United Gulf Financial Services (UGFS North Africa) has boosted the Hedera Africa Hackathon prize pool by adding $1 million, doubling the total to $2 million.
This move attracts developers, startups, and entrepreneurs to build decentralised solutions addressing Africa’s pressing challenges.
The hackathon runs from August 1 to September 30, 2025, and connects participants across 20 African cities and online platforms to accelerate Web3 adoption.
Hedera Africa hackathon prize pool boost sparks greater innovation
The $2 million prize pool aims to fund winning projects that leverage Hedera’s energy-efficient and enterprise-grade distributed ledger technology (DLT).
Mohamed Salah Frad, Managing Director of UGFS (North Africa), explained, “We trust that the hackathon will bring talented teams and projects to the areas of AI, greentech, Biotech, and more. Working with partners such as the Hashgraph Association and Exponential Science Foundation is essential, as we believe collaboration is key.”
This hackathon is an opportunity for developers, students, and entrepreneurs from Africa and beyond to develop applications that are focused on four distinct tracks: Onchain Finance and Real-World Asset Tokenisation, DLT for Operations, including healthcare and supply chains, Gaming and NFTs, and AI combined with decentralised infrastructure like DePIN. It supports innovation in multiple sectors, including finance, agriculture, telecom, and sustainability.
Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association, highlighted the importance of partnerships in this initiative and the impact of the prize increase: “Increasing the pool prize from $1 million to $2 million will attract more innovative developers and projects and help us digitise the African continent.”
The event, which is supported by prominent actors such as Orange Africa and DAR Blockchain, aims to engage over 10,000 participants and stimulate the continent’s expanding Web3 ecosystem by incorporating virtual participation and on-site activities in cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo.
United Gulf’s substantial incentive addition showcases a resolute dedication to fostering African innovation through blockchain and decentralised technologies, propelling the continent into the global digital future.