ETHIndiaVilla - Same Mission, New Format

Our mission for 2025 was clear: We are doing things differently this time.

ETHIndia came back with a new version this year, ETHIndiaVilla.

A tighter circle of Ethereum builders, a more intentional format, and an experience designed for real collaboration.

This edition brought together a team of selected builders for a format built around depth. Teams will work in groups of three or four, and every team will be joined by a Super Hacker. We received 2,045 applications this year, out of which we shortlisted 52 of the best hackers in India to work with Super Hackers in this edition.

Super Hacker - The wild card of every team.

Why shift the format? We want to create a space where builders can think sharply and learn faster. Every team is paired with a Super Hacker who brings real-world insights from the products they work on every day.

Super Hackers are the past mentors and judges you have seen guiding ETHIndia in previous editions, but this time, they were building inside the same team. The concept of Super Hackers was chosen from our community feedback and our intrinsic motivation to shift focus on the quality of mentorship and project outcomes of ETHIndia.

Super Hackers were professionals at their work from Base, Crossmint, Caddy Finance, Polygon Labs, Arbitrum, KelpDAO, Lucidly Finance, StarkWare & Privy

The role of a Super Hacker is a middle ground between mentor and hacker; they are advisors but also part of the team:

Super Hackers have extensive experience in Ethereum, professionally & as past ETHIndia attendees. This increases the bar for each team with improved mentorship and creativity.
Super Hackers being part of the team also means they are motivated to double down their efforts in making their team win. This is difficult to achieve in traditional mentorship, where you are assigned to all or a set of teams.

The result...

17 Solid Projects from 17 Teams, each paired with their own Super Hacker

Super Hackers locked in with their team

The purpose of Super Hacker was not just technical expertise; it was also the industry experience and bringing together veterans with future builders.

Here's what Super Hackers felt about the new format of mentorship

"I realized they don't need any help in building, They needed help in understanding what the Industry is like because they are still in college."
- Angela | Super Hacker

"Traditional hackathons are bounty focused, it's good to see Super Hackers & teams helping each other, this is what the community needs. Not just incentive driven, but builder driven"
- Thiru | Super Hacker

Big Boss wants you to play

We have run the standard hackathon format many times over the years, so this year we wanted to bring something fresh for everyone. And it was not just hacking. The villa had activities planned that made the overall experience richer, more engaging, and a lot more fun.

Three games to take a break from hacking but premium prize to keep the spirits competitive

We inserted three games to add a vibeathon spirit for the IRL hacking phase.

Fastest Pani Puri First: Test your Ethereum ecosystem and technical knowledge, but instead of a buzzer, you have to make and have a pani puri.
SpaghETHi Marshmellow: Midnight break from hacking (and potential snacking) by creating a structure using only Spaghetti and Marshmallows.
Proof of Pool: Post submissions, hackers compete for swag by scoring the most by tossing into the floating hoops.

Prizes for these games were equally rewarding. We had Hardware Ledges & exclusive ETHIndia Swag on the line just to play these games and give everyone a great time.

Reward more than just bounties

We wanted our hackers to be rewarded with something you cannot put a price on, a Connection with industry's best. Spending 24 hours with Super Hackers at the Villa allowed these hackers to bond at a greater level than mentors at a traditional hackathon.

This resulted in a deeper connection that butterfly effects into networks as the builder continues their journey in the Ethereum ecosystem. "We met for the first time at ETHIndia" is a traditional experience witnessed by many developers in India.

"Coming back on Day 2, I realized I now know most of these people by name, this can only happen when you are in an intimate space like ETHIndia Villa"
- Angela | Super Hacker

Quadratic Voting so everyone wins

We continued doubling down on the benefit of Quadratic Voting to fairly reward the best projects. On top of QV, Anon Aadhar makes it possible for every eligible Indian (with a valid AADHAR card) to participate in QV without identity disclosure.

This means hackers are incentivized to advocate for their projects.

More advocacy = More votes = More share of the prize pool.

Turns out, doing things differently works

We are proud and honored that we got to try new formats this year. From running BlockTrain, the World's first Ethereum hackathon on a moving Train to ETHIndiaVilla. The recognition and love from hackers, sponsors, and communities tell us that our efforts are in the right direction and towards what builders and problem solvers also want.

Cheers to a lot more building, good times, and experiments in 2026.

Never Stop Building and a Happy New Year from team Devfolio

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Never Stop Building & a Happy New Year :D