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Hedera Africa Hackathon Launches with $1 Million Prize Pool

In an exciting development for the tech landscape in Africa, the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 has been announced, co-funded by The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation. With a prize pool that exceeds $1 million, this initiative invites innovators to join Africa's largest Web3 Hackathon, aiming to empower the digital future of the continent.

The hackathon will integrate online participation alongside in-person events held across over 20 cities in Africa, aspiring to attract more than 10,000 participants from over 15 countries. The invitation goes out to developers, students, and entrepreneurs to come together and create decentralized solutions utilizing Hedera technology across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, telecommunications, sustainability, agriculture, and manufacturing. Participants will also integrate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and quantum computing to forge impactful solutions.

Scheduled to take place from August 1 to September 30, 2025, the hackathon challenges entrants to develop blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based solutions specifically designed to tackle some of Africa's most pressing challenges. All proposed solutions must operate on the Hedera network, which is celebrated for its energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and robust security—ideal for scalable enterprise applications.

The organizers have already garnered support from a network of over 50 global and regional partners, with the involvement of more than 100 universities and tech hubs, positioning this event as the most significant hackathon on the continent. Participants will benefit from extensive technical education, certification opportunities, and direct support from certified Hedera engineers. Hacking stations will be established in major cities like Lagos, Cairo, Nairobi, and Cape Town, offering collaborative spaces for face-to-face engagement, alongside a fully virtual track available for participants globally.

Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association, emphasized the vibrant potential of Africa's young tech community, stating, "By equipping developers and entrepreneurs with Web3 skills and next-generation toolkits, we're not just solving today's problems; we're actively shaping the future of decentralized innovation in one of the world's most promising growth markets."

The hackathon aims to spark ongoing innovation through four main tracks:
1. On-Chain Finance and Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenization
2. ESG Sustainability and Traceability
3. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and AI
4. Gaming, Metaverse, and NFTs

This event encourages participants from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their previous experience with blockchain technology, to engage. Extensive training resources will be made available through the Hedera Academy, fostering a strong development community.

As the hackathon approaches, The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation will initiate awareness and training campaigns to prepare participants for the challenge. Paolo Tasca, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Exponential Science Foundation, underlined the importance of initiatives like this that inspire the next generation of tech builders and researchers. He noted the exceptional growth potential of the African continent and encouraged anyone interested in blockchain technology to take part and innovate for future generations.

The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 is to be overseen by an experienced support network, led by DAR Blockchain— a Web3 hub based in Tunisia with a strong footprint in the industry since 2017. Their involvement is crucial in amplifying the impact of this initiative.

For more information about the event, interested individuals can visit the official hackathon webpage at hedera-hackathon.hashgraph.swiss.

About The Hashgraph Association

The Hashgraph Association focuses on supporting innovation and training programs across various sectors. With a mission to promote economic inclusion, the non-profit organization backs the adoption of Hedera-powered solutions that foster a sustainable and democratic economy.

About Exponential Science Foundation

Founded by Dr. Paolo Tasca and Nikhil Vadgama, the Exponential Science Foundation champions cutting-edge technologies through education and innovation, aiming for a more inclusive technological future.

About Hedera

Hedera provides a high-performance and secure public DLT network governed by leading global institutions, aiming to revolutionize the way assets are tokenized and traded in a compliant and efficient manner.