DeFi Hackathon Begins for Builders on Somnia With a $15,000 Prize Pool
Somnia is launching its next mini hackathon, this time focused on DeFi. Following the strong turnout for our first event centered on games, we’re inviting builders to explore what financial applications look like when they run fully onchain with Somnia’s high-performance blockchain.
Hosted on DoraHacks, the Somnia DeFi Mini Hackathon is open to developers around the world. In less than one month, participants will take their ideas from concept to deployed applications, with $15,000 in prizes available for top projects.
Why DeFi on Somnia?
Decentralized finance is still limited by the performance of existing blockchains. High gas fees, network congestion, and partial reliance on off-chain systems have made it difficult for DeFi to scale to mass adoption.
Somnia fixes this.
With over 1 million transactions per second, sub-second finality, and sub-cent fees, Somnia allows developers to create DeFi protocols that run entirely onchain without sacrificing speed or cost efficiency. Whether you’re building lending markets, CLOBs, NFT-based utilities, or something entirely new, Somnia provides the foundation to make these systems both reliable and accessible.
Our first hackathon showed the creativity that emerges when builders are given tools to move fast without the usual blockchain limitations. Now we’re inviting DeFi innovators to do the same.
Key Details
Timeline: August 13 – September 12, 2025
Prizes: $15,000 USDC across multiple tracks
First Prize: $2,500 per track
Second Prize: $1,500 per track
Third Prize: $1,000 per track
Additional Support: Even if a project doesn’t win, teams that want to continue building will still be eligible for ecosystem support.
What You’ll Need to Submit
To ensure projects are functional and ready for review, submissions must include:
A public GitHub repo with at least 2 commits and a detailed README
A working Web3 dApp deployed on Somnia Testnet
Architecture diagram and contract addresses
A demo video under 5 minutes
A pitch deck under 10 slides
How Projects Will Be Judged
Entries will be evaluated across five main areas:
Creativity & Originality – Unique ideas and novel approaches
Technical Excellence – Fully deployed on Somnia
User Experience – Clear design and ease of use
Onchain Impact – Degree to which the project runs fully onchain
Community Fit – Alignment with Somnia’s growing user base
Why Join?
Hackathons are about more than prizes. They’re a chance to connect with other builders, test bold ideas, and shape the early days of an ecosystem. Winners will gain visibility, mentorship, and opportunities for deeper support inside the Somnia network.
Even for teams that don’t win, strong submissions can still become long-term projects with ecosystem backing. If you’ve been waiting for the right environment to test a new DeFi concept, this is it.
Connect with other builders in the Telegram support channel and check out the official entry page to get started.