$250,000 in Prizes — DeFAI Hackathon on Sonic

We’re excited to announce the Sonic DeFAI Hackathon, in partnership with Hey Anon, DoraHacks, and Zerebro.

With $250,000 in prizes, the hackathon invites participants to compete over four weeks to create novel AI agents that perform both social and on-chain actions, further accelerating the development of DeFAI on Sonic.

Hackathon submissions open today, January 21, 2025, and will close on February 24, 2025. Winners will be announced in early March.

What is DeFAI?

DeFAI combines AI and blockchain technology to make complex tasks simpler. For example, AI agents on a blockchain can autonomously handle actions like bridging assets, swapping tokens, and depositing liquidity—all in one step. Other AI agents might manage social media accounts or execute marketing strategies with remarkable efficiency.

The Sonic DeFAI Hackathon aims to explore how AI can transform our interaction with blockchain. From managing social media to executing on-chain operations, AI agents are pushing the boundaries of innovation in this space. With $250,000 in prizes, the event invites creators worldwide to redefine DeFi using AI.

Application Process and Submission Guidelines

Developers can participate by visiting the Sonic DeFAI Hackathon page on DoraHacks where the hackathon is hosted. Participants must follow the application process below.

• Timeline
  Participants have four weeks to develop and finalize their projects. The submission deadline is February 24, 2025.
• Video Demo
  Each team must submit a three-minute demo video showcasing their agent via YouTube, Vimeo, or Google Drive.
• Repository Link
  A link to the project’s code repository is required.

A panel of industry experts will evaluate and judge the submissions, including Michael Kong (CEO, Sonic Labs), Seg (Developer Relations, Sonic Labs), Jeffy Yu (Founder, Zerebro), Ayoub (Lead Engineer, Zerebro), and Daniele Sesta (Founder, Hey Anon).

Additional judges may be announced before the submission deadline. Submissions will be judged using the following criteria:

• Technological Implementation
  Does the integration with Sonic demonstrate quality software development?
• Design
  Is the project’s user experience and design thoughtfully crafted and intuitive?
• Potential Impact
  What is the potential scale of the project's influence on the blockchain industry?
• Quality of the Idea
  How creative and unique is the project?

Prizes and Awards

We’re distributing a total of $250,000 in prizes to winning projects across several categories:

• Top 3 Agents
  • 1st Place: $60,000
  • 2nd Place: $55,000
  • 3rd Place: $45,000
  • Honorable Mentions (2): $15,000 each

Additionally, we’re offering several bonus prizes. The top 3 winners are also eligible for these if their agents fall into the specified categories.

• Best Social Agent
  • Winner $12,500
  • Runner-Up: $7,500
• Best DeFAI Agent
  • Winner $12,500
  • Runner-Up: $7,500
• Best Tooling Agent
  • Winner $12,500
  • Runner-Up: $7,500

Support for Participants and Winners

Throughout the hackathon, participants will have access to comprehensive guidance on idea development, AI frameworks, and project setup. This includes technical support for ZerePy, an open-source Python framework developed by Zerebro for creating on-chain and social agents. Sonic has been fully integrated with ZerePy for easy and efficient agent building.

The winning teams will receive additional perks, including marketing exposure via official Sonic Labs social media channels and other promotional opportunities to help bring their agents to a larger audience.

For more information or to register for the hackathon, please visit the Sonic DeFAI Hackathon page and join the official Telegram group.