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How would I describe the EasyA x Stacks hackathon in one word?

HISTORIC

From October 21st to October 22nd, EasyA and Stacks hosted over 300 developers in Central London, all collaborating and competing to win £25,000 in prize money. Stacks is a revolutionary new technology and one of the world’s first platforms to bring smart contracts to Bitcoin. Since launch, a whole host of innovative new dApps have been built on Stacks and if their vision plays out, they will be one of the world’s first to allow developers to unlock the huge amounts of value behind Bitcoin (which currently has a market cap of almost US$1 trillion!). With that in mind, this hackathon was all about Bitcoin.

You may be wondering… why did Stacks pick Bitcoin and why do so many developers choose to build on it?

Well, imagine finally being able to tap into the most famous and widely-held cryptocurrency in the world, with almost a trillion dollars worth of value. That’s the huge opportunity that Stacks unlocks.

So… by now you probably know the magnitude of opportunity that building on Bitcoin presents. But to truly grasp how big this opportunity really is, you need to understand what makes Bitcoin itself one of the most miraculous inventions to date. Let’s dive in!

You've definitely heard of it, but what exactly is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin (BTC) is a decentralised cryptocurrency designed for peer-to-peer electronic cash transactions. Its key features include unparalleled security, making settled transactions almost impossible to reverse, and its complementary relationship with projects like Stacks, which offer novel applications such as bitcoin-backed loans, DeFi, and NFT trading, expanding Bitcoin's utility beyond a passive store of value.

My personal favourite part about Bitcoin? Bitcoin is an EXTREMELY versatile cryptocurrency. And now with Stacks, developers can leverage this by building on top of Bitcoin (yes, Stacks brings smart contracts to Bitcoin for one of the first times ever)! Check out some of the amazing projects that our gigabrain hackathon winners built!

Meet the winners of our EasyA x Stacks Hackathon

We wanted to make this hackathon accessible and competitive for everyone. So, whether you were technical or non-technical, there was an opportunity for you to win. Our three different competitions were: The Shark Tank Pitch competition, the sBTC Track and the AI pitch competition!

Who won the Shark Tank Pitch competition?

This was the competition for the entrepreneurs in attendance. Technical or non-technical, these prizes were simply for those with the best pitch. We were blown away by the genius and delivery of these winners:

EasyStacks (£1,000) - Serial entrepreneur Jakub Klima and ex-Deloitte consultant Ionana Marin built EasyStacks, a tool to help onboard users to Stacks’ brand new sBTC technology.

Remedy (£750) - Built by Akzhan, final year student at King's College London, is a platform that allows investors to fund clinical trials using Stacks' sBTC.

Minted (£250) - Built by a team who’s designed metaverses for the largest consumer brands such as, Minted is a Web3 fashion marketplace that’s cutting greenhouse emissions caused by fast fashion, using Stacks for payments.

Who won the sBTC Track?

sBTC is a new Bitcoin synthetic derivative that has a decentralised, two-way peg mechanism with Bitcoin. sBTC is unique in that it does not rely on a federation to facilitate the movement of BTC in and out of Bitcoin layers. Instead, it uses Stacks smart contracts that are capable of writing back to the Bitcoin mainchain in a trustless manner. So now you know a bit about sBTC, we present you with the winners of this track:

SeedSwipe (£6,000) - Tinder for investors! Built by Imperial College andengineering grads, their iOS app allows investors to invest in companies using crowdfunding features enabled by sBTC.

Stack Pot (£3,500) - Built by engineers from Stackpot uses Stacks smart contracts to decentralise casinos so that they’re fairer and more transparent for players. Say goodbye to the house always winning!

Bitroll (£1,500) - Bitroll uses Stacks and Hiro to automate payroll for companies, making HR teams more efficient and saving them time and money.

Who won the AI Pitch track?

Bitcoin and AI are two of the most transformative inventions to date. We combined the two in order to find out how AI can elevate projects using Bitcoin. Here were your winners:

‍Team Clarify AI (£4,000) - An AI that reads Stacks smart contracts for users to keep them safe and prevent scams.

