Web3 is constantly expanding; therefore, tech professionals in the industry are urged to hone their skills continuously. However, doing it without competition and support may lead to a lack of motivation. Therefore, tech professionals are always encouraged to mingle with other talents in the industry and participate in events like Internet Computer hackathons across North America.
Moreover, you have an added advantage if you are from North America. It is emerging as a hub of developers as it is home to some of the top companies and ambitious projects like ICP.Hub North America. The organization is urging developers in the crypto community to adopt Internet Computer Protocol to gain actual decentralization within the ecosystem. So, let’s find out how you can make the most out of the place by participating in Internet Computer hackathons across North America.
Why Should You Know About Internet Computer Hackathons Across North America?
The next wave of revolution in Web3 might be in the form of Internet Computer Protocol. It offers the idea of true decentralization, meaning creators and developers will be given total governance or control over their projects. A decentralized protocol is the power center of the public software development platform that several independent data centers create. It enables Web3 services to run solely on-chain and The ICP.Hub North America is among the pioneers of this initiative.
To know more about ICP.Hub North America, we recommend you check out this article.
To get more insights about ICP, you should attend Internet Computer hackathons across North America and work on projects using ICP’s advanced technology. If you are unsure how to find such a niche hackathon, check out their page.
Why Should You Participate In Internet Computer Hackathons Across North America?
The developer community at ICP.Hub North America is a close-knit group that encourages a collaborative ecosystem. It focuses on driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of budding developers to enable the growth of decentralized application development.
If you are aiming to become a developer, you should check out this article.
Suppose you choose to be a part of ICP.Hub North America, you would benefit from their supportive environment and gain access to their platform’s advanced features like canister, WebAssembly integration, etc. The community also provides developers with tools to build secure and scalable projects directly on the network.
To learn more about ICP.Hub’s vision, check out this article.
The DFINITY Foundation is also closely associated with the initiative and aims to foster community innovation and collaboration. It also provides developers with a library of resources, including tutorials, guides, and other data available at Internet Computer Documentation.
To learn more about ICP.Hub North America’s collaboration, check out this article.
The best part about Internet Computer is that it is flexible with programming languages, which allows developers to work with Rust, TypeScript, Python, and even Motoko. You can check out courses in these languages at platforms like Dacade and Risein.
You can also take advanced courses, and the Internet Computer community can help you with developer resources and a guide to the journey. The DFINITY Foundation also helps by offering free cycles to build and hosting working groups focused on the technology.
So, you may wish to be a part of this initiative. In that case, you can also discuss, seek help, or collaborate through ICP’s developer forum and their developer Discord channel. They will also receive help in the form of developer grants and bounties and the bounty bug program that aims to facilitate the growth and success of the ecosystem by offering funds to budding developers.
Here are some Internet Computer hackathons across North America arranged by ICP for more information.Hub North America and their winners:
DubHacks (University of Washington, Seattle, USA)
Embarking on an educational journey is as much about acquiring knowledge as it is about exploring opportunities and finding the right platforms to develop and showcase your talent.
What makes DubHacks stand out is its undying commitment to nurturing young minds. The organization recognizes students’ sheer potential, and thus, it aims to guide them in maneuvering through the tech realm with responsibility and precision.
The winner of the DubHacks event in 2023 was the DataWall project. It offers a sophisticated chat interface, guiding users through the intricacies of their insurance and related claims. Using a conversational Natural Language Processing model, fine-tuned with comprehensive insurance data, the DataWall platform engages users in a detailed conversation.
Hack the North (University of Waterloo, Canada)
ICP has significantly promoted technological innovation by organizing events branded as ‘Hack the North.’ Recognized as Canada’s premier hackathon, ‘Hack the North’ has carved a niche for itself on the global stage. Drawing over 1,000 tech enthusiasts, the event is a hub for emerging developers worldwide.
The winner of the Hack the North event in 2023 was Unfake Project. With a core focus on safeguarding product authenticity, the project’s system leverages blockchain technology and QR code scanning to provide a comprehensive means of verifying product legitimacy and Mirror Port: A virtual, encrypted, and decentralized safe for essential records. There is also a built-in scanner function and a resource of contacts to mentor and aid the user.
ChainShift (University of Calgary Blockchain Society)
ICP.Hub North America collaborated with the University of Calgary Blockchain. It organized the ChainShift Hackathon from November 2-6 to allow budding developers to learn live coding and more about ICP from the leaders.
The event was a great success, and the participants developed 15 projects, 9 of which were built on the ICP mainnet. The project’s front and back end were also deployed on-chain.
The following projects made a mark at the event:
1. MediData (winner 1st prize) – This project was built to create a decentralized platform for medical data storage that ensures total security.
2. Little Picasso (winner 2nd prize) – As the name suggests, the project was designed to provide kids a platform to discover their artistic talent using ICP’s technology.
3. ChainConnectPro (winner 3rd prize) – This project was built on Internet Computer to create
4. ChainSwift (4th position) – This project was built to make the lives of the commoner easier by making the process of virtual verification seamless and eliminating the need for traditional verification.
5. Identity verification via QR code (5th position) – This project is another initiative that aims to simplify identity verification.
6. IChainvote (6th position) – This project aims to make voting in the DeFi world easier.
Hack the Valley (University of Toronto, Canada)
The University of Toronto allows students to network annually by organizing the hackathon – Hack the Valley. It is also a fantastic learning opportunity for students as they create a minimally viable product to hone their coding, development, and implementation skills. Find out more about the event here.
