How to earn up to $180,000 at Hack-a-TONx if you're building a TON startup

It's a unique opportunity to network and collaborate with like-minded 'tondividuals'.

Hack-a-TONx is a hackathon event that incubates new product teams and TON startups. These events bring together developers, designers, and business professionals for a few days or months, to collaborate on TON projects and present them to a panel of judges.

Supported by TON Society and ecosystem projects, participants have the chance to pitch their ideas to potential investors or partners and receive guidance and financial support.

Hack-a-TONx DoraHacks focus on promoting the adoption and development of TON technology, with a focus on building decentralized applications and exploring new use cases. DoraHacks provides an online platform for teams to quickly prototype and iterate on their hackathon ideas in a low-risk environment.

In the exclusive article for Durov's Code, Tonana – one of the organizers for Hack-a-TONx and decentralized software-development organization, talks about making an event, benefits for participants and behind the scenes of the process.

What is Hack-a-TONx

Hack-a-TONx is an incredible incubator for new product teams and TON startups. These events bring together developers, designers, and business professionals for a short period of time, usually a few days, to collaborate on a TON project and present it to a panel of judges.

Blockchain enthusiasts get branded TON x TONANA merchandise

One of the major benefits of hackathons for new product teams and startups is the opportunity to receive feedback from industry experts.

Many Hack-a-TONxs are sponsored by TON Society and ecosystem projects, like WSNinja, venture studios, like fslabs.io, software houses, like blockczech.io, and TON-native blockchain funds, like hexit.capital and toncoin.fund, which means that participants have the chance to pitch their ideas to potential investors or partners.

It can be an invaluable opportunity for new teams to receive guidance and support as they take their ideas to the next level.

Blockchain experts and TON enthusiasts get an opportunity for public speaking, and guests of the event can learn tons of something new

Who and why organized hackathons?

Hackathons organized by big companies, like Moralis, often have a specific business problem or challenge that they want to solve, like "Integrating TON Blockchain", and they invite developers and other technologists to come and work on a solution. These hackathons are often used as a way for the company to hire developers and generate new solutions for their business.

On the other hand, hackathons organized by blockchain foundations and communities, like ton.org and ton society are often more focused on promoting the adoption and development of the foundation's technology. These hackathons may have more of a focus on building an ecosystem of decentralized applications and developer tools, as well as exploring new use cases for The Open Network.

Oleg Andreyev, co-founder of Tonkeeper, ambassador and core developer of the TON blockchain, explains the deep concepts of TON to Igor Konyakhin, a multiple TON Challenge and Hack-a-TONx winner

Hack-a-TON can be an excellent platform for new product teams and startups to get their ideas off the ground. The fast-paced nature of hackathons means that teams are able to quickly prototype and iterate on their ideas, which can help them refine and improve their product or service in a low-risk environment.

By collaborating with other professionals and receiving guidance from industry experts, these events can provide the support and resources needed to turn an idea into a successful business. For example, the Hack-a-TONx Prague in October 2022 by Tonana DAO and TON Foundation was a truly historic event.

Oleg Andreyev, the co-founder of Tonkeeper, ambassador, and core developer of the TON blockchain explains the deep concepts of TON to the Prague Blockchain Community

This was the first chance for the TON community to come together and share experiences. And the results were truly impressive: 20 new product teams and TON projects emerged over the three days, and 7 of them were recognized with awards.

The energy and excitement at the hackathon were palpable! Students, developers, designers, and business professionals from all over the world arrived in Prague, ready to tackle the challenges ahead. They worked tirelessly to bring their ideas to life, and the results were nothing short of impressive.

In addition to the TON community, the hackathon also attracted a lot of blockchain experts and enthusiasts who were not previously part of the ecosystem. They were drawn in by the energy and excitement of the event, and many of them ended up joining the community and taking their places in ecosystem projects and initiatives.

To switch from hacking, guests at the three-day Hack-a-TONx Prague from @tonanadao and @tonsociety were invited to visit the NFT exhibition of two projects from TON Diamonds, the NFT marketplace of the same name on TON, and Annihilation by world-renowned artist Ellen Scheidlin, exhibited at the Louvre the month before.

There was also a panel discussion with representatives of the art scene and gallery business in Prague. Overall, Hack-a-TONx Prague was a resounding success.

It demonstrated the amazing possibilities for the community of developers, creators, and entrepreneurs creating the new decentralized Internet. We can't wait to see what the future holds for The Open Network.

How to participate?

If you are ready now to take on the challenge of building innovative dApps and projects on the TON Blockchain and compete with Elon feat Twitter in the race to mass adoption of blockchain tech, then you won't want to miss out on Hack-a-TONx DoraHacks!

DoraHacks is a global hackathon organizer and developer community that aims to bring together talented individuals from around the world to collaborate and create innovative solutions to real-world problems. The organization hosts online events, with a focus on the latest technologies such as Blockchain and Metaverse.

Through its hackathons, DoraHacks provides a platform for developers, designers, and business professionals to showcase their skills and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. The organization also serves as a hub for the Web3 developer community, connecting developers with resources and opportunities to further their careers in the tech industry.

Whether you're a seasoned developer or a beginner looking to break into the field, DoraHacks has something to offer. From networking opportunities to the chance to win prizes and recognition, the organization provides a supportive and inclusive environment for individuals to grow and succeed.

If you want to participate in Hack-a-TONx DoraHacks, that will be a 2-month long chance to showcase your skills and join the TON Fam community of developers. You could learn more at a website.