CoinSwitch is organising a blockchain hackathon, “Building Future Cities,” in collaboration with Startup Karnataka, a Karnataka government initiative, and Tejasvi Surya, member of parliament (Bangalore South), to recognise and stimulate blockchain-based solutions to everyday problems faced by India’s 1.2 billion people.
“Karnataka is the torchbearer of digital India. The state has an excellent track record of close collaboration between the government and entrepreneurs. This hackathon enables Karnataka to carry this success story to the next frontier of technology, blockchain, and empowers young innovators to utilise the power of blockchain for the public good,” Ashwathnarayan CN, minister for higher education, said.
‘Building Future Cities’ intends to initiate a Web3 innovation cycle suited and customised for India, centred on the topics of smart cities, digital governance, and supply chain.
The hackathon will challenge participants to envision a blockchain-powered India, with a focus on smart mobility, energy credits and trading, decentralised waste management, secure digital identity and certificate management, efficient and transparent vaccine distribution, and farm supplies and supply chain management. The winners will be rewarded with a prize money of Rs 3 lakh, with the total prize pool of the hackathon set at Rs 6 lakh. Participants can enter the competition individually or in a team of up to four members.
“We are now ready for the next big technological leap, to build a blockchain- powered India. We partnered with CoinSwitch for a first-of-its-kind blockchain hackathon and sowed the seeds of India’s future in Bengaluru,” Tejasvi Surya, member of parliament, Bangalore South, said.
“ Blockchain hackathon, ‘Building Future Cities’ is our effort to kickstart an innovation cycle in India for India, by equipping and enabling India’s strong pool of developers and innovators. At CoinSwitch, we have always believed that India will be the launchpad of a Web3 world. The hackathon is a step towards realizing this goal. I am excited to see what the young and smart minds of India bring to the table,” Ashish Singhal, co-founder and CEO, CoinSwitch, said.
Ashish Singhal, Govind Soni, and Vimal Sagar Tiwari founded CoinSwitch in 2017, and top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Paradigm, and Coinbase Ventures have supported the company.