Hack to the Future 2024 | ICP.Hub AE Hackathon: Program Info

The Internet Computer is the world’s first web-speed, internet-scale public blockchain, developed by the DFINITY Foundation. The Internet Computer overcomes the limitations of traditional blockchains and smart contracts for better speed, storage costs, security, and scalability, offering Web2 performance on an infinite Web3 platform. As a 100% trustless network, the Internet Computer is the only public blockchain in the world that offers end-to-end decentralization and uses no centralized cloud nodes.

The ICP.HUB AE is your regional gateway to the ICP Ecosystem. We are a community of Web3 enthusiasts, developers and entrepreneurs, expanding the footprint of the Internet Compute Protocol in the region.

We are excited to be inviting you to Hack to the Future with us.

Focus Area

Explore this page for an information deep-dive

Hackathon Cheat Sheet
Agenda and workshops
General rules

TL;DR Hackathon challenges:

ICP Cross Chain: Find out how ICP can supercharge the Ethereum and Bitcoin Ecosystem with ckETH and ckBTC. Build dApps leveraging these integrations.
AI Innovation Unleashed: Transform AI development by hosting fully on-chain applications with ICP's storage capabilities, eliminating Web3 dependencies.
Blockchain for Good: Build a dApp for social good on ICP. Take inspiration from the 17 UN SDG Goals and utilize blockchain to address one!

Disclosure Guidelines

Submission Guidelines outlined on this Notion page.

General submission guidlines:

DEMO VIDEO
Project/Team name;
Project members with at least 2 contact details;
2 line description about the project;
1 Telegram username for the team’s person of contact;
Repository with project’s code;
Presentation with no more than 10 slides and/or a video demo with a maximum duration of 4 minutes;
Optional: the contract address(es) or website URLs of your deployed application.

Please note: All mentioned requirements are obligatory.

DEMO VIDEO submission guidelines:

DO NOT exceed the 4 mins submission length
DO NOT speed up the video to fit under the time limit
DO NOT play music with text on the video describing your project (instead of talking)
DO NOT use mobile phones to record the video submission
DO NOT use a text to speech synthesizer

Eligibility and Coordinated Disclosure

Judging Criteria outlined on this Notion page.

Technicality

How hard was the project to build?
How well does the project leverage the underlying technology?*

Practicability

How useful is this submission in the real world and/or outside of the crypto-native community?
If the project were to be specifically targeted towards the crypto-native community, how correctly targeted is it?

Originality

How original is the project?
Is this something completely new or are there other instances of the same type of projection and/or execution?

Innovation

How innovative is the project?
Is the project leveraging a new technology?
Is the project enabling a new type of solution to be created?

Acceptance Criteria

Your product should be built on the Internet Computer.

We judge this bounty based on:

The overall business case of the dapp, i.e. how sound is the business model, how innovative is the product etc.
How well it makes use of ICP technology.
The overall quality of the code.
The design of the user interface and the user experience
Bonus points for providing feedback on the developer experience.

Further acceptance criteria:

Readme that explains the project and provides information on how to deploy and use.
Open source code (MIT or Apache-2.0 license)
Canister ID(s) of deployment on ICP.

1. ICP x BTC Track

Leveraging ICP's native integration with the Bitcoin network at the protocol level, we encourage you to create innovative applications within this track that seamlessly incorporate Bitcoin transactions and functionalities.

Embrace the synergy of ICP and Bitcoin:

High-Functionality Bitcoin DApps: Create decentralised applications that extend Bitcoin's functionality. You could develop DEXs with BTC trading pairs or DeFi solutions integrating Bitcoin, all made possible by ICP's direct management of Bitcoin addresses and transactions.
Chain-Key Security Mastery: Dive into the world of chain-key ECDSA technology, enhancing Bitcoin transactions' security.
Inter-Chain Communication Breakthroughs: Explore the potential of seamless communication between ICP and Bitcoin. Propose solutions for managing Bitcoin UTXOs, optimising transaction flows, or integrating Bitcoin data in unique ways.
ckBTC Innovations: Leverage the efficiency of chain-key Bitcoin (ckBTC) for fast, low-fee transactions.
X-Chain Integration Wizards: Innovate in the realm of cross-chain functionalities, creating applications that not only bridge Bitcoin with other blockchains but also showcase ICP's unique capabilities as a multi-chain facilitator.

