The Hashgraph Association (THA) and Exponential Science announced the winners of the 2025 Hedera Africa Hackathon on April 29. The event drew more than 13,000 developers and generated over 1,300 project submissions. It also onboarded more than 45,000 participants into its education and developer certification pipeline. The competition spanned 20-plus African cities alongside a global online track. Collectively, those numbers make it the largest Web3 hackathon ever held.
THA, a Swiss-based nonprofit that supports Hedera ecosystem growth, co-funded the event with Exponential Science, a nonprofit focused on accelerating emerging technology adoption. Dar Blockchain operated on-the-ground logistics. Partners included Sygnum Bank, Orange Digital Centers, the Nairobi Securities Exchange, and several legal and enterprise advisory firms.
What the Winners Actually Built
The hackathon split participants across four tracks: On-Chain Finance and Real-World Assets, DLT for Operations, Immersive Experiences, and AI and DePIN. A cross-track championship then recognized the strongest projects overall.
The top five cross-track winners focused on practical infrastructure rather than speculative applications. GreenAfrica, the first-place winner from Nigeria, built an environmental verification platform for tracking sustainability initiatives. Egypt-based Carboni created infrastructure for issuing and trading verified renewable energy certificates. Effisend X Africa from Mexico developed an AI-powered payment routing layer that connects incompatible African payment rails. Malaysia-based Silsilat Finance tackled cross-border settlement for emerging markets. Nigeria’s Beyond Service built a mobile game featuring persistent digital identity and on-chain asset ownership.
Notably, the winning projects addressed real friction points. African markets deal with fragmented payment networks, limited energy verification systems, and inconsistent medical record infrastructure. These builders targeted those gaps directly.
A $1 Million Prize Pool, With More Capital Behind It
The hackathon distributed $1 million in prizes across the four tracks and cross-track championship. First place earned $100,000, second place took $70,000, and the remaining top-five spots received between $30,000 and $60,000. Each individual track also awarded its own set of winners.
The Cross-Track Champions were selected for exceptional innovation, execution and real-world impact across all categories:
- 1st Place ($100,000): GreenAfrica (Nigeria) – Environmental verification platform
enabling transparent tracking of sustainability initiatives - 2nd Place ($70,000): Carboni Renewable Energy Certificate Platform (Egypt) –
Infrastructure for proving and trading verified renewable energy credentials - 3rd Place ($60,000): Effisend X Africa (Mexico) – AI-powered payment routing layer
connecting incompatible African payment rails - 4th Place ($40,000): Silsilat Finance (Malaysia) – Cross-border settlement
infrastructure for emerging markets - 5th Place ($30,000): Beyond Service (Nigeria) – Mobile game with persistent digital
identity and asset ownership
However, the prize money tells only part of the story. THA also announced the formation of a new Investment Committee. This body will deploy multi-million-dollar commitments into strategic partnerships and top-performing builders from the hackathon. The committee positions Hedera as one of the few Layer-1 ecosystems offering capital, mentorship, and enterprise pathways directly to developers.
“Through supportive partnerships and The Hashgraph Association’s new Investment Committee, we are committed to nurturing these developers long after the hackathon ends,” said Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association.
Why Africa Matters for Web3 Development
The hackathon’s scale reflects a broader trend across the continent. Nigeria alone added over 16,000 new Web3 developers in 2025, climbing to third globally for new developer growth. Nigerian Web3 founders raised $43 million last year, more than double the $20 million recorded in 2024. Across the continent, blockchain ecosystems have backed early-stage startups through incubators, go-to-market programs, and infrastructure grants.
Africa’s appeal for Web3 builders comes down to real demand. Payment networks remain fragmented across borders. Identity systems lack interoperability. Energy markets need transparent verification. These are not theoretical problems. They create immediate use cases for distributed ledger technology in ways that more developed markets often lack.
Still, challenges remain. According to recent data, 53% of African Web3 developers have never worked with a global team. That signals a talent pipeline still maturing toward international product standards and cross-border collaboration.
2026 Edition Confirmed
THA confirmed it will bring the Hedera Africa Hackathon back in 2026. Details on location, tracks, and partners will come at a later date.
“Through this initiative, we have seen that approach materialize at scale, with participants advancing from learning to the development of meaningful infrastructure,” said Dr. Paolo Tasca, Executive Chairman at Exponential Science.
The combination of a returning hackathon, a new investment committee, and a growing African developer base suggests Hedera is making a long-term bet on emerging markets. For an ecosystem competing against Ethereum, Solana, and other Layer-1 networks for developer attention, that focus on real-world utility and direct capital support could prove to be a meaningful differentiator.
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