If ‘Web1’ was the internet and ‘Web2’ was the internet’s coming of age with the creation of companies like Spotify, YouTube and Zoom, then Web3 is the means to unlock the internet's full potential.

Auto-BTC (£2,250) - Built by Binance Security Engineer is a multi-agent AI that creates full dApps based on a single prompt!

LiveTree (£750) - Built by a decentralisedgiving content creators greater control over their earnings online. They’re already live, check ‘em out at livetree.com!

What made this hackathon so special?

Personally, this was my first ever Hackathon. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Prior to attending, I had no conception of why anyone apart from computer scientists went to hackathons. However, what entailed across those 2 days in London completely blew my mind. There were people of all ages, from different parts of the world, studying different subjects… both collaborating and learning in harmony.

And while it can be hard to launch a startup or build that idea you’ve always had alone, I saw the power of hackathons first-hand, and how important it is to launch your idea into the world alongside other talented and motivated individuals. It was the closest insight I had to what working in the real world would be like. Incredible brains teaming up to tackle the world’s biggest problems. You could tell that everyone in attendance felt immersed, enthused and happy to be there.

So whether you are a non-technical person like me or a veteran coder looking to win big… come along to the next EasyA hackathon. There is absolutely nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Check out our full recap on Twitter, and relive the day in full detail here!

If you've got this far, you're probably wondering how you can prepare for our next hackathon. Luckily, we built the EasyA app as the perfect place for you to get ahead and get ready for our next hackathon. Download the EasyA app now!

No matter your age or experience level, attending an EasyA Hackathon is for everyone.

Do not let my title of Head of Events at EasyA mislead you into thinking I am an expert. I am just like you! I attended my first ever EasyA x Stacks Hackathon in November 2023 as a complete newcomer.

HOWEVER… I came out of this experience enlightened, mesmerised and enthusiastic to learn. The best part?

YOU CAN TOO and it is completely FREE!

I feel like the term Web3 has a lot of confusion around it… what really is it?

Well, in my opinion… Web3 is the future.

If ‘Web1’ was the internet and ‘Web2’ was the internet’s coming of age with the creation of companies like Spotify, YouTube and Zoom, then Web3 is the means to unlock the internet's full potential.

In this blog I aim to help you…‍

1. Understand the true nature of hackathons and debunk common misconceptions.

‍For example: Hackathons are not what they seem at first glance. They involve more than just hacking and offer tons of unique learning and networking experiences for participants.‍

2. Realise that Hackathons do not require advanced programming skills or technical knowledge.

For example: They offer opportunities for technical and non-technical participation. In fact, EasyA hackathons always have a dedicated track for non-technical participants where anyone can pitch a business idea and win funding to launch their project! (Absolutely no code required!).‍

3. Find out what a Hackathon actually is.‍

In short: Hackathons are one to two day events involving networking, team formation, workshops… and a TON of fun!

Shall we start with the misconceptions?

“I study History… why would I spend two days competing against a bunch of computer science students?”

The author of this testimonial? That would be me.

Oh how naive I was. It pains me to think I was ever this narrow minded.

Here is what I have learnt with age.

Like any great professional, there is a first time for everything.

Let’s take your favourite footballer. Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane (No, this is not a GOAT debate). There would have been a moment in their life where they were the newcomers. THEY were the odd ones out. However, this never stopped them from stepping on the football pitch.

Perhaps people don’t believe this is a valid comparison as football is way more accessible than Hackathons? WRONG.

You don’t have the money? Our hackathons are completely free.

You don’t have a friend to go with? EasyA hosts weekly networking sessions so YOU can meet your next building partner.

You don’t have the time? Do you really need to go clubbing every Friday night or watch your football team put in yet another substandard performance on the weekend? (Yes, I do support Manchester United for those wondering).

HEY. You don’t even have a laptop to get started? I will personally lend you a laptop for the weekend (Actually, maybe let me clear the search history first).

If you are reading this right now…

Please PLEASE do not be like I was and just go and try ONE out.

It might just change the direction of your career.

MORE.

It will probably change your life.

Why attend a hackathon?

Okay. So. Since you are now reading this section I am going to presume you are coming? RIGHT?

Good.

