Welcome to the Lightning++ 2025 Hackathon!
This is the hackathon site for the lightning++ hackathon in Berlin, Germany.
The main hackathon competition will be open ended (overall 1st, 2nd, 3rd). Anything involving bitcoin's Lightning Network is fair game.
There are optional challenges that hackers may create projects around. Submitting for a challenge is optional, and ALL projects will be considered for the main competition.
Logistics
Thursday (10/2/25)
Kickoff Presentation: 12:30 PM (GMT+02:00)
Hacking Begins: 1:00 PM
Scheduled Hacking Time: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Friday (10/3/25)
Submission Deadline: 12:30 PM - On Devpost
Report to Expo: 1:00 PM
Judging Expo: 1:15 PM - 2:30 PM - MAX 3 minutes (practice & time yourself)
Saturday (10/4/25)
Finalist Presentations: 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM - 5 minutes per team (main stage)
Awards & Closing: 4:45 PM
Requirements
Project Submission
All teams must submit their projects on Devpost (this site). Do this early so you don't forget.
Judges will primarily use the presentations to select winners. They may reference your Devpost sumbissions as well.
This event will judged using a science fair expo format. Judges will walk around and adjudicate projects in parallel.
Finalists will present on stage.
Judging Criteria
To judge hackathon projects, we follow the global standard for performance-based judging: the Olympics Women’s Gymnastics Rubric. Judges will be evaluating each hackathon team’s performance based on the following criteria:
- Routine Difficulty: Project idea, Potential impact of project, ambition
- Routine Execution: Project achievement, What you actually built, Does it work
- General Effect: Swag Factor, Presentation, Applicability to theme
Prizes
1st Overall
5 Million Satoshis + Tickets to future Bitcoin++ event + Trophy
2nd Overall
3 Million Satoshis + Tickets to future Bitcoin++ event + Trophy
3rd Overall
2 Million Satoshis + Tickets to future Bitcoin++ event + Trophy
Best Use of BitVMX
2 Million Satoshis - For the project that demonstrates the best use of BitVMX. Powered by Fairgate.
Cheatsheet & resources https://base58btc.notion.site/BitVMX-Hackathon-CheatSheet-280399ca12f0809dbf13d9e662e5c5aa?source=copy_link
Best Electrum Plugin
1 Million Satoshis - Write a plugin for Electrum.
Requirements: Pure python (to be compatible with Electrum's plugin architecture)
Challenge doc: https://base58btc.notion.site/Best-use-of-electrum-278399ca12f0805eba4cc00c3ad3cfe4
Docs: https://electrum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/plugin_dev.html
Challenge: Mint Karma
500,000 Satoshis - Make a project that helps ecash mints gain reputation by crowd sourcing attestations/ratings. Powered by Zeus.
Best use of LDK
BitKey hardware wallet - For the project with the best use of LDK, giving special recognition for projects with showcase for BOLT 12 or BIP-353. Powered by Spiral.
Best use of TollGate
GL-MT3000 travel routers - TollGate is a open-source, sovereign Wi-Fi infrastructure powered by bitcoin. This challenge is for the project that best uses TollGate. Project ideas doc: https://gitworkshop.dev/npub1c03rad0r6q833vh57kyd3ndu2jry30nkr0wepqfpsm05vq7he25slryrnw/relay.ngit.dev/writing-with-vibeline/tree/master/structured-transcriptions/hackathon-ideas.md
Best Design
50,000 Satoshis - For the project with the most intuitive, polished, and visually appealing user experience. Powered by the Bitcoin Design Foundation.
Most Unnecessary use of OpenTimestamps in an Otherwise Serious Entry
42,000 Satoshis - For the project with the most unnecessary use of OpenTimestamps in an otherwise serious entry. Powered by OpenTimestamps. https://opentimestamps.org/
Best Beginner Hack
Tickets to future Bitcoin++ event - Only eligible to teams where EVERY member is a high-school/undergraduate student OR a first-time contributor to open-source bitcoin.
Best Vibes
Vibe Medallions & Clout - For the project with the most dazzle and best vibes. Powered by Vibes Capital Management.
Honorable Mentions
Tickets to future Bitcoin++ event - Awarded to up to 6 "honorable mentions"
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
niftynei
Base58
Peter Todd
OpenTimestamps
Pedro Prete
Fairgate
Evan Kaloudis
ZEUS
Erik Cativo
Bitcoin Design Foundation
Madeline Paech
Blockstream
Oleg Mikhalsky
Fulgur Ventures
Michael Markle
BTC INC
Kevin Rooke
Independent
jaonoctus
ZBD
Felix
Electrum
Judging Criteria
-
Routine Difficulty
Quality of your Project Idea. Potential impact of your idea. Ambition/scope of the project (given the short deadline). -
Routine Execution
Project achievement. What you actually built. Does it work? Were you able to solve the problem you set out to solve? -
General Effect
Swag Factor, Presentation, Applicability to theme (lightning)
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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