Many individuals in business hackathons are simply seeking to make some fast prize cash and transfer on to the following contest — Dominic Kwok calls them “bounty hunters.”

However EasyA, the start-up for builders that he and his brother Phil began 4 years in the past, is in search of a special kind of competitor — those that want to construct corporations that may have a big affect on Web3. It’s an strategy that has proved fruitful, with the businesses popping out of EasyA’s app group and month-to-month in-person hackathons having raised cash at a collective valuation of over $3 billion from prime VC corporations akin to a16z crypto and CMT Digital. And EasyA’s cell app, which helps builders simply begin constructing their very own Web3 tasks, has over 1,000,000 customers worldwide.

On the first EasyA Consensus hackathon in Austin final Could, greater than 700 individuals launched 100 completely different crypto tasks, and the Kwoks expect comparable numbers for upcoming occasions at Consensus Hong Kong and Consensus Toronto (in the event you’d like to use for the EasyA Hackathon at Consensus Hong Kong 2025, please go here).

Right here they focus on why their distinctive strategy to hackathons, how they count on Consensus Hong Kong will differ from hackathons in different components of the world and the way Donald Trump’s election may have an effect on the forms of tasks crypto builders concentrate on.

This sequence is dropped at you by Consensus Hong Kong. Come and expertise essentially the most influential occasion in Web3 and Digital Belongings, Feb.18-20. Register today and save 15% with the code CoinDesk15.

This interview has been condensed and evenly edited for readability.

How did EasyA get began?

Dominic: So we initially launched EasyA about 4 years in the past because the go to position for anybody to study concerning the world’s finest blockchains. Anybody can use the EasyA app on iOS and Android to study concerning the prime Layer Ones on the market, like Solana, Polkadot, Stellar and Ripple’s XRP Ledger. And folks can discover ways to not solely develop, but in addition launch their very own tasks. We additionally host a whole lot of huge hackathons in individual all around the globe, wherein lots of of individuals are available in individual and launch tasks on our blockchain companions. And the purpose is to get these folks not simply launching, however then additionally founding and constructing startups that go on to get funded by the ecosystem and VCs.

How do you strategy hackathons in a different way than different corporations that run these?

Dominic: Two issues. The primary is that EasyA may be very targeted on founders who need to begin their very own corporations, versus hackathon “bounty hunters.” We actually need to ensure that our individuals really stick round and construct their tasks as a result of that’s the place we see the way forward for Web3 actually being constructed from. And the second factor is most of our hackathons are single chain, so individuals concentrate on one piece of tech and so they really launch on that one, versus specializing in 50 completely different chains. We need to put folks in entrance of the most effective ecosystems which have essentially the most help for builders.

How do you assume the Consensus hackathon in Hong Kong will likely be completely different from these you maintain in different components of the world?

Dominic: The dimensions is simply going to be tremendous huge. We have already had a file variety of folks apply for the seats within the area. We’ll clearly have folks from Hong Kong, however then additionally from different Asian international locations like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and China. And we’re additionally seeing big numbers of individuals from the West need to come. For a lot of of these folks, it will be the primary time they’ve really been to Asia.

Do you count on there to be variations within the forms of tasks that builders in Asia pursue, versus these in different components of the world?

Phil: There is a geographical factor after which there’s additionally a thematic one. An enormous theme that we have seen come up over the previous couple of weeks is AI x Web3, and a whole lot of builders are enthusiastic about that intersection. We have additionally seen protocols like virtuals actually kick off and turn out to be very profitable, so I feel we’ll see a whole lot of that. Geographically, in Asia there are clearly so many alternative currencies, and we’re seeing that builders there really perceive these cross-border use circumstances rather a lot higher. For those who’re a U.S.-based developer, you do not essentially see these friction factors a ton. So I feel that we will see much more of the cross border cost options begin to flesh themselves out.

How do you assume Donald Trump’s presidency will have an effect on the sorts of tasks you see at your hackathons?

Phil: Clearly DeFi has all the time been one of many largest areas of product market slot in crypto — arguably one of many few that really has that match. However to this point due to, frankly, how scared a whole lot of builders had been within the States, lots of people simply weren’t constructing nor launching within the U.S. And so that you’d usually go on to a decentralized app and it will say “Oh, you are within the States, you possibly can’t use this.” In order that’s a really seen space the place we will begin seeing adjustments. One other space the place you possibly can’t take part in the event you’re from the U.S. is airdrops. So if you’re an finish person, you could not actually entry a whole lot of crypto. And in the event you wished to focus on this demographic, which after all is the wealthiest on the planet, you could not. So I feel DeFi is de facto going to blow up, particularly within the States.

Each of you’re additionally audio system at Consensus Hong Kong. What’s going to you be speaking about?

Dominic: Our keynote will likely be about why it is so laborious proper now for Web3 ecosystems to draw builders now. And we will be giving a few of our tips about how they’ll entice builders extra simply and at a much bigger scale. Proper now, Web3 corporations are competing over the identical builders, and the expansion of Web3 devs has just about stagnated. And clearly at EasyA, our entire mission is definitely to carry far more builders into the house. That begins with making it straightforward. However we’re additionally making a number of huge tech upgrades that can enable builders to construct way more simply on-chain. And we will be revealing these on stage.