What you can build:

Applications leveraging Metaprotocols like Ordinals, BRC20, or other cross-chain standards to enable seamless communication and asset transfer between different blockchain networks.
Secure and user-friendly xChain Smart Contract Wallets that support both Bitcoin and other compatible blockchain assets.
Essential infrastructure components such as blockchain explorers, decentralised storage solutions, or oracle services.

2. ICP & ETH Track

Innovate at the intersection of two leading blockchain technologies. We're looking for visionaries who can merge Ethereum's established capabilities with ICP's cutting-edge environment to redefine what's possible in the blockchain space!

Unleash the Power of Ethereum-ICP Integration:

Ethereum-Enhanced dApps on ICP: Create dApps that harness Ethereum's smart contract capabilities within ICP's high-performance environment.
Innovative Cross-Chain Solutions: Pioneer solutions that utilise the Ethereum API on ICP. Your projects could include advanced DeFi platforms, cross-chain NFT marketplaces, or new forms of DAOs that leverage the strengths of both chains.
Optimised Ethereum Functionality: Utilise ICP's scalability and speed to enhance Ethereum's functionality.
Interoperability Pioneers: Forge the path for true blockchain interoperability by developing tools and protocols that facilitate seamless interaction between ICP and Ethereum.

What You Can Build:

Decentralised oracle network that leverages ICP to offload data processing tasks for Ethereum smart contracts.
A yield farming protocol that optimises farming opportunities by utilising assets from both Ethereum and ICP. Users can stake assets on one chain and earn rewards from both networks.
Cross-chain marketplace where users can seamlessly trade NFTs from both Ethereum and ICP, facilitating cross-chain asset exchange.
Create a service on ICP that schedules and executes Ethereum smart contracts during periods of low congestion, optimising gas fees and ensuring timely execution.

3. AI & ICP Track

Explore the potential of the Internet Computer for revolutionizing AI by hosting services on-chain. Celebrate community milestones, including the deployment of pioneering on-chain LLM and vector database, training Machine Learning algorithms within canisters, implementing practical Zero-Knowledge AI, and adapting popular ML/AI frameworks and libraries.

Explore Opportunities in the DeAI on IC Community*

Migration Challenge: Take on the challenge of migrating your preferred ML algorithm to the IC.
Pioneering Deployment: Deploy a novel LLM within a canister and lead the way in innovation.
Language Exploration: Explore alternative programming languages within the IC environment to expand your horizons.
Database Deployment: Successfully deploy a widely-used vector database onto the IC platform to enhance its capabilities.
Seamless Integration: Leverage existing IC components to seamlessly integrate ML/AI into your applications and streamline your workflow.

Resources

The Internet Computer has a thriving DeAI ecosystem with multiple programming languages, toolkits and examples available, so choose your weapon and adventure and let's get started:

Azle (TypeScript) https://github.com/demergent-labs/azle Examples of Azle: https://github.com/carlosarturoceron/decentAI
icpp (C++) https://github.com/icppWorld/icpp-pro Examples of icpp: https://github.com/icppWorld/icpp_llm https://github.com/icppWorld/icgpt
Kybra (Python) https://github.com/demergent-labs/kybra
Motoko (IC-specific language) https://github.com/dfinity/motoko Examples of Motoko: https://github.com/ildefons/motokolearn https://github.com/patnorris/DecentralizedAIonIC
Rust https://github.com/dfinity/cdk-rs Examples of Rust: https://github.com/jeshli/tract-ic-ai https://github.com/smallstepman/ic-mnist https://github.com/arcmindai/arcmindai https://github.com/jeshli/rust-connect-py-ai-to-ic

4. Blockchain for Good Track

Blockchain for Good : Build a dApp for social good on ICP. Take inspiration from the 17 UN SDG Goals and utilize blockchain to address one!

Immerse yourself with blockchain and sustainability best practices

Broad Scope: Blockchain for sustainable business spans various technological advancements driving sustainability initiatives.
Enhanced Accountability: Utilizing blockchain enhances transparency, traceability, and accountability in business operations.
ICP Ecosystem Achievements: The ICP ecosystem achieves groundbreaking milestones in addressing environmental footprints of applications.
Holistic Sustainability: Sustainability encompasses factors beyond environmental impact, including operational costs, maintenance, scalability, longevity, security, privacy, resilience against attacks, and economic viability post-launch.
Comprehensive Approach: Consideration of these factors ensures a holistic approach to sustainability in blockchain applications within the ICP ecosystem.

The Internet Computer Protocol's Sustainable Business use cases outlines more information on what you need to excel in this track!