YOU are entrepreneurial. YOU are suffering from career confusion (don’t worry, we all do). YOU are looking to learn a new skill. YOU need an extra 50k (nice for some, eh?).

These are all reasons, which you may or may not not have thought of, to come to our next Hackathon!

Oh, I almost forgot.

My favourite part… The people you get to meet.

How heartwarming of me, I know!

On a serious note. You’ll meet some amazing friends. You’ll meet employers for some of the biggest companies in the world. And…

You may just meet your next co-founder.

I ask you this…

What’s not to love?‍

BUT, how do I win?

Earlier on I mentioned that hackathons present an opportunity for both technical and non-technical participants alike. Technical or not, everyone can do with some advice.

BUT

Don’t take it from me. That would be stupid. Take it from an expert - Phil Kwok.

I sat down with Phil, our co-founder, to find out his top tips for winning a hackathon - read below! (And yes, he’s won many in the past!).

Essential tips for winning a hackathon revealed by a hackathon veteran.

- Winning a hackathon isn’t just about coding or presentation.

- The 'lockbox method' contributed to the success of a team that won three hackathons in a row. This team's startup was funded by top VCs including a16z and is now valued at millions of dollars.‍‍‍

Winning a hackathon: essential strategies for success

- Focus on inspiring judges and the audience with your project.

- Build impressive and valuable projects to win.

- Utilise the Lockbox and AA methods for success.

- Come up with your idea before the hackathon as time is limited.‍

Time management and meeting deadlines

- Start coding or working on your project as soon as possible.

- Utilise your time effectively to maximise coding output.

- Submit the project before the deadline to maximise you chance of success!.‍

Hackathon success tips‍

- Focus on idea experimentation.

- Don't worry too much about the final product.

- Craft a set of slides explaining your idea clearly!

Final inspiration‍

Let me tell you a quick founder story. Once upon a time (2019 to be exact), there were two young men who had this crazy idea to start a not-for-profit tutoring company. They built a community of over 300,000 students by allowing students to take a picture of a question using their app, connecting them with a tutor who can provide assistance within minutes.

But then… something INCREDIBLE happened.

Full transparency, I was not here for this. I am also not a playwright. But, this is how I imagine their conversation went…

(stay tuned for part two in this blog post series coming soon)

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If you've got this far, you're probably wondering how you can prepare for our next hackathon. Luckily, we built the EasyA app as the perfect place for you to get ahead and get ready for our next hackathon. Download the EasyA app now!

Building on the success of our award-winning EasyA app and hackathons, EasyA is launching the world's first ever Blockchain University. 

In the past 3 years alone, over 1,000,000 developers have started learning Web3 with EasyA and thousands more have attended EasyA hackathons all over the world. With the EasyA x Polkadot University, we're building the next phase of EasyA. From learning all about Polkadot to shipping dApps to raising from VCs, the University will serve as a hub for all things Polkadot education. Better yet? We'll be providing fast grants to top graduates to kickstart their founder journeys.

"EasyA has a proven track record of nurturing founders who go on to found leading projects, backed by top VCs like a16z, YC and Founders Fund. The EasyA x Polkadot University is all about inspiring the next wave of those founders to launch their projects on Polkadot.” said Phil Kwok, CEO and Co-Founder of EasyA.

Phil and Dom Kwok, founders of EasyA, bring a huge amount of educational expertise to the space. Having graduated as scholars from Cambridge University and The Wharton School respectively, Phil and Dom know exactly what makes students succeed both academically and professionally. Now, they're bringing their wealth of knowledge to the next generation of developers and founders at the EasyA x Polkadot University.

Excited to join? Read more about how it will work here!

An extra-curricular is an activity that goes beyond the realm of your classes at school. Extra-curriculars allow you to broaden your horizons, build connections and gain industry experience that’s invaluable for your CV or personal statement. Through these activities, you’ll also develop transferable skills such as problem-solving, confidence and effective communication.

So what counts as an extra-curricular, and what doesn’t? If you find that you’re having to try to justify something as being an extra-curricular then it probably isn’t! However, you can turn almost any interest into an extracurricular by documenting your progress and interacting with people in that community. The best extra-curriculars will demonstrate a talent or contribute to others, so today we’re going to discuss the ways you can discover these opportunities. But first, a top tip: the earlier you start looking, the better your options will be!

