Latest news with #Hedera-powered
Observer
2 days ago
- Business
- Observer
Hedera Africa Hackathon launches with $1m prize pool
The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit organisation driving global adoption of Hedera-powered solutions by funding innovation, training, certification and venture building programmes, in collaboration with Exponential Science Foundation, launched the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 to enable the next generation of Web developers and empower economic inclusion in Africa with a digital future for all. This biggest Web3 Hackathon initiative combines online participation with onsite events in over 20 African cities, with a goal of attracting over 10,000 participants across more than 15 countries on the African continent. Developers, students and entrepreneurs are invited to collaborate to build decentralised solutions on Hedera across industries such as finance, healthcare, telecoms, sustainability, agriculture and manufacturing, while leveraging the convergence of other deep technologies such as AI, IoT, Robotics and Quantum Computing, with a prize pool of more than $1 million on offer for the winning teams and projects. With global participation officially opens from August 1 to September 30, the hackathon tasks applicants to develop blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based, scalable solutions tailored to the continent's most urgent challenges and needs. All solutions will be built on the Hedera network - the world's most energy-efficient and cost-effective DLT, which offers cost predictability, the highest levels of security, and the ability to support reliable, scalable and enterprise-grade applications.
Biz Bahrain
4 days ago
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Hedera Africa Hackathon Launches with $1M Prize Pool to Accelerate Africa's Digital Future
The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit organisation driving global adoption of Hedera-powered solutions by funding innovation, training, certification, and venture building programs, in collaboration with Exponential Science Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation accelerating responsible tech adoption, via research, education, and innovation activities, today announces the launch of the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 to enable the next generation of Web developers and empower economic inclusion in Africa with a digital future for all. This biggest Web3 Hackathon initiative combines online participation with onsite events in over 20 African cities, with a goal of attracting over 10,000 participants across more than 15 countries on the African continent. Developers, students, and entrepreneurs are invited to collaborate to build decentralized solutions on Hedera across industries such as Finance, Healthcare, Telecoms, Sustainability, Agriculture, and Manufacturing, while leveraging the convergence of other deep technologies such as AI, IoT, Robotics, and Quantum Computing, with a prize pool of more than $1 million on offer for the winning teams and projects. With global participation officially open from August 1 to September 30, 2025, the hackathon tasks applicants to develop blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based, scalable solutions tailored to the continent's most urgent challenges and needs. All solutions will be built on the Hedera network – the world's most energy-efficient and cost-effective DLT, which offers cost predictability, the highest levels of security, and the ability to support reliable, scalable, and enterprise-grade applications. Already having secured the backing and participation of more than 50 global and regional partners to be announced over the next few weeks, as well as over 100 universities and tech hubs, the hackathon is designed to be the largest of its kind on the African continent. The event will offer extensive technical education, certification, and hands-on support from Hedera-Certified engineers, with hacking stations to be established in cities such as Lagos, Cairo, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Cape Town, Casablanca, and Tunis for in-person collaboration, alongside a fully virtual Hackathon track accessible worldwide. 'Africa is home to one of the youngest, most enthusiastic and dynamic tech communities in the world; its future will depend on digitization,' said Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association. 'By equipping developers and entrepreneurs with Web3 skills and next generation toolkits, we're not just solving today's problems, we're shaping the future of decentralized innovation in one of the world's most significant growth markets, fostering a digital future for all through financial, identity, and communication inclusion.' The hackathon aims to catalyze continuous innovation across four key tracks: On-Chain Finance and Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenisation; ESG Sustainability and Traceability; Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and AI; and Gaming, Metaverse, & NFTs. Developers of all skill levels and backgrounds are encouraged to participate — no prior blockchain experience is required. Extensive training resources will be provided through the Hedera Academy, with access to a thriving developer community. The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation will be carrying out awareness and training campaigns to prepare participants for the hackathon before the official start date on August 1st 2025. 'Initiatives such as the Hedera Africa Hackathon encourage the next generation of tech builders, researchers, and entrepreneurs. As well as driving blockchain education and innovation within a continent that is showing incredible growth potential. We encourage anyone with an interest in blockchain technology to sign up and start developing the next wave of practical solutions across multiple industries to gain valuable experience and a chance to claim the prize pool. Our hope is that participants will go on to launch their own ventures and share their learnings,' said Paolo Tasca, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Exponential Science Foundation. The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 is operated and supported by a strong network of partners, under the experienced leadership of DAR Blockchain, a Tunisian-based Web3 Hub that has been operating in the Web3 industry since 2017. DAR Blockchain plays a significant role in magnifying the impact of this hackathon initiative across the continent and builds on THA's previous efforts to support blockchain innovation in Africa.
