London, UK — June 19, 2025 — Developers, grab your keyboards! Trilitech, the London-based Tezos R&D Hub, and Encode Club, the leading blockchain education and community platform, are officially announcing that 2025 is the Summer of Code, with the launch of a new hackathon set to kick off on July 3rd. Launching at TezDev, the annual blockchain conference for the Tezos ecosystem, the Etherlink Hackathon 2025: Summer of Code will bring together developers from around the world to build innovative applications on the Tezos L2 network, Etherlink. The month-long virtual event offers thousands of dollars in prizes across four competitive tracks, as well as the opportunity to receive mentorship from experts within the Tezos ecosystem, and aims to position Etherlink as a premier platform for DeFi, gaming, and creative applications.
The hackathon challenges developers to leverage Etherlink’s unique advantages: ultrafast transactions with confirmations in under 500ms, near-zero fees at a fraction of a cent, and the robust security inherited from Tezos L1. The event runs from July 3rd through August 3rd, culminating in a high-stakes demo day where finalists present their projects live.
The timing aligns with significant momentum in the Etherlink ecosystem. A flurry of launches and network activity in recent months has seen total value locked (TVL) on Etherlink surge beyond $40M, demonstrating growing developer and user adoption. Recent developments include the launch of DeFi aggregator Oku, which brings Uniswap v3 functionality to Etherlink users, and the successful deployment of the Calypso upgrade, delivering up to 30x faster smart contract storage and enhanced network stability.
Etherlink’s architecture addresses key challenges facing developers today. Its non-custodial rollup design ensures no exclusive third-party control, while permissionless node operation allows anyone to run nodes, post commitments, and secure the network. Decentralized governance enables stakeholders to propose, vote, and shape network development.
The hackathon features four distinct tracks with equal $8,100 prize pools. The Best DeFi Application track challenges developers to build innovative financial protocols that leverage Etherlink’s EVM-compatible environment, from lending platforms to synthetic assets and payment rails. The Best Game or On-Chain Interactive Experience category seeks creative applications of smart contracts in gaming contexts, from simple PvP games to NFT-powered virtual worlds.
The Collab Culture track focuses on collaborative tools and NFT projects that foster engagement between diverse audiences, emphasizing accessibility and creative economy applications. The Vibecode: Wildest & Most Unexpected Project serves as the wildcard category for boundary-pushing concepts that showcase unconventional uses of blockchain technology.
Each track awards $4,050 for first place, $2,700 for second, and $1,350 for third. Additional special awards include a $5,400 Grand Prize for Best Overall Project, a $1,350 Community Choice Award determined by public vote, and $1,350 in honorable mentions for promising projects that deserve recognition.
Supporting the hackathon are leading Web3 infrastructure partners, including Goldsky for blockchain indexing and data streaming, Sequence for smart wallet integration and Web3 game development, Thirdweb for developer SDKs and smart contract tools, and Redstone for real-time data solutions. These partnerships provide participants with workshops and technical resources to accelerate development.
The event brings together experienced mentors from across the Tezos ecosystem. From the gaming and product side, participants will benefit from the guidance of Efe Kucuk (Head of Gaming at Trilitech) and Sofia Senatorova (Web3 Gaming Product Manager). The arts and culture track will be supported by Aleksandra Art (Head of Arts at Trilitech) and Vinciane Jones (Art Partner Manager). Overall hackathon coordination and support will be led by Beata Lipska (TechRel Squad Lead at Trilitech). Additional internal mentors include Alex Skene for product consultation, Camille Bouzerand for DeFi expertise, Aaron Mallet for marketing, and Taurai Ushewokunze for infrastructure. Mentors will provide guidance across gaming, product development, creative applications, and technical implementation.
Registration remains open through the hackathon period, with submission deadlines set for August 4th at 01:59 BST. The judging period begins August 5th, followed by the demo day where finalists present to judges and the community.
Developers can register and learn more at the official hackathon website: https://etherlink.encode.club/
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