1. Explore your interests

What subjects are you most excited to learn, or enjoyed doing the most? Brainstorm what makes you excited to learn inside & outside of the classroom and think about the topics that you’d like to discover more about. Remember that universities and employers don’t mind what kind of activity you’re doing, but instead want to see you doing something that you’re truly passionate about!

2. Harness your contacts

You teachers are likely to know you, your interests and the entry points of their industry well! My Computer Science teacher helped me set up a day in industry and my Maths teacher offered me a teaching assistant position during my free periods. Ask questions such as “what have previous students done?” and “do you have any industry connections?” and don’t forget to speak to other teachers in your department, your career advisors and your classmates too.

3. Explore your school’s community

There’s often a wide variety of opportunities to be found in your own school, from lunchtime debate clubs to the student council to inter-schools competitions. Don’t find something you like? Have the initiative to kick-start it yourself and gain a great example of leadership and hopefully some fun in the progress!

4. Get on LinkedIn!

I cannot stress how useful this tool is enough! If you’re aged 16 or over, create yourself an account and document your work and its progress. You can even politely reach out to students doing the degree you’re aspiring to do and ask for their advice. Do remember that it’s a public platform so you shouldn’t name your desired university choice and remember to be mindful of displaying location data.

5. Follow all those newsletters

In addition to your student paper, sign-up for the newsletters of companies, university departments and societies which interest you, as these often contain first-look insights into some great knowledge and opportunities!

5. Take a MOOC

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are free courses that provide a flexible way to learn new skills. You’ll be able to find courses on almost anything and the MOOC List website (www.mooc-list.com) is an amazing way to get started. A lot of these courses are created by top universities or leading companies so they’ll be widely credited on an application! Personally, I recommend the “Solving Problems with Technology” trilogy by the University of Leeds on FutureLearn, which recently helped me in a successful internship interview.

6. Attend talks

Just like MOOCs, there’s a vast and plentiful array of student-tailored talks to attend. You can discover these by looking at events on LinkedIn, Meetup and Bright Network but also pay attention to city-wide learning festivals such as the York Festival of Ideas and Edinburgh Fringe. Due to the pandemic, a lot of these location-specific events are now virtual so there’s even more opportunity to get involved!

7. Secure work experience

There’s more to finding work experience than just exploring job sites on the Internet! If you’re able to, go and explore urban areas and offer businesses your CV and expertise in-person. Not only does this add a personal touch that an email can’t, but it also demonstrates your confidence and will likely spark-up interesting conversations. If you’ve got an individual’s contact from a talk, MOOC or LinkedIn, definitely use this to your advantage by asking them about their work before applying. If you make a great impression they may even offer to be your reference!

8. Get yourself on summer schools

Summer schools are the perfect opportunity to make new friends (networking!), voice your opinions and develop a whole bank of interpersonal skills. A lot of universities offer these for free, which comes with the perk of being able to discover whether the location, culture and course are right for you.

9. Compete in competitions

Competitions are a brilliant way to challenge your skill set and put your knowledge to the test! You may have done the UKMT, an Olympiad or Bebras at school but there’s a mass of amazing competitions available, from engineering with Lego to creating posters exploring hidden maths. There's a lot of blogs online covering competitions that could be for you, so make sure you use your search engine to your advantage!

10. Volunteer your time

Volunteering is one of the best extracurriculars to give back to your community and is an exciting way to expose yourself to new perspectives! I’d recommend looking on your local council’s website and exploring NCS as an option. If you’re not already signed up to voluntarily tutor with EasyA, which has zero required time commitment and comes with a bunch of perks, get on that too! Just fill out this super quick form to get started!

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Wow! It’s been one hectic morning at EasyA, with our team waking up to new users signing up by the second. EasyA is Apple’s App of the Day! Stay tuned to hear more about how Apple chose our app out of the 2 million apps on the Store. In the meantime, you can read Apple’s shout-out below:

Maths and homework. Words that, individually, probably fill the heart with dread and despair. Together they wield a power too great and terrible to imagine. If only it were possible to magically summon a maths genius from Oxford or Cambridge…

EasyA is an app designed to give school-age students access to brilliant tutors via instant messaging.

