Zcash x NEAR Intents Hackathon

General
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Announcing the Zcash x NEAR Intents Hackathon!

$70,000 in prizes and a chance to shape the future of AI-powered, private, cross-chain DeFi.

Join us from March 17 - March 28 to build groundbreaking applications using Zcash, NEAR Intents, AI agents, and Chain Signatures.

This is a fully-remote hackathon that is open to everyone. We’re aiming for 20-30 teams to join and compete.

With Zcash now fully integrated into NEAR’s Intents stack, this hackathon challenges builders to explore how autonomous AI agents can interact with ZEC to create self-sovereign, private financial tools. By leveraging NEAR Intents and Chain Signatures, developers can build AI-driven agents that store, manage, and transact ZEC, execute shielded cross-chain swaps, and automate privacy-preserving DeFi.

Check out real examples of user-owned AI agents here: https://app.near.ai/

Themes

  • AI Agents for Zcash: Build an AI-powered trading bot that stores, manages, and transacts ZEC across blockchains
  • Private DeFi: Shielded swaps, portfolio management, and intent-driven asset trading
  • Cross-Chain Interoperability: Zcash-enabled intent-based transactions across BTC, ETH, SOL, and other tokens

What We’re Looking For

  • Autonomous Agents: AI-powered bots that can store, trade, and manage ZEC balances
  • Shielded Transactions: Tools that integrate Zcash privacy with NEAR Intents
  • Intent-Based Trading: AI-driven portfolio management and cross-chain swaps
  • Seamless ZEC Utility: Tools that expand Zcash’s role in decentralized finance

Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Innovation and Creativity: Unique and original use of AI, Zcash, and NEAR Intents
  • Technical Execution: Functional, well-integrated, and secure implementation
  • Privacy and Security: Strengthens financial privacy using Zcash’s shielded technology
  • User Experience: Intuitive, efficient, and accessible for users
  • Impact and Feasibility: Real-world relevance, potential for adoption and long-term sustainability.

This fully remote hackathon is a chance to combine AI agents, privacy, and cross-chain DeFi to build the next generation of privacy-preserving financial tools.

To register for the event or learn more, please visit the following link:

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Idea from another thread: link
Nothing groundbreaking, but maybe enough to spark some interest from an otherwise undecided potential participant.

Looking forward to seeing what people will come up with. :brain:

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A hackathon is a great idea imo. can really bring the ecosystem forward without difficult funding mechanisms and development cycles. I hope it will be a great success and that we will see more of this in the future. Would also be a great use for lockbox funds..

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any news about the hackathon, did they create anything cool?

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Thanks for checking in. The submission deadline was extended to Sunday, March 30 to give teams a bit more time to finalize their projects. Next week, DevRel reps from Zcash and NEAR will review the submissions to make sure they meet the participation guidelines. Then, during the week of April 7, judges from both ecosystems will evaluate the projects and vote on the winners.

I’ll see if I can share a preview of some of the submissions next week.

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