The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation have announced the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025, a major initiative aimed at accelerating Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the African continent. With a substantial prize pool of $1 million, the hackathon is set to run from August 1 to September 30, 2025, and is expected to attract over 10,000 participants from 15 African countries.
Organized by two nonprofit organizations—the Switzerland-based Hashgraph Association and the tech research-focused Exponential Science Foundation—the event is open to developers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Participants will build solutions on the Hedera network across four tracks: onchain finance and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization; ESG sustainability and traceability; self-sovereign identity (SSI) and AI; and gaming, metaverse, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Kamal Youssefi, president of the board of directors at the Hashgraph Association, emphasized the goal of using technologies that converge Web3 with AI to create transparent cognitive solutions that optimize processes, facilitate decision-making, and automate execution.
The hackathon will feature onsite events in over 20 African cities, including Lagos, Cairo, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Cape Town, Casablanca, and Tunis. Interest in Africa’s Web3 potential is growing, with more than 50 partners and 100 universities and tech hubs already joining the Hedera Africa Hackathon.
Paolo Tasca, executive chairman of the Exponential Science Foundation, highlighted Africa’s unique advantage in Web3, citing its young population with ambitious tech talents and a proven capacity for digital adoption. He acknowledged existing barriers, particularly in foundational infrastructure and education, but expressed optimism about the continent’s potential.
Governments are also ramping up talent development. For instance, Nigeria recently launched an annual initiative to train 1,000 citizens in artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies.
The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 represents a significant step toward harnessing Africa’s technological potential and fostering innovation in Web3 and AI.
Source: cointelegraph
