.Arike is designed to simplify the process of participating in hackathons, making it safer and more efficient for users. The platform allows users to verify their identity without exposing sensitive personal information, which is crucial in today’s digital world where privacy is a significant concern. Instead of requiring users to submit full personal details like their full name or address, .Arike uses privacy-preserving methods such as Anon Aadhaar, enabling individuals to prove their eligibility or age while maintaining control over what information they choose to disclose. This approach ensures that participants can safely verify necessary details while keeping their personal data protected. One of the core features of .Arike is its seamless team-building functionality. In a hackathon, it’s important for participants to trust each other, especially when collaborating on projects that may involve sensitive information or complex ideas. .Arike offers a solution by allowing users to connect with others based on verified identities, providing an additional layer of trust in the team formation process. This trust layer ensures that the people you are working with are who they claim to be, which is crucial for building effective teams. The platform also provides users with the ability to rate their team members after the event, with the added benefit of keeping ratings anonymous. This helps maintain trust within the community by ensuring that feedback is given fairly and that it is only tied to verified individuals.Another key advantage of .Arike is its focus on privacy-first interactions. When users connect with each other or with event organizers, only the essential details are shared. Information like skills, proof of work, and verified eligibility are made available to ensure that users can interact meaningfully, without exposing unnecessary personal data.

One of the main challenges we faced was ensuring a smooth blockchain-based onboarding process for users unfamiliar with wallet sign-ups. This required simplifying the experience while maintaining security. Another difficulty arose with the skill-based matchmaking algorithm, as we had to balance accurate recommendations with user experience while accommodating diverse skill sets and preferences. Implementing Anon Aadhaar for privacy-preserving verification was technically complex, especially in terms of maintaining secure user data while offering privacy. Integrating Huddle01 video calls for real-time collaboration also posed performance challenges due to variations in internet speeds. Additionally, managing decentralized user data storage using Akave and Filecoin had its own set of hurdles, particularly in ensuring fast and secure access. We also faced difficulties designing a fair and motivating gamified rewards system that encouraged collaboration without discouraging participants. The AI-powered chatbot, which analyzes user input to offer personalized suggestions, required fine-tuning to ensure it worked seamlessly and provided relevant recommendations. Lastly, educating participants on new features like decentralized storage and privacy tools required significant effort, as many were unfamiliar with these concepts.