Neo is hosting an Asia-Pacific hackathon in partnership with OKX, offering $118,000 in prizes and an additional $1 million in grant funding earmarked to encourage Web3 growth in the region. The event will run from July to October 2023 and features both online engagements and local events. Neo will visit six cities, including Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangalore, Seoul, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The primary aim of the event is to attract Web3 startups to Neo and introduce them to the burgeoning ecosystem in Hong Kong and the wider APAC region.

Schedule and prizes

The hackathon will open with virtual sessions kicking off on July 6, including panel discussions, coding workshops, and open office hours. These sessions will be aimed at helping inspire project ideas and giving participants access to knowledge that will help get developers started.

From July 22 to Sept. 10, Neo will host “GAS Stations,” which are two-day hacking events in five APAC cities. Attendees of the GAS Stations will benefit from having on-the-ground support from Neo developers. At each event, two Excellence Prizes of US $5,000 will be awarded for the best projects, along with grants of $1,000 for winning teams to travel to Hong Kong for the grand finale.

Participants can compete in five categories:

  • DeFi and Payment
  • NFT and Gaming
  • AI, Social, and DAO
  • Infrastructure and Tooling
  • General

Each category will offer a grand prize of $10,000, which will be announced at the Hong Kong finale on Oct. 14 and 15. Participants may still enter projects online without visiting a GAS Station and be eligible for a grand prize.

Furthermore, a post-hackathon incubation fund of $1 million has been established to support the long-term growth of select projects in Hong Kong.

The hackathon is a first in Neo’s history as it will also allow EVM-based projects in addition to Neo N3 projects. This decision, a response to requests from partners and communities, acknowledges the potential for synergy between EVM and Neo N3 and the possibilities for driving growth in new ways.

APAC Region

The APAC region has been recognized as a fertile ground for the blockchain industry, led by innovative regulatory measures in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government recently established Cyberport, a business park focused on digital technology, and invested 50 million yuan ($6.9 million) to bolster its initiatives. It has attracted 150 Web3 companies to the area in the last 12 months.

Neo founder Da Hongfei said: “The whole team here at Neo is absolutely delighted to launch this year’s Hackathon for the APAC region, building on the resounding successes of our previous events and under the favorable regulatory environment of the APAC region. Through our Hackathon, we aim to attract and support the finest in blockchain and Web3 talent, alongside exciting startups working in the blockchain industry, and truly introduce people to the capabilities that developing on Neo provides. I encourage all developers interested in blockchain and Web3 to get involved in our Hackathon. We look forward to seeing an exceptional set of projects, celebrating the winner at our prestigious event in Hong Kong, and showcasing the finest talent in the APAC region.”

Jason Lau, Chief Innovation Officer of OKX, stated, “We have always been committed to the development of Web3 industry infrastructure. This collaboration with Neo for the APAC Hackathon is another great example. We eagerly support the growth of the Web3 developer community in APAC and look forward to what these builders will accomplish.”

Those interested in participating in the event can visit hackathon.neo.org to register and find more information.

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