The Dakar Bitcoin Hack 2026 is a public, non-profit hackathon gathering over 100 participants to develop business and technical innovative solutions using Bitcoin FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and close-source tools. The event will run for one month and will be conducted 100% online. Organizers are volunteers, and all results from the event will be open-source.
The primary goal is to tackle issues that the local population faces on a day-to-day basis, exploring how Bitcoin can provide solutions. For organizers, the objectives include contributing to the FOSS Bitcoin ecosystem, solving problems using Bitcoin, NOSTR, AI, and their respective ecosystems, boosting visibility and credibility, sourcing an incubation program, and creating new startups. Attendees aim to improve collaboration between local and international developers, have fun, create real products, learn tools and best practices, and kick off innovative projects.
What to Build Participants are expected to build Bitcoin, Nostr, and AI-centered solutions aimed at answering local and regional population needs. Examples of potential projects include: - Wallets - Learning tools - Exchanges - Contributions to Bitcoin Core or Lightning - Messaging apps built on top of Nostr - Authentication methods using NWC - Bitcoin & AI integrations
Requirements To participate, attendees must simply participate, build in public, and communicate about their journey. Submissions must include: - A brief presentation of the proposed solution (text or video) - A prototype, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), or Proof of Concept (PoC) - At least a Bitcoin/Lightning wallet implementation
Judging Criteria Projects will be evaluated based on: - Usefulness & Local Impact: Solving a real, well-scoped local problem with clear identification of the primary user and estimated reach. - Security by Design: Building with a minimal attack surface, utilizing threat models, least-privilege access, safe secret handling, and proven Bitcoin/Lightning libraries. - UX/UI Quality: Ensuring fast, frictionless flows on low bandwidth and mid-range phones with accessible design and simple copy. - Working MVP: Providing an end-to-end demo that actually runs, including one-command setup and testable happy paths. - Clear Pitch & Docs: Delivering a 3-minute demo covering the problem, solution, impact, and next steps, accompanied by a README with setup instructions and architecture diagrams.