ETH Canal Hackathon 2025 – Terms and Conditions

1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern participation in the ETH Canal Hackathon 2025, taking place in Panama City from April 8 to April 25, 2025.

The Hackathon is organized by C10N, S.A., operator of ETH Canal, in collaboration with partner Innovation Smart District (ISD) and with the HackerEarth platform provided by BlockDAG.

By registering for and participating in the Hackathon, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to comply with these Terms.

2. Definitions

• Organizer: C10N, S.A., as the operator of ETH Canal

• Partner: Innovation Smart District (ISD)

• Platform Provider: BlockDAG (via HackerEarth)

• Hackathon Platform: The HackerEarth platform used to manage registration, submissions, and judging

• Participant: Any individual registered for the Hackathon

• Team: A group of 2 to 5 participants collaborating on a project, with at least one member physically present in Panama City during the event

• Challenge: A problem statement or thematic track proposed by ETH Canal, ISD, or sponsors

• Winning Idea: A submission selected by the judging panel

• Hackathon Website: The official platform used for communication, resources, and submissions

3. Eligibility

• Open to individuals aged 18 years or older

• Each team must have at least one member physically present in Panama City during the Hackathon

• Employees of ETH Canal (C10N, S.A.), ISD, BlockDAG, or affiliated sponsors may participate but are not eligible for prizes

4. Registration & Team Formation

• Participants must register through the official Hackathon platform

• Teams must consist of 2 to 5 members

• Each participant may only register once and must use a valid, personal account

5. Project Submissions

• All submissions must be original, created entirely during the Hackathon period, and submitted before the published deadline

• Projects must be EVM-compatible and capable of deployment on Ethereum or other EVM-based chains

• Participants are free to develop any project aligned with the Ethereum ecosystem, including smart contracts, decentralized apps (dApps), zk or Layer 2 solutions, tooling, DAOs, NFTs, or infrastructure protocols

• To be eligible for BlockDAG’s grant program (up to $100,000 per project), submissions must be deployable on the BlockDAG Primordial Testnet

• Details: https://blockdag.network/primordial-testnet

• Participants are encouraged (but not required) to align their projects with regional themes such as:

• Finance (Banks, Fintech, Stablecoins)

• Logistics & Transportation

• Real Estate & Urban Innovation

• Digital Identity & Credentialing

• Tourism & Cultural Preservation

• Teams may use off-chain components or third-party services, provided the core functionality remains blockchain-based and source code is available for judging

• Participants are encouraged to release their code under open-source licenses, but this is optional

6. Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

• Innovation and originality

• Technical execution

• Feasibility and impact

• Presentation and clarity

The judges’ decisions are final and non-negotiable

7. Intellectual Property

• Participants retain full ownership of all intellectual property developed during the Hackathon

• By submitting a project, participants grant ETH Canal (C10N, S.A.), ISD, and BlockDAG a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and promote the submission for marketing and educational purposes only

• No partner or sponsor may commercially exploit any project or submission without the explicit written consent of the creators

• For projects entering post-hackathon incubation, separate agreements may be negotiated to define rights and responsibilities

8. Use of Provided Resources

• Hackathon data sets, APIs, and development tools provided by ISD, BlockDAG, or sponsors are for Hackathon use only

• Participants may not use these resources for unrelated or external purposes and may not share them without permission

9. Code of Conduct

Participants are expected to maintain a high standard of professionalism, respect, and collaboration.

The following will result in immediate disqualification:

• Plagiarism or submitting pre-existing projects

• Misrepresentation (e.g., using another’s account)

• Disruptive, unethical, or inappropriate behavior

10. Prizes

• Prize details will be announced at the event and may include cash, services, or in-kind awards

• Prizes will be evenly distributed among eligible team members

• All prizes are subject to applicable taxes

11. Disqualification

Participants or teams may be disqualified for:

• Violating these Terms

• Failing to submit required documentation within 14 days

• Engaging in harmful or unethical conduct

12. Limitation of Liability

C10N, S.A., ISD, and BlockDAG are not liable for:

• Technical issues or outages

• Loss or corruption of data

• Any damage to participant devices or software

13. Data Privacy

Participant information will be handled in accordance with the ETH Canal Privacy Policy and Panamanian data protection law

14. Amendments

C10N, S.A. reserves the right to amend these Terms, event dates, or challenge details at any time.

Updates will be communicated via the Hackathon platform or email