Get ready for 48 hours of high-impact building. Following our successful hackathon in the fall, we’re back and the stakes are even higher now that Midnight is officially live on mainnet!

This is your opportunity to build on a fully launched network designed to solve the internet's biggest privacy challenges. You’ll get hands-on experience with cutting-edge data protection tech to create applications that give users true control over their digital lives.

Whether you are brand new to blockchain or web3 veteran, you’ll be building on the ground floor of a rapidly expanding ecosystem that now supports production-ready dApps.

Requirements

We require all teams to submit a 2 minute or less demo video where we expect you to show us what you built and how it meets the Quest goals.
Your code must be available in some sort of public repository.
Your code and video must remain public post event if you want to continue being eligible for prizes. If your repo and video are not public we will select new winners.
Your demo video must state the name of the hackathon at the beginning of the video.
- Ex. "Hey I'm Sam and this is my demo for Production Engineering Hackathon."
You must have completed all the registration steps on Devpost.
- Note that Hosted by MLH events require registration and check-in on MLH's event page.
- Your email on all check in and registration platforms (Devpost, & MLH's event page) must match.
Your video must be created the weekend of the hackathon.
We don't allow you to submit your project to other hackathons.
You may not submit projects that include prior work, unless you are submitting to the "Integrate Midnight" track and specifiy what was completed beforehand.
Each team can have a maximum of 5 members. We strongly encourage working in teams, but solo projects will be eligible for prizes.
You are allowed to submit only one project to this hackathon.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

5 non-cash prizes

AI Track

1 winner

AI Track: Build AI applications that process sensitive information on the user's terms where models act on private data, and Midnight proves the rules were followed.

Each winning team member will receive a $125 digital gift card.

Mobile Track

1 winner

Mobile Track: Build a mobile experience on Midnight that protects user data by design, apps where sensitive information never leaves the device unproven. Each winning team member will receive a $125 digital gift card.

Integrate Midnight Track

1 winner

Integrate Midnight Track: Take an app that already exists and add privacy with Midnight. Show us the before and after. Each winning team member will receive a $125 digital gift card.

Cross-Chain Track

1 winner

Cross-Chain Track: Build dApps and games that span ecosystems like EVM chains, Bitcoin, NEAR, Cardano, Solana, and more with Midnight as the shared privacy engine. Each winning team member will receive a $125 digital gift card.

Best Beginner Hack

1 winner

Best Beginner Hack: Teams made up of >50% first-time hackers that successfully build with Midnight. Each winning team member will receive a $125 digital gift card.

Judges

Midnight Foundation

Judging Criteria

Technology
How technically impressive was the hack? Was the technical problem the team tackled difficult? Did it use a particularly clever technique or did it use many different components?
Originality
Is the concept fresh, bold, or whimsical? Does it explore a unique take on privacy, identity, or security?
Execution
Does the DApp feel polished in its core functionality or UI?
Completion
Is the hack demonstrably complete in its focused scope?
Documentation
Is it easy to understand the project’s goal and how to run it? Is the README concise, helpful, and designed with developer usability in mind?
Business Value
Does this project have a business value? Can this be launched as a product?

New York, NY, USA	Public
5 non-cash prizes	239 participants