A $1 million funding push from global blockchain players is accelerating the transition toward infrastructure-driven Web3 solutions designed to solve real-world challenges.
The 2025 Hedera Africa hackathon, organised by The Hashgraph Association in partnership with Exponential Science, drew more than 13,000 developers and generated over 1,300 project submissions, making it the largest Web3 hackathon globally to date.
Beyond participation metrics, organisers say the event marks a turning point in how distributed ledger technologies are being deployed, moving toward scalable systems that address payments, energy verification and healthcare data integrity.
Winning projects showcased a growing focus on functional infrastructure rather than experimental concepts, with solutions designed to bridge fragmented systems across industries.
Top honours went to GreenAfrica, a Nigerian-built platform for environmental verification, while Egypt’s Carboni secured second place for its renewable energy certification infrastructure. Other leading entries included Effisend X Africa, an AI-powered payments routing system, and Silsilat Finance, a cross-border settlement platform targeting emerging markets.
Commenting on the recognition, the Carboni team said:
“We’re honored that the judges endorsed our vision for rebuilding renewable energy reporting and financing, and excited to turn this win into a real service on Hedera that supports the 1.5-degree goal.”
In a move aimed at sustaining momentum, The Hashgraph Association announced the creation of a new investment committee tasked with deploying multi-million-dollar funding into promising projects and strategic partnerships.
The initiative is expected to deepen the ecosystem’s footprint in emerging markets, particularly across Africa, by providing developers with access to capital, mentorship and enterprise pathways.
Kamal Youssefi, president of the association, said the hackathon underscored the scale of talent emerging from the continent.
“The Hedera Africa Hackathon reached historic heights, scaling the depths of talent and ambition across the continent and beyond with our online participants,” he said.
“Hedera has a longstanding commitment to enabling global innovation and powering real utility, proven by the applications built this year spanning finance, sustainability, AI and DePIN verticals. Through supportive partnerships and The Hashgraph Association’s new Investment Committee, we are committed to nurturing these developers long after the hackathon ends and really focusing on empowering the next generation of builders,” Youseffi added.
The initiative also served as a pipeline for talent development, onboarding more than 45,000 participants into training and certification programmes across over 20 African hubs.
According to Paolo Tasca, executive chairman of Exponential Science, the programme reflects a structured approach to translating emerging technologies into practical outcomes.
“Any strong, innovative, and responsible technical ecosystem begins with education. At Exponential Science, we have focused on building structured pathways that enable developers to translate emerging technologies into practical, real-world applications.
“Through this initiative, we have seen that approach materialise at scale, with participants advancing from learning to the development of meaningful infrastructure. We look forward to continuing this work and supporting the next generation of builders within the Hedera ecosystem,” he said.
The results reinforce Africa’s rising role as a testing ground for blockchain-based solutions addressing structural inefficiencies in payments, energy systems and public services.
With partners including Sygnum Bank, Orange Digital Centers and Nairobi Securities Exchange, the initiative highlights increasing institutional interest in leveraging distributed ledger technology for real economic use cases.
Organisers confirmed that the hackathon will return in 2026, with expectations that the next edition will further scale investment, deepen partnerships and accelerate the commercialisation of blockchain-driven solutions across the continent.
