The importance of Bitcoin as a long-term store of value is unquestionable. However, recently, Bitcoin has emerged fast as an asset that is no longer just something to hold. It has become a go-to destination for consumers to make active use of their assets and engage them in a range of diversified DeFi activities such as staking, swapping, and more.
One platform that has been significantly responsible for shaping the future of Bitcoin DeFi as the Bitcoin Consumer Chain is Core. With over 37 million unique addresses and weekly dApp activity consistently exceeding 300,000 users, according to DappRadar, Core is flourishing like never before, processing hundreds of millions of transactions. It is the largest Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem with nearly $850M in TVL, over 5,500 Bitcoin staked, and 350M total transactions.
Now, in an unmatched effort to diversify the user experience on the Bitcoin Consumer Chain, the Core Foundation has announced the Core Global Gaming Hackathon 2025 with $380,000 in prizes to be awarded throughout a four-week event to the builders creating the most popular games in the key categories.
More About the Hackathon
While the registration for the hackathon has already begun, it will run from February 5 to March 19, 2025. The submission deadline is March 10, 2025. The prize pool is $380,000, with additional incentives from Core’s developer support programs. Over and above the magnanimously allocated prize pool, participants will also qualify for additional opportunities through Core’s Builder Incentive Program ($150,000) and Core Starter Program ($200,000), which provide resources such as security audits and Google Cloud credits.
Among track prizes, the first-place holder will qualify for a winning amount of over $15,000 in CORE tokens, while the second and third-place holders will qualify for more than $9,000 and $6,000, respectively. Becoming eligible for the hackathon would only require games to mandatorily deploy to Core’s mainnet and incorporate CORE tokens in their mechanics, whether through tokenized rewards, minting NFTs, or other blockchain-based activities.
The participation tracks are diverse, as one can innovate across Hyper-Casual Games, Social PvP Games, and Puzzle Games.
Core’s Reputation Fuels Excitement
The momentum that the hackathon has been adding on to it since it was first announced is largely due to Core’s reputation as the first Proof of Stake (PoS) Layer for Bitcoin, pioneering Non-Custodial Bitcoin Staking secured by over 5,500 staked BTC, 175M staked CORE, and nearly 75% of Bitcoin mining hash power.
Core turned BTC into a yield-bearing asset for the first time ever. In April 2024, it launched Non-Custodial Bitcoin Staking – letting Bitcoin holders earn yield without counterparty risk. By November 2024, it introduced Dual Staking, taking yields even further. Today, BTC x CORE Dual Staking is live, giving both institutions and users a way to earn returns on their BTC.
As Rich Rines, a contributor at Core, aptly puts it, “Core is where consumers go to get more out of their Bitcoin. The Core Global Gaming Hackathon will showcase how Bitcoin-aligned games can further enhance that consumer experience.”
The registration link is just a click away, with March 19, 20,25 being the date fixed for the Demo Day and announcement of winners.
