TBD Announces Hackathon to Drive Payments Innovation in Africa
TBD, a part of Block, has launched the TBD Hackathon in collaboration with the Africa Bitcoin Conference. This competition aims to foster innovation and technological advancement in payments across Africa using the tbDEX open-source protocol. The hackathon will run from July 31 to September 15, 2024, with the finale taking place from December 9-11, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, at the Africa Bitcoin Conference.
Objectives and Challenges
- The TBD Hackathon seeks to unlock the potential of African developers and entrepreneurs by addressing critical issues in payment systems, such as:
- Limited access to banking services
- High transaction fees
- Inefficient cross-border payments
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Participants are tasked with developing a payment application that leverages tbDEX to connect users to wallet providers and financial institutions, offering competitive exchange rates and fees.
How to Participate
- Registration: Interested developers can register for the hackathon [here](www.tbdex.io/hackathon).
- Team Composition: Participants can work in teams of up to two people.
- Development Environment: Participants will use the tbDEX SDK and have access to a sandbox with example Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) to test their applications.
Prizes and Opportunities
Six finalist teams will be flown to Nairobi for the Africa Bitcoin Conference to pitch their projects. Prizes for the top three projects are as follows:
- First Prize: $15,000 in BTC
- Second Prize: $10,000 in BTC
- Third Prize: $5,000 in BTC
Remarks from TBD Leadership
“We encourage developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all over Africa to participate,” said Angie Jones, Global VP of Developer Relations for TBD. “Whether you are a seasoned professional or a passionate newcomer, the TBD Hackathon is the perfect platform to build the next generation of financial tools for the continent.”
For more information and to sign up, visit the [TBD Hackathon page](www.tbdex.io/hackathon).
