# 🚀 Ideahacker’s Guide to IBC: An Interchain Ideathon The IBC Ideathon is an opportunity for creative and inventive blockchain builders and users to pioneer the next generation of cross-chain innovation. It’s a hackathon just for ideas. No coding or software engineering required. The best ideas will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul and part of the $30,000 prize pool.  **🙋 Who is the Ideathon for?** Anyone with a fundamental knowledge of how blockchains work is welcome to join the Ideathon. While developers are welcome, participants do not need to be one to join. # 🏆 Prizes and Tracks The best ideas will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul and part of the $30,000 prize pool in ATOM tokens. **Each of the 5 tracks will have 5 prize winners:** - $3,000 first place - $1,500 second place - 3 third place winners at $500 each For a detailed breakdown, visit the [Prizes and Tracks](https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/ideahackers-guide-to-ibc/prizes-and-tracks) tab. # 🛠️ How Ideahacker’s Guide to IBC Works The IBC Ideathon is a global, online competition designed to push the boundaries of cross-chain innovation using the world's largest and most widely adopted blockchain interoperability protocol, the Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC). The Ideathon is intended as an accessible event for developers and non-technical builders to explore the IBC protocol’s capabilities. The difference between the IBC Ideathon and a traditional hackathon is that Ideathon participation takes much less time and energy than participating in a hackathon. Ideathon participants submit an idea rather than a Github code base or proof-of-concept product. This being said, the winning ideas must be high-quality and genuinely innovative. Participating is a simple process: - Register as a hacker on Dorahacks. - Use the [IBC Idea Builder](http://ideabuilder.ibcprotocol.dev/) to visually map out your IBC idea. - Export the JSON link for your IBC Idea. Add the link to your Dorahacks BUIDL. - Add a write-up to your BUIDL. - Submit your BUIDL on Dorahacks. Make sure to read the [eligibility criteria and idea submission instructions.](https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/ideahackers-guide-to-ibc/submission-guide-&-rules) Only high-quality, well-thought-out ideas will be eligible to win prizes. # 🦾 Why IBC?  IBC is one of the most widely-adopted interoperability protocols in the world. Over [115 chains are IBC-enabled](https://tfm.com/bridge), and the protocol processes [billions of dollars in asset transfers every 30 days](https://mapofzones.com/zones?columnKey=ibcVolume&period=30d). IBC enables secure, permissionless, feature-rich cross-chain interactions, like token transfers and general message-passing. Unlike a token bridge contract that sits "on top of" a chain, IBC-enabled chains exchange data [without a third-party intermediary](https://x.com/IBCProtocol/status/1750090826271920207). IBC has several industry-leading features and functionalities beyond basic token transfers. Unique IBC features include: - **Interchain Accounts and Queries** - Cross-chain account control and data queries. - **Cross-chain callbacks** - Smart contracts and modules can be natively cross-chain enabled for adaptable workflows leveraging multiple smart contracts and applications. - **NFT transfers** - Send and receive cross-chain NFT transfers. - **Cross-chain validation** - A provider chain provides economic security to a consumer chain(s), so the consumer chains do not have to run their own validator sets. - **No in-protocol fees** - The IBC Protocol does not charge fees for processing transactions. Users are only responsible for gas fees for the transactions they process. # 💬 Official Communication Channel We provide support for Ideathon participants in the [Interchain Discord](https://discord.gg/interchain) in the channel #ideahackers-guide-to-ibc. You can also message us here in Dorahacks. # 📘 Participant Resources Access beginner guides, advanced tutorials, documentation, and workshops on the Ideahacker resources page [HERE](https://interchain.notion.site/Ideahacker-Resources-Learn-About-IBC-ba4b621b3e0b48928465c14576258a8d). # 🤝 Judges A panel of leaders in the Interchain ecosystem will be judging the IBC ideas. - **Alix Keller**, Chief Product Officer, the Interchain Foundation - **Aditya Sripal**, Lead Protocol Architect for IBC, the Interchain Foundation - **Aaron Kong**, Growth & Strategy Lead, Osmosis Labs - **Adi Seredinschi**, Director of Product, Informal Systems - **Greg Osuri**, Cofounder, Akash - **Jacob Arluck**, Head of Strategy, Celestia Labs - **Jelena Djuric**, CEO, Noble - **John Letey**, Engineering Director, Noble - **Jonathan Berger**, Head of Product, Strangelove Labs - **Josh Lee**, Co-Founder, Kepler - **Omar Zaki**, Co-Founder of Picasso and Mantis, Composable Foundation - **Zaki Manian**, Co-Founder, Sommelier View the judging criteria on the [submission guide page](https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/ideahackers-guide-to-ibc/submission-guide-&-rules). # 🏛️ Ideathon Sponsor The [Interchain Foundation](https://interchain.io/) (ICF) funds the development and marketing of the Interchain Stack, an open-source suite of technologies for building blockchains. ICF funds the development of the Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC). # 🫂 Get Involved Stay connected with us through our social media channels to get the latest updates, announcements, and more! - [@IBCProtocol on X](https://x.com/IBCProtocol) - [IBC website](https://x.com/IBCProtocol) - [IBC Blog](https://www.ibcprotocol.dev/blog) - [Interchain Foundation Website](https://interchain.io/) - [Interchain Discord](https://discord.com/invite/interchain) - [Interchain YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@interchain_io/) - [Map of Zones](https://mapofzones.com/)