ETHIndia 2024: Playing the Infinite Game of Ethereum
Hit rewind on a hackathon where builders, developers, and dreamers came together to play an infinite game and contribute to the ever-growing Ethereum ecosystem.
A Starting Point, Not an Endpoint
With the ETHIndia series of hackathons, our aim has always been to bring together everyone passionate about Web3 and Ethereum under one roof. And we're happy to have been making it happen slowly and steadily since the first ETHIndia hackathon in 2018.
ETHIndia 2024 had over $170,000 in prizes and united 750+ hackers who walked in with ambition and curiosity, building 275 projects, each exploring a new possibility onchain.
But it didn’t stop there—our Quadratic Voting experiment with Anon Aadhaar brought over many people onchain, proving that innovation isn’t just about code; it’s about building bridges for more people to join this journey.
Leading up to ETHIndia
At ETHIndia, it’s the small things that make a big difference. From fast and reliable internet to comfortable seating arrangements and thoughtful merch, we crafted everything at the event to make sure that the builders have the best experience. And none of it would have been possible without the dedication of volunteers, mentors, and partners who brought it all to life.
Amid the intensity, Onchain Dino was a fun nod to the iconic Chrome Dino game. Inspired by this, our sweet little Bunny V embarked on its own journey: dodging roadblocks on the path to decentralisation. A reminder that even when the internet’s out, the building never stops. Read an in-depth study here.
🎲 The D-Day: Let the Hunger Ethereum Games Begin
Our favourite moment: the doors swung open and the builders started streaming in brimming with excitement, energy, and ideas. You didn’t have to roll a 6 to begin, but you had to be ready to build, brainstorm, and rewrite the rules. And safe to say, the builders were up for it!
Meanwhile, next door at FIL Bangalore, some riveting discussions were happening enabling ecosystem-wide networking.
From the get-go, ETHIndia 2024 wasn’t a spectator sport. With Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), Vaibhav Chellani (Socket Tech) and Denver Dsouza (Devfolio) taking the stage during the keynote, the message was simple: the infinite game is ours to play, and Ethereum is the ultimate playground.
Partner workshops from Base, Coinbase Developer Platform, Supra, Polygon, PSE, Filecoin, Huddle01, BNBChain, Socket, StarkWare, Walrus, Polkadot (Edgeware), The Graph, Citrea, Polynomial, True Network, Lit Protocol, Finternet, Baven, Ethereum Attestation Services, BuidlGuidl, EigenLayer, Okto, Rareskills, and Stackr kept the ideas flowing.
Then, at 9:00 PM sharp, we officially kicked off the hackathon. First things first, we wanted to make sure everyone found their perfect team before diving headfirst into building. The team formation activity was quite a ride, breaking the ice and getting everyone settled in for the challenge.
Come night, the room was full of clacking keyboards (not complaining), scribbled notes, and brainstorms while the art installations by Colors of India turned the venue into a creative playground.
Day 2 at ETHIndia: Where the Grind met the Groove.
Builders powered through the day thanks to the Tribal Coffee Kiosk by BNBChain, and chai enthusiasts got their fix at the Base Chai booth by Based India.
For those feeling the toll of endless building, the Flow Session offered a much-needed, colourful break! Somewhere in the mix, the board games corner by Kavade brought in a dose of nostalgia and strategy into the mix. By the time the evening rolled in, the venue was grooving to DJ beats (shoutout to our part-time DJ volunteer), stunning live art, and Lampys’ surreal lighting (big props to Supervillians and Absurd Industries!), creating a vibe that felt part concert, part hacker haven.
Day 2 was also about reimagining what workshops can achieve, creating a space for builders to gain a truly holistic view of the ecosystem. From the very start, the air buzzed with possibility as builders gathered to explore ideas that could redefine the ecosystem Siddharth Shetty introduced the Finternet. It wasn’t just technical; it was a call to rethink what’s possible when systems work in harmony. The energy carried into the Public Goods Hour, where conversations grew deeper. Builders grappled with how blockchain could go beyond its tech roots to address systemic challenges in funding public goods.Then, Rajeev from Secureum turned debugging into a Kaun Banega Crorepati-style showdown, proving that finding bugs can actually be a blast. Finally, Based India Fellowship capped off the day with a deep dive into onchain AI innovation, encouraging builders to dream big and innovate boldly.
And in between, mentors toured around, helping builders polish ideas and troubleshoot unwanted guest bugs. This wasn’t about quick fixes; it was about fine-tuning for infinite impact.
By evening, dinner plates clattered as projects started taking form, piece by piece, sprint by sprint. The finish line was now at an arm's length!
Infinite Voices, Infinite Impact
The final hours of ETHIndia 2024 felt electric with builders powering through exhaustion and excitement to meet the 9:00 AM submission deadline. By the end, 275 projects stood ready. Big props to the partners who supported tracks across categories like DeFi, DAOs, scalability, and privacy, steering builders toward breakthroughs.
The judging began. The projects were judged on scalability, adaptability, and the sheer audacity to inspire. The winners were just the opening act. The real thrill lies in what comes next: forks, upgrades, and reimagined potential.
Then, in a moment of pure ETHIndia energy: Vitalik Buterin joined the closing ceremony, answering the builders' questions ands reminding everyone that the journey doesn’t end here. Ethereum isn’t just technology; it’s a living system that grows as we do. The game doesn’t stop; it evolves.
As the winners were announced, cheers echoed through the venue. Top 10 teams stood out, but every builder knew this truth: the real win is the journey. Check out the top players here:
The infinite game doesn’t crown a winner. It crowns those who keep playing.
Quadratic Voting: An experiment for the books!
Quadratic Voting is a collective decision-making process that goes beyond a simple yes or no vote, enabling people to choose the intensity of their preferences.
Quadratic voting has been a quintessential part of every Devfolio hackathon, but this year brought an exciting experiment to it. With Anon Aadhaar, by Privacy and Scaling Explorations, providing Sybil resistance, all Indians had a chance to participate in Quadratic Voting for the first time ever.
Read more on why this experiment was one of its kind: https://devfolio.co/blog/when-india-came-together-to-vote-at-ethindia/
Cheers to the Projects! 🥳
But the support doesn’t end with votes. ETHIndia is all about community, and Crypto Cheer lets you take your support to the next level. Here’s how you can join in:
- Go to the projects page.
- Click “Cheer Project” in the top left corner.
- Choose your stickers.
- Connect your wallet.
- Complete the transaction.
Each cheer is an onchain boost of encouragement for the builders who are shaping Ethereum’s infinite game. At, Devfolio, we believe that support isn’t measured in amounts but in spirit. To make it easier for everyone to cheer, we’ve added a 0.00025 ETH LFG sticker—because every bit of love counts.
Cheer on the projects you believe in and keep the momentum going!
Play the Infinite Game, Shall We?
ETHIndia 2024 was a celebration of the builders, for the builders, by the builders. A place where ideas became projects that could turn the tide for Ethereum ecosystem. And if it proved anything, it’s that the future of Ethereum is infinite because so are its builders.
Until next time, never stop building. The game’s just getting started.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play. ~James P. Carse
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