The inaugural Blockchain Competition was held from September 5-8, 2024, at the ANFAŞ International Fair and Congress Center in Antalya.
This year, for the first time, the Blockchain Competition was organized through the collaboration of TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Research Center (BİLGEM) and TÜBİTAK’s Science and Society Presidency (BİTO), from September 5-8, 2024, in Antalya at the ANFAŞ International Fair and Congress Center.
The main mission of the competition is to reveal the potential of blockchain technology across various fields, which is seen as a key tool to shape the technological transformation of the future, from crypto-asset systems to decentralized autonomous organizations. It also aims to provide a platform for young talents to showcase their skills in this area, contributing to the development of knowledge and qualified human resources in Türkiye
The widespread adoption of blockchain technology in Turkey and its application to real-world problems is of great importance. Therefore, the scope of the Blockchain Competition was kept quite broad. The competition aimed not only to advance blockchain technology itself but also to solve real-world problems in fields such as digital identity, finance, supply chain, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), origin tracking, and other applications using blockchain technology.
This year, the competition accepted submissions under five main categories: High-Performance and Scalable Distributed Ledger Infrastructures, Privacy of Data and Transactions in Blockchain Systems, Digital Wallets, Blockchain Solutions in Selected Application Areas, and Web3 Developer and Community Tools. Participants had the opportunity to explore different aspects of blockchain technology and develop innovative solutions.
The competition also accepted international applications, and projects were evaluated based on criteria such as added value and innovation, use of technology, feasibility, widespread impact, and sustainability.
Teams that passed the first stage were offered "short-term training or mentoring" opportunities. Finalist teams were given the chance to "meet with industry experts or executives" and/or participate in "short-term internship programs."
Out of 233 teams that applied, 30 finalist teams qualified for the final stage in Antalya.
The winning team was awarded 100,000 TL, the second team 80,000 TL, and the third team 60,000 TL. Additionally, the advisor of the winning team received a 9,000 TL award, the advisor of the second team received 7,500 TL, and the advisor of the third team received 6,000 TL.
The awards will be presented between Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival held at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport.
On Sunday, an award ceremony was held, attended by Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board. The best presentation award was given to the Çukurova Blockchain team.
