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Hackathon Registration Open · 2026

THE BITCOIN AND
PRIVACY HACKATHON

Join the Bitcoin Privacy Revolution: Build trustless apps on Starknet, win $15k, and fast-track to funding. Limited spots—claim yours! Feb 1–28, 2026 · $15,000 in prizes.

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Register early on DoraHacks for exclusive workshops!

Why 2026 is the Year for Privacy

STWO

StarkWare's fastest ZK prover deployed on Starknet mainnet in 2025, delivering 100x efficiency gains to enable scalable privacy, faster proofs, lower costs, and new confidential use cases like shielded transactions and private DeFi

$200M+

BTC staked natively on Starknet through trustless staking, powering BTCFi with real yields, liquid staking, and Bitcoin-backed DeFi without wrappers or soft forks

Ztarknet

Starknet's programmable privacy layer integrating Zcash shielding with Cairo smart contracts, enabling quantum-safe, confidential compute for Bitcoin-integrated apps

"The next 8 years in crypto will be the Privacy Era."

— Balaji Srinivasan, The 3 Eras of Crypto podcast, January 1, 2026 (source)

"Privacy is the one feature that's critical for the world's finance to move onchain."

— a16z crypto, "17 things we're excited about for crypto in 2026", December 2025 (source)

From solo hacker to funded founder: Past winners landed $100k+ grants. Your privacy breakthrough starts Feb 1.

Tracks & Prizes

$15,000 total prize pool from Starknet Foundation

Privacy Track

40%
$6,000

Build privacy-preserving applications using STARKs, zero-knowledge proofs, and confidential transactions on Starknet.

Private paymentsAnonymous votingConfidential DeFiData sovereignty

Bitcoin Track

40%
$6,000

Create trustless Bitcoin bridges, OP_CAT applications, and BTC-native DeFi leveraging Starknet's security.

BTC bridgesOrdinals on StarknetLightning integrationsBitcoin DeFi

Open Track

20%
$3,000

Build anything innovative on Starknet. Gaming, social, infrastructure—surprise us.

GamingSocial appsDev toolsInfrastructure

Hackathon Details

Preview what's on DoraHacks – full rules, timelines, and more.

Key Timelines

Registration: Jan 15 - Feb 1, 2026. Hacking: Feb 1-28. Submissions due: Feb 28, 23:59 UTC. Judging: Mar 1-10. Winners announced: Mar 15.

Eligibility & Teams

Open to all (18+), no geo restrictions (except sanctioned countries). Teams up to 5 members. All skill levels welcome.

How to Submit

Via DoraHacks: Include GitHub repo, demo video (≤3 min), and Starknet testnet/mainnet deployment. Must be original work created during the hackathon.

Judging Criteria

Innovation & Creativity (40%): How original is the idea? Technical Execution (30%): How well-built and complex? Impact on Privacy/Bitcoin (20%): Real-world value? Completeness & User Experience (10%): Functional and intuitive?

Prizes & Payouts

Per track: 1st $3k, 2nd $2k, 3rd $1k in STRK/USDC. Paid to wallet within 30 days. Winners fast-tracked to accelerator.

IP & Rules

You retain ownership. Grant non-exclusive license for promotion. Follow DoraHacks code of conduct (no harassment, inclusive). Original work only.

Support During Hack

DoraHacks forums, Discord channels, mentor office hours, and AI tools. Check 'Resources' tab on DoraHacks.

Social Proof

Builders Love The Bitcoin and Privacy Hackathon

“The best hackathon I’ve joined in years — the mentorship alone is worth it.”

Elena P.
ZK Engineer

“We shipped a working BTC bridge prototype in two weeks.”

Miguel R.
Protocol Builder

“The privacy track pushed our team into production-grade ZK.”

Soojin K.
Product Lead

“Starknet resources were tight, clear, and actually useful.”

Andre S.
Full-stack Dev

“The best prize pool-to-effort ratio I’ve seen this year.”

Rina T.
Hackathon Veteran

“The best hackathon I’ve joined in years — the mentorship alone is worth it.”

Elena P.
ZK Engineer

“We shipped a working BTC bridge prototype in two weeks.”

Miguel R.
Protocol Builder

“The privacy track pushed our team into production-grade ZK.”

Soojin K.
Product Lead

“Starknet resources were tight, clear, and actually useful.”

Andre S.
Full-stack Dev

“The best prize pool-to-effort ratio I’ve seen this year.”

Rina T.
Hackathon Veteran

Get Started

Learning Paths

New to Starknet? Choose your track and start building.

Mentors

Omar Espejel - Developer Advocate

Omar Espejel

Developer Advocate

Starknet Foundation

Henri - Ecosystem Lead

Henri

Ecosystem Lead

Starknet Foundation

Backed By

Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch

FAQ

Anyone! Solo developers and teams up to 5 members. No geographic restrictions. All skill levels welcome.

Not required to start. We provide learning resources through Starknet Academy and DoraHacks AI assistance.

Winners get fast-tracked to Starknet Foundation's accelerator program with $25k-$500k grant pipeline and VC introductions.

Yes. Build at your own pace. Submit on DoraHacks by February 28, 2026.

All submissions via DoraHacks platform—include GitHub repo, demo video (≤3 min), and Starknet deployment link. Deadline: Feb 28, 2026, 23:59 UTC.

Use DoraHacks' built-in forums, our Discord, or schedule mentor calls. Check the 'Resources' tab on DoraHacks for live sessions.

In STRK/USDC to your wallet within 30 days post-announcement. Taxes are your responsibility—details in DoraHacks terms.

Ready to Build?

Join the biggest privacy hackathon of 2026. 4 weeks. $15,000. Your future.

Register on DoraHacks →

February 1 – February 28, 2026 · Fully Virtual