Blockchain hackathon 'Building Future Cities' to be held in Bengaluru

A two-day blockchain hackathon, 'Building Future Cities', will be held here from August 5.

The hackathon is organised by Crypto investing app CoinSwitch, in association with 'Startup Karnataka', a Karnataka Government initiative, and Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament (Bangaluru South).

It is also supported by Sequoia India.

The hackathon will challenge participants to envision a blockchain-powered India, with a focus on smart mobility, energy credits and trading, decentralized waste management, secure digital identity and certificate management, efficient and transparent vaccine distribution, among others, the organisers said in a statement on Thursday.

The winners will be rewarded with a prize money of Rs three lakh, with the total prize pool of the hackathon set at Rs six lakh. Participants can enter the competition individually or in a team of up to four members, it said.

"Karnataka is the torchbearer of Digital India. The state has an excellent track record of close collaboration between the government and entrepreneurs. This hackathon enables Karnataka to carry this success story to the next frontier of technology - blockchain - and empowers young innovators to utilise the power of blockchain for public good," Karnataka IT Minister Ashwath Narayan C N said.