Blockchain

The Blockchain SPIRIT Hackathon: Searching For The Next Blockchain Superstar

To identify Singapore’s most promising young talents within the blockchain space, Singapore-based cryptocurrency wallet platform Coinhako collaborated with the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) SPIRIT Research Centre to organise the inaugural The Blockchain SPIRIT Hackathon competition.

The highly successful event saw many tech experts and students gather to engage in collaborative computer programming during the two-day Hackathon from 29 to 30 June 2018. Participants were tasked with designing a Singapore-wide blockchain software application and put it through a prototyping design contest. Standout participants stood the chance to win as much as SGD10,000 in start-up grants or even job offerings.

For Coinhako CEO and co-founder Yusho Liu – himself an alumnus of NTU – cryptocurrencies and the blockchain are not just about price action and disruptions. Nurturing the right talent in the right space is just as important. He said,

Yusho Liu

“I first discovered Bitcoin when I was doing my university thesis at NTU and became enthralled by its ability to quickly move value globally in only matter of clicks; just like an email. That’s when I decided to challenge myself to explore ways in which everyone in Singapore could access this ground-breaking financial innovation.

Hence, Coinhako was founded together with my co-founder Gerry Ng. We believe that somewhere amongst our local universities, eager-eyed undergraduates are faced with similar situations. Gerry and I would like to share our experiences and expertise with them.”

Although the Hackathon garnered a host of blockchain innovations for applications in various industries, the top prize went to team BC-LUL; whose winning entry ‘Legal-Chain’ utilised the NEM platform to generate speech-to-text encryption of legal proceedings and create tamper-resilient storage on the blockchain.

Delveer Singh, a member of the winning team, stated that he enjoyed gaining insights from the event’s speakers and using his interest in solving challenging puzzles during the contest. He is currently awaiting entry into the University of Southampton’s (Malaysia) Electrical & Electronics Degree programme after the foundation programme. He said,

“The atmosphere was great! I had a blast with all the info that was given by some of the speakers; not to mention the platforms that are viable for our ideas. When I got there, I honestly didn’t have any intention of winning, but rather to learn the entire process of working with the group and getting some experience. I’m delighted to say that I have also received a bonus which will fuel my fire for the betterment of myself.”

In 2018, Singapore became the third-biggest blockchain market in the world. With an ever-increasing number of companies, local talent is essential to grow and support the industry.

Yusho said,

“As Singapore’s blockchain ecosystem continues to flourish, it’s important that we have home-grown talent to represent us and help pioneer the future of the local scene. The younger they come, the more they can learn and figure out how to make things better with fresh ideas. We firmly believe that spotting and nurturing young talent is crucial to help maintain our industry’s viability.”

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