Pupils can send an image of the taxing problem and, with the aid of a virtual whiteboard, certified tutors will break down hard-to-grasp fields such as geometry and trigonometry during one-on-one sessions.

Students can connect with Oxbridge-educated tutors instantly, while tutors reward student progression with achievement badges of their own.

Parents attest EasyA has helped when homework difficulty surpassed their own ability, while also assisting kids who lack the confidence to ask questions during class. Finally, 2y+x doesn’t have to = head-against-the-wall frustration.

Pay-as-you-go pricing keeps the cost low, so students can learn without worrying about overpaying for hourly sessions.

Want to try EasyA for yourself? Download the app now!

Have any questions? Get in touch.

Today, we sit down with Dr Chris Jagger, as he draws on his teaching experiences both at Cambridge University and Deloitte, to share some of his thoughts on how students can learn most effectively.

Many students find studying and learning challenging. However, it doesn't have to be that way. At EasyA, we believe all students have the ability to excel in any subject the choose to study, whether it be blockchain or maths.

Meet Dr Chris Jagger, EasyA Academic Advisory Board

Chris has an extensive background in education, having served as the Head of Learning at Deloitte and a lecturer and research fellow in Mathematics at Clare College, Cambridge University. At Cambridge, Chris supervised and directed studies and served on the Governing Body at Clare College. His particular field of research lies in Combinatorics and Graph Theory. Chris has a PhD in Mathematics from Cambridge University.

Given your experiences both at Cambridge University and Deloitte, what do you think is the most important aspect of teaching?

Enthusiasm. When I first lectured at Cambridge I had no experience or training, but a great love of the subject, and a strong desire to communicate that to others and to deliver better lectures than I had received. Everybody switches off when you say “Sorry this is a rather dry topic today”, so I always tell people I train that if they don’t feel much enthusiasm for the topic, their main preparation is to persuade themselves that it is the most exciting thing they have ever come across!

What inspired you to join EasyA?

Too many people turn up at a lesson not understanding the previous one, which then makes it ten times harder to understand the current lesson, and this snowballs throughout the course, resulting in them spending far longer getting to grips with the work than if they’d learnt it at the time. The ability to tap into on-demand tutoring anywhere, anytime, is just what people need to help resolve any current problems so they can go into their next lesson fully prepared. In addition, for years schools have struggled to get mathematicians teaching maths, so it is vitally important to have extra options open to students.

Many students can find studying challenging. What advice do you have for them?

Let's take Maths as an example. Maths is all around us, and it is important not to let it pass you by. If you embrace it, enjoy it, and regard it as important, it becomes much easier to work at it when you are finding it challenging, and then it becomes less of a struggle. In today’s world, so much research in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine, Archaeology, Geography, Economics, and so on, relies on Maths (and in fact you will find many with maths degrees researching these areas), so it really is vital. EasyA's tutors love their subject, making their support genuine and inspiring.

What’s the best way to learn difficult topics?

Ask questions. When I was a researcher the most common question from the brilliant mathematicians around me was “I don’t understand”, and the reason they were so good was because they always asked when they didn’t understand. EasyA is ideal for this, as you ask questions anonymously so don’t feel stupid, and can go at your own pace to understand the responses. Getting fresh explanations from an EasyA Tutor may just give you the different perspective that brings a breakthrough in your understanding of difficult concepts. It also helps to analyse what the problem is (what bit is it you don’t understand?) and draw a picture.

What makes EasyA different from other tutoring services?

EasyA is cutting-edge – the ability to access tutoring instantly using appealing technology – and provides support from enthusiastic young tutors who can remember when they were getting to grips with the same ideas themselves, making this a great way to access support. Its unlimited nature means students aren't under pressure to understand within a time frame - the help is genuinely available until you understand the answer to your question. No booking ahead, no waiting - instant explanation at the point you need it in your studies.

If you have questions for Chris, please let us know here and we'll do our best to feature these in our next interview.

Want to try EasyA for yourself? Download the app now!