Pioneering Web3 Financial Innovation at Game-a-thon 2025 to Engage 400+ Students from Premier Indian Institutions Shardeum an autoscaling EVM-based layer-1 blockchain in collaboration with WeCraft Studio has announced the launch of India’s first inaugural PayFi-focused mini hackathon as part of the GameOn 2025 event.
This initiative positions Shardeum at the forefront of Web3-powered financial innovation, targeting over 400 students from prestigious institutions including IITs, NITs, and other leading colleges across India.
PayFi merges traditional payment systems with decentralized finance, making crypto-based transactions as intuitive as conventional digital payments while leveraging blockchain’s security and transparency. This emerging sector holds particular significance for India’s rapidly expanding digital payment landscape, offering solutions that can enhance financial inclusion and address real-world payment challenges through familiar user interfaces powered by decentralized technology.
Shardeum provides developers with a robust, scalable blockchain platform optimized for building next-generation financial applications.
The platform offers:
1. Low transaction costs enabling micro-payments and frequent transactions
2. High throughput supporting real-world payment volumes
3. Linear scalability ensuring performance scales with network growth
4. Developer-friendly tools and documentation for rapid prototyping and deployment
Developers participating in the hackathon will have access to comprehensive resources, including technical documentation, development tools, and direct support from the Shardeum team to help bring their PayFi innovations to life.
The PayFi Mini Hackathon challenges participants to develop innovative solutions across several key areas:
Core Challenge Themes:
Micro and Macro Payment Solutions: Creating scalable payment systems for both small-value and high-value transactions
Crypto-based Remittances and Tipping: Developing cross-border payment solutions and social tipping mechanisms
Wallet and Transaction UX Enhancements: Improving user interfaces to make crypto payments as intuitive as traditional digital wallets
Peer-to-Peer and Point-of-Sale Applications: Building practical solutions for everyday commerce and personal transactions
Developer Tools and APIs: Creating infrastructure that enables other developers to integrate payment functionalities
Social, Gaming, and Local Commerce Integration: Leveraging familiar contexts to introduce crypto payments naturally
Projects will be evaluated based on technical soundness, real-world applicability, user experience design, and innovation potential. Participants are encouraged to focus on solutions that address genuine market needs while maintaining the security and transparency benefits of blockchain technology.
Shahzad Nathani, Head of Operations and Partnerships at Shardeum said, “We’re not just launching a hackathon, we’re igniting India’s PayFi revolution. These brilliant minds will build the financial infrastructure that will power India’s next decade of digital growth. We’re giving them the tools to solve real problems that affect millions of people every day.”
The hackathon is open to all students from participating institutions, with teams of 2-4 members encouraged. Teams must submit a working prototype, accompanied by technical documentation, a user experience demonstration, and a business case presentation, all integrated with the Shardeum blockchain. Complete submission guidelines, timeline, and platform details can be found here
Top-performing projects will receive SHM grants to support continued development within the Shardeum ecosystem. Winning teams will be showcased at a dedicated post-hackathon event to investors and industry leaders, with outstanding projects featured on Shardeum’s website and social media for enhanced visibility. Selected teams will also receive ongoing mentorship from Shardeum’s technical and business development teams to guide their projects from concept to market deployment.
This initiative represents a crucial step in building India’s Web3 talent pipeline and fostering innovation in the rapidly growing PayFi sector. By focusing on practical, user-friendly solutions, the hackathon aims to bridge the gap between complex blockchain technology and everyday financial needs.
The collaboration with WeCraft Studio and Game-a-thon 2025 provides participants with comprehensive support, networking opportunities, and industry exposure beyond the hackathon.
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