Web3Labs, together with global business partners, industry media, communities, and university ecosystems, continues to open project submissions to Builders worldwide. A 48-hour offline final will also be held in Seoul at the end of September.
About GWDC
As Global Web3 Developer Conference (GWDC), a leading global technology event, it is committed to connecting developers, technology leaders, and innovative companies worldwide. By deeply integrating the industry ecosystem, it fully promotes cross-industry communication and innovation practices for cutting-edge technologies.
This edition of the conference is hosted by Web3Labs, co-hosted by Techub News, Hypai Labs, and TokenPost. It will be held at aT Center in Seoul, South Korea, from September 28 to 30. The conference is expected to attract 8,000+ attendees, 500+ core developers, nearly 100 exhibitors, and 100+ investment institutions. Its goal is to build a交流 platform at the ten-thousand-person level for AI × Web3.
Top political, business, and industry leaders
GWDC 2026 KOREA has successfully gathered heavyweight guests from the “government, industry, finance, and research” sectors. To date, key guests such as Koo Yun-cheol (Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance), Min Byoung-dug (Member of the National Assembly of South Korea), Johnny Ng (Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong), Suk-hun Yoon (Chairman of the Asian Economic Development Council), and others have confirmed their attendance to discuss the development of the global digital economy, compliant governance, and technological innovation.
In addition, the conference will bring together representatives from the industry and organizations, including Web3Labs CEO Huang Jun-Long (Caspar Wong), Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won, the founder of NAVER, and Kwon Hyuk-il, Chairman of Happybean Foundation, TRON founder Justin Sun (孙宇晨), Kakao Pay CEO Shin Won-geun, Microsoft Greater China Digital Business Vice President Ryan Li, Animoca Brands Group President Evan Auyang, Ella Zhang, Managing Partner and Head of YZi Labs, Jack Kong, Founder and Chairman of Nano Labs, and others. They will jointly discuss the convergence of Web3 and AI, as well as cutting-edge technologies and their real-world industry deployment.
About GWDC · Hackathon
As a core event of the conference, GWDC 2026 KOREA · Hackathon, following the geek spirit of “For Builders, By Builders,” has officially opened project recruitment for global Builders.
This year’s hackathon will focus on up to 5 ecosystem public chains. The total prize pool will exceed $100,000 USD. So far, this year’s hackathon has been endorsed by TRON and joined by the world’s top cloud service provider Microsoft to provide powerful computing power and cloud resource support for end-to-end enablement of participating teams’ development, testing, and deployment. Recruitment is ongoing—teams at all stages are warmly invited to participate actively.
In addition, this year’s hackathon will also hold a 48-hour on-site finals event in Seoul. All teams can travel to Seoul to compete on-site. Through extreme development and optimization, teams will engage in deep exchanges and collisions with global developers, top investors, and industry leaders. The award winners will be announced on-site, unlocking more opportunities for ecosystem collaboration and brand exposure.
I. GWDC 2026 KOREA · Hackathon basic information introduction
Time: September 28–30, 2026
Location: Seoul · aT Center
Format: On-site Coding + Demo Day
Prizes: 50K USD + ecosystem resource support valued at 50K USD
II. Hackathon schedule: a 48-hour extreme challenge
This year’s hackathon consists of two stages: online registration and on-site development plus finals. All times below are Korea Standard Time (KST). Please pay attention to the relevant time points in advance.
Online team registration August 25 – September 25
Team formation and registration by the teams themselvesOn-site phase: September 28, 17:00–20:00
Hackathon on-site kickoff
Project introductions, technical sharing, and ecosystem task exchange with responsible persons for public chain ecosystems and technology
Developer welcome package pickupSeptember 28, 20:00 – September 30, 11:00｜On-site Coding
Participating teams will develop projects around ecosystem challenges, optimize the technology, and refine the product.By 12:00, September 30
Project submissionSeptember 30, 15:00–17:00
Innovation Stage project showcase & award ceremony
Juries and project presentation
This year’s hackathon will invite CXOs, technology and ecosystem leaders from ecosystem public chains, as well as top-tier VCs from the industry to serve as judges to conduct on-site evaluations of the participating projects. Outstanding teams will get the opportunity to present on-site at the Innovation Stage, and will also have the chance to engage in deeper discussions with industry investment institutions and ecosystem partners, expanding opportunities for subsequent investment and ecosystem collaboration.
III. Participation benefits and ecosystem support
· $50K USD prize + $50K USD ecosystem resource support
Winning projects can receive up to $50,000 USD in rewards and ecosystem resource support valued at up to $50,000 USD.
· Microsoft Azure Credits support
Eligible projects can receive Microsoft free cloud service Credits for up to 6 months to support cloud resources for project development, testing, and deployment.
· Web3Labs global acceleration opportunities
Winning projects will be prioritized for entry into Web3Labs’ 2026 Global Acceleration Program and the incubation project reserve pool, gaining opportunities for continued project development and ecosystem support.
· Industry resources and investor matching
Engage with experienced professionals, top enterprises, and frontline VCs to expand opportunities for investment, ecosystem collaboration, and industry resources.
· Global media coverage and market exposure
Winning projects will receive ongoing media coverage and market promotion support, enhancing project visibility and industry influence through global media and community channels.
IV. GWDC 2026 KOREA Hackathon participation requirements
· GitHub open-source code repository: Participating projects must submit a publicly accessible GitHub code repository.
· Demo video: A project demo video must be submitted, lasting no more than 3 minutes.
· Pitch Deck: Submit a complete project introduction and Pitch Deck.
· On-site presentation: Teams that advance to the finals must present their project on-site at the Innovation Stage.
· Team size: Each participating team may have up to 5 members.
Depending on your team’s situation, you may choose to participate online or travel to Seoul for the on-site events. The final project submission must include all materials mentioned above and be completed according to the event timeline.
V. GWDC 2026 KOREA · Hackathon registration channel
Please choose your team’s registration channel. If you have not joined a partner university/community channel, you can select another option. Details of the specific tracks and tasks will be announced in mid-September.
Global matrix partners and collaboration network
So far, GWDC 2026 KOREA has collaborated with leading industry brands, media outlets, AI and Web3 communities across multiple regions worldwide, as well as well-known university chains. With brand resource co-building, media matrix coverage, community joint promotion, and university ecosystem resource integration, it will provide comprehensive promotion and global outreach support for this large-scale, ten-thousand-person conference and hackathon event.
Technology innovation is not limited to code—it’s also about turning new ideas into reality. GWDC 2026 KOREA Hackathon hopes to provide a platform for open creation and交流 for global Builders, so more innovative ideas can be seen, put into practice, and connected to more real-world application scenarios.
We look forward to meeting global Builders in Seoul—use code to make the world interesting again.