificate

  • 3 Bronze Awards

    • $120 each

    • Bronze Medal Soulbound NFT

    • Certificate

  • 40 Honorable Mentions

    • Certificate


General Notes

  • At least one Spring of Code spot will be awarded to a team that either:

    • builds a new project on Ergo, or

    • contributes to issues or tasks of an existing Ergo project.

  • This is a new type of hackathon, and we may continue refining these rules as needed. The Organizing Team also reserves the right to decide on eligibility, interpret the rules, and make final judgments in unforeseen situations, always aiming to maintain fairness.


4. Schedule

Below is the tentative event schedule:

Date
Time
Activity

13 December

9:00 AM

Registration & Check-In

10:00 AM

Opening Ceremony & Orientation

11:00 AM

Hacking Begins

1:00 PM

Lunch Break

2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Hacking

8:00 PM

Dinner

9:00 PM

Review of In-Progress Projects

10:00 PM Onwards

Overnight Hacking

14 December

10:00 AM

Submission Deadline

10:00 AM

Brunch

10:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Internal Evaluation + Shortlisting

3:00 PM onwards

Closing Ceremony + Finalist Pitching & Demos

15 December (Optional Event)

The First Stability Workshop hosted at LNMIIT. Accommodation and meals for this extra day are NOT included.

Note: This is a tentative schedule and the Organising Team reserves the right to modify timings or activities as required to ensure smooth execution of the Hackathon.


5. Mentorship & Guidance

The hackathon provides participants with direct access to experienced experts throughout the 33-hour sprint. Dr. Bruno Paleo, founder of AOSSIE, Stability Nexus, and the Djed Alliance, will be present on campus to work closely with teams. His guidance is especially valuable for projects focused on enhancing stability in decentralised systems.


6. Prizes & Opportunities

The Unstoppable Hackathon provides a total value of approximately USD 9,000 in mentorship, recognition, and advancement opportunities. The emphasis is intentionally placed on long-term growth rather than short-term cash incentives, with the objective of supporting continued development, open-source engagement, and professional visibility for participating teams.


Prize Structure

Prize Category

Details

Reward

Innovation Track Winner

Original project initiated during the event; final pitch and demo; one winning team.

1 Spring of Code Position + Trophy SBT + Certificate

Open Contribution Gold Awards

Top 3 teams by normalized score for merged PRs.

1 Spring of Code Position (USD 1,500) each + Gold Medal SBT + Certificate

Open Contribution Silver Awards

Next 3 highest-ranked teams.

USD 210 each + Silver Medal SBT + Certificate

Open Contribution Bronze Awards

Next 3 highest-ranked teams.

USD 120 each + Bronze Medal SBT + Certificate

Honorable Mentions

40 teams selected based on overall contribution activity and impact.

Certificate

Spring of Code Program

Structured 12-week mentorship and incubation to advance open-source work.

USD 1,500 per position awarded

Participant Experience & Support

Meals, workspace, facilities, and resources enabling focused participation.

Remaining allocation

We want you to walk away from the Unstoppable Hackathon not just with prize money, but with direction, mentorship, and a community behind you, so your ideas don’t end when the event does, they begin.


7. Spring of Code (SoC)

The Spring of Code (SoC) is a structured, 12-week open-source mentorship program for hackathon winners, designed to help participants develop their projects into fully deployable solutions. The program is similar in structure to Google Summer of Code (GSoC), providing expert mentorship, hands-on development experience, and a lucrative stipend to incentivize sustained engagement and high-quality outcomes. SoC fosters collaboration, professional growth, and long-term contributions to the open-source ecosystem.

Program Timeline:

Date

Activity

Description

13–14 December 2025

Hackathon Event

Main hackathon with participants, workshops, and project submissions.

15 January 2026

Spring of Code Begins

Start of the 12-week program for winners to develop and deploy full projects.

24–28 February 2026

Mid-Term Evaluation

Review of project progress, mentoring feedback, and distribution of 50% of the prize allocation.

7–11 April 2026

Final Evaluation

Completion review, final mentorship feedback, and distribution of the remaining prize allocation for deployed projects.

Note: These dates are tentative, and the Organising Team reserves the right to adjust them as necessary. Any updates will be communicated to participants in advance.


8. Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated using a structured framework designed to highlight innovation, technical depth, and long-term relevance. The judging process values thoughtful engineering, clarity, and the potential for real-world adoption.

Judging Framework

Criterion
Description

Innovation

The originality of the idea and creativity in solving the chosen problem.

Technical Depth

Quality of system architecture, implementation rigour, and engineering complexity.

Stability Focus

Contribution to robustness, reliability, and stability within decentralised systems.

Documentation Quality

The clarity, structure, and usefulness of documentation for future contributors.

Sustainability

Feasibility for long-term maintenance, adoption, and open-source integration.

Vision Alignment

How well the project reflects and supports the mission of sponsoring organisations.


9. Rules & Participation Guidelines

  • Teams must consist of up to 3 members.

  • Only students may participate.

  • All work must be created during the hackathon duration.

  • External libraries, frameworks, and public datasets may be used.

  • Presence in outdoor campus areas is not permitted from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM.


10. Submission Requirements

Each team must submit:

  • GitHub repository link

  • README with setup instructions

  • Architecture/technical overview

  • Problem statement & solution summary

  • Presentation deck

  • Demo Video ( Please make sure the quality of the demo video is above 720p )


11. Accessibility, Amenities & Infrastructure

Category

What’s Provided

Accessibility & Support

• Volunteer assistance • Accessible working spaces • Resting zones • Medical assistance on campus

Food & Amenities

• Meals will be provided during the hackathon. • Water stations across the venue • Dedicated Resting Zones Note: Food & stay are not covered for the 15 Dec workshop Note: Personal Rooms will not be provided

Infrastructure & Tools

• High-speed internet • On-campus power & working stations • Collaboration areas


12. Safety, Conduct & Integrity

The event maintains a zero-tolerance policy for:

  • Harassment or discrimination

  • Plagiarism or academic dishonesty

  • Unauthorized access to systems or networks

  • Sabotage of other teams’ work

Participants are responsible for:

  • Maintaining a respectful environment

  • Following campus safety rules

  • Ensuring ethical use of technology


13. Participant Preparation Checklist

  • Laptop and charger

  • ID card (college or government)

  • Extension boards

  • Pillow and blankets for rest hours

  • Any required software pre-installed

  • GitHub account set up

  • Personal essentials for an overnight stay

  • Water bottle and comfort items


14. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I participate individually?

A: Yes, but teams may have up to 3 members.

Q: Can participants leave the venue?

A: Yes, but must adhere to campus rules. Note: Participants are not allowed to leave the building between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM as per campus policy.

Q: Are cross-college teams allowed?

A: Yes, as long as all members are students.

Q: Will certificates be provided?

A: Yes, all participants will receive certificates.


15. Contact & Communication

Updates will be shared via:

  • Email announcements

  • On-site notices

  • Event volunteers

For direct queries, please join our official Discord server: Stability Nexus Post any questions in the #hackathon-announcements-2025 channel under The Unstoppable Hackathon category, or reach out to the organizing desk at LNMIIT.


16. Code of Conduct

All participants must follow the event’s Code of Conduct:

  • Maintain a respectful, inclusive environment.

  • Harassment, discrimination, and toxicity will not be tolerated.

  • Respect all mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and fellow participants.

  • Violations may result in disqualification.

Standard event policies apply regarding:

  • Safety & campus rules

  • Ethical use of technology

  • Academic integrity


This handbook will be updated as additional information becomes available.

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