The winner of the Hack the North event in 2023 was the Face Connect project. It is a Discord bot that rekindles connections using facial recognition. With Face Connect, you can send connection requests to people if you have a picture of their face.
It would help if you kept an eye out for more such Internet Computer Hackathons across North America if you want to learn about the new technology from the pioneers.
By participating in Internet Computer hackathons across North America organized by ICP.Hub, you can gain an opportunity to learn from them how to develop dApps on the IC while having complete control over your creation. Here’s a glimpse of a developer’s journey who joined the ICP initiative.
Level 0: Pre-flight Operations
Suppose a budding developer like you joins the program; instead of making you dive head first, Internet Computer hackathons across North America will help you build your knowledge about Internet Computer Blockchain to understand how to implement the protocol in your project.
At this level, you will learn about Internet Computer in detail, the terminologies related to them, and the developer environment setup that will be required. You will also be introduced to canisters, languages, and dfx.
Check out what else you will learn at Level 0.
Level 1: Space Cadet
Before you start developing your dApp in the ICP.Hub program, you will get to watch a live demo. You will learn how to deploy a canister using the Motoko playground. Level 1 will also teach you about cycles wallet – a particular type of canister, and how to acquire them. After completing this level, you can deploy and manage canisters like a pro.
Here’s what more you will learn at Level 1
Level 2: Space Explorer
Once you have learned about the basic functionalities of canisters, you should learn the advanced ones. That would include learning how to use third-party canisters and also the use of ‘Candid’ – which is an interface description language.
Check out what else Level 2 of the program has to offer.
Level 3 & Level 4: Space Engineer & Space Pilot
At the last two levels, you learn how to deploy different package managers like Mokoto, Mops, and Vessel. By completing the program, you will have enough knowledge and skills to build your dApp on IC successfully.
Find out more about what is taught at Level 3 & Level 4
Internet Computer hackathons across North America by ICP.Hub also hosts boot camps for developers. You can find out more about these workshops and boot camps by ICP.Hub North America on their YouTube channel with all the sessions recorded:
Python Bootcamp Luma Event
Typescript Luma Event
Moreover, with ICP.Hub North America’s recent collaboration with CryptoChicks, during the hackathons, participants will also be able to access these courses:
Typescript
Rust
Things to Keep in Mind Before Your First Hackathon
Even though Internet Computer hackathons across North America are not formal events per definition, you will need some preparation before attending one. Especially if it’s your first hackathon, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
For instance,
Doing Your Research
You don’t want to show up unprepared for your first hackathon. Thus, it’s best to research about the theme. It will help you create an original idea on which you will be working during the event. Preparing a plan of action before the big day would be best.
Creating Your Team
If you want to leave a mark during the hackathon, do it with your teammates. You must start preparing months ahead to curate a competent and efficient team. You can also contact hackathon organizers to help you connect with fellow developers if you fall short of developer friends.
Starting to Network
Do your research and learn about the developers participating in the event from the organizer’s side. You can connect with them beforehand to understand what they seek in the hackathon. It will help you land beneficial opportunities after the hackathon.
Pre-Installing Your Development Environment
Suppose you don’t want to be awkward at the hackathon only because your laptop lags or your software wasn’t pre-downloaded. So, you should set up your development environment days before the hackathon starts.
You can pack other things like noise-canceling headphones, extra laptop chargers, USB cables, and an extra battery.
Things to Keep in Mind During a Hackathon
Here are a few things that you should follow if you are attending an Internet Computer hackathon.
Be Ready to Improvise
Even after having a plan of action, things may go south while coding. So, you should be ready to improvise. You may feel the urge to rush and finish the project, but it would be best to keep calm and discuss the issue with your teammates to find a solution.
Position Yourself as Someone Valuable
Internet Computer hackathons across North America are a call for extraordinary talents worldwide. So, to stand out among all other developers is a difficult task. Thus, it would help if you created a strong portfolio before attending the event and also actively network with the professionals present to make yourself seem valuable.
Things to Keep in Mind After a Hackathon
Your job is not done at the hackathon after submitting your project. If you want to make the most of the event, here are a few things you should remember.
Document Your Work
Before shutting down your laptop after submitting your project at the hackathon, save all the notes, designs, and codes you used during the event. These will be valuable for your future projects.
Remember to Take Feedback
The events are organized to provide budding developers with a learning opportunity, so you should not miss out on any learning moment. So, before leaving the event, communicate with judges or senior developers to receive feedback on your project.
Follow up With Your Network
Internet Computer hackathons across North America provide an excellent opportunity to rack up your knowledge and a gateway to fantastic career options. While at the event, you can connect with recruiters, share your portfolio, and create potential job leads. However, you must follow up on the leads after the event to make them of use.
Final Thoughts
In the evolving digital realm of Web3, Internet Computer hackathons across North America have emerged as more than just coding marathons; they represent the ethos of decentralized collaboration and innovation. Moreover, the emergence of Internet Computer hackathons across North America has added to their relevance and ICP.Hub North America is leading the initiative. The organization challenges participants to push the boundaries, fostering solutions that might one day become the bedrock of Web3. They highlight the potential of Web3 and shape its trajectory, ensuring a more inclusive, transparent, and user-centric digital future.