Zawya
04-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
‘Qatar well-placed to be global leader in decentralised technologies'
Doha, Qatar: Qatar is strategically positioning itself as a global leader in the realm of digital assets and decentralised technologies in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association (THA), has said. THA is a Swiss non-profit that drives global adoption of Hedera-powered solutions by funding innovation, training, and venture programmes. It promotes economic inclusion and a digital future with a positive ESG impact. Speaking to The Peninsula recently, Youssefi asserted that Qatar has all the ingredients to replicate and even surpass the success stories of financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong. 'With its forward-thinking policies, commitment to innovation, and alignment with Qatar Vision 2030, the nation is poised to elevate its financial infrastructure to new heights,' he said. To achieve this, Youssefi emphasises the importance of continuous collaboration with entities like the Qatar Financial Centre, banks, and other authorities. 'Together, they aim to build a robust IT infrastructure capable of meeting the demands of the global digital assets market,' he noted. He added that Qatar has continued to make noticeable strides in technology and tech investments either through direct investments or organising events such as the Web Summit, which has been a resounding success since its maiden edition last year. 'Qatar has announced investments of $2.4bn in AI, which could reel in $11bn for the economy. Qatar's ICT sector spending is also expected to amount to $9bn with investments in cloud services, the internet, and cybersecurity for data protection. The current Qatar 2030 strategy and the implementations across the board for blockchain solutions, AI solutions, and strategies to attract capital and innovative startups is a great opportunity for The Hashgraph Association because it aligns with our aims as well,' he noted. Last year, The Hashgraph Association signed a landmark strategic partnership with the Qatar Finance Centre (QFC) to establish a Digital Assets Venture Studio. This initiative aims to equip Qatari talent with the technical and functional expertise needed to design, develop, and deploy Web3 use cases and viable decentralised solutions tailored to the financial sector. The $50m digital asset venture studio is focused on investments in Hedera-powered Web3 startups and enterprises building bankable DeFi solutions. The program will span from 2024 to 2028, with THA contributing to 20% ($10m) of the investment. 'We believe that the MENA region and Qatar are well placed to lead in the Web3 era. That is one of the reasons we partnered with the QFC Digital Assets Lab to invest in startups, as well as help enterprises and governmental entities to offer solutions built on DLT/blockchain technology,' Youssefi added. According to him, with the partnership, THA aims to enable entrepreneurs at the local as well as regional level to develop innovative digital solutions based on the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain into viable digital applications by building the necessary local capacities, developing a robust IT infrastructure, and helping to establish strategic partnerships at the international level in the digital assets space. Youssefi noted that THA aims to equip Qatari youth with the functional and technical knowledge to design and develop innovative applications and viable digital solutions in the field of digital assets, as well as providing dedicated resources and allocated investments to achieve short-term success and ensure business continuity in the space. 'Additionally, our strategic goals in Qatar also include designing qualification and empowerment programs in the digital assets space in line with international standards and requirements; establishing active partnerships with technology pioneers and venture capital firms specialising in digital assets around the world; and fostering business growth and catalysing collaboration between the local and international digital assets ecosystem,' he said. He added that the organisation has qualified three asset tokenisation projects, including Sukuk Tokenization, whose strategic goal is to launch on-chain sukuk to be the tool to take Islamic finance to a new level. 'This will provide Muslims from around the world with the opportunity to invest in accessible Islamic bonds in a Shariah-compliant way. There is also the Carbon Credit Tokenization and the Real World Asset Tokenization,' he said. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
