About the Hackathon
Doc: [https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4)
Join Discord For Detail: [https://discord.gg/cortensor](https://discord.gg/cortensor)
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Hackathon #4 is designed to push **agentic applications** from “cool demos” into **usable, repeatable workflows** — where agents can delegate work, call tools, validate outcomes, and keep going.
Hackathon Format (unchanged): Open-ended runs continue — variable inflow = high-value edge-case data. We’ll keep inviting outsiders to try agentic apps while hardening software, docs, and process.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#objective)
Objective
Build proof-of-concept (PoC) **agent applications**, agent frameworks, bots, validators, and developer tools that leverage **Cortensor’s decentralized inference protocol** as the execution + trust backbone.
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#primary-focus-areas-agent-first)
Primary focus areas (Agent-first)
- **Agentic Applications (core track)**
Agents that *do real work*: monitor, act, coordinate, transact, and report — with clear tool interfaces and repeatable flows.
- **Delegation + Execution Loops**
Demonstrate a full loop:
*Agent plans → delegates tasks → Cortensor executes (redundant compute) → results returned → agent continues.*
- **Trust & Verification (PoI/PoUW utilization)**
Use **PoI** (redundant inference) and **PoUW** (validator scoring) where it adds credibility:
- cross-model or cross-run checks
- rubric-based scoring
- evidence bundles / audit logs
- “why trust this output” surfaces
- **Agent Tooling & Templates**
SDK wrappers, CLI scaffolds, starter kits for:
- agent + tool calling
- session management
- logging + replay
- evaluation harnesses
- **Operational Agents (DevOps / Community / Monitoring)**
Agents that keep infra and communities healthy:
- router health checks, latency alerts
- miner/model usage analytics
- automated incident summaries
- support triage bots with safe guardrails
- **Public Goods Agents**
Open-access bots that provide ongoing community value (free inference tier, limited quotas, or public endpoints).
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#stretch-goals-bonus-points)
Stretch goals (bonus points)
*Note: ERC-8004, x402, MCP, and COR Prover are optional R&D surfaces — not required to participate.*
- **ERC-8004 artifacts**: emit agent identity/validation artifacts for discoverability.
- **x402**: pay-per-call rails or UI flows for usage-based access.
- **Router surfaces**: integrate Router v1 (REST) with a `/validate` endpoint; prototype COR Prover surfaces; explore MCP-compatible patterns.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#prize-pool-in-usdcor-equivalent)
Prize Pool (in $COR equivalent)
- 1st: $1000
- 2nd: $800
- 3rd: $500
- 4th–5th: $300 each
- 6th–7th: $150 each
- 8th–10th: $100 each
- 11th–20th: $50 each
**Ongoing Support:** Top projects may qualify for monthly $COR grants for continued maintenance and improvements.
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#important-notice-on-prize-payouts-eligibility-condition)
Important Notice on Prize Payouts (eligibility condition)
To align incentives with Cortensor’s long-term growth: if a prize-winning participant is **not** (a) an existing node operator running >20 nodes, or (b) a holder of $500+ $COR prior to kick-off, or (c) a participant with active staked tokens, then their prize will be split:
- 50% allocated directly to Staking Pool #1 under their address
- 50% distributed upfront as liquid $COR
This ensures rewards both support winners and strengthen network security and staking participation.
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#judging-and-awarding-policy)
Judging & Awarding Policy
- **Quality over rank:** Prizes are **not** awarded strictly by leaderboard order. Cortensor will judge qualified entries on **overall quality, impact, technical rigor, usability, documentation, and alignment with Cortensor’s roadmap**.
- **Discretionary placement:** Judges may award a prize to any qualified entry at a given place (e.g., a lower-ranked but higher-quality project may receive a higher prize tier).
- **No guarantee to fill all places:** Cortensor may **withhold or reallocate** any prize tier if submissions do not meet the quality bar.
- **Ties / partial awards:** Cortensor may declare ties, split awards, or issue **honorable-mention grants** at its discretion.
- **Compliance:** Entries must comply with all rules; violation may result in **disqualification** and forfeiture of prizes.
- **KYC requirement:** Cortensor may require **KYC** verification for any qualified or prize-winning entry. If requested, successful completion of KYC is **mandatory** to receive prizes.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#suggested-project-ideas)
Suggested Project Ideas
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#new-and-emphasized-for-4-agent-apps)
New and emphasized for #4 (Agent Apps)
**1) Real Operators: agents that run workflows**
- **Release Manager Agent**
Watches repos, builds changelogs, drafts release notes, posts weekly dev summaries.
- **Incident Commander Agent**
Monitors router/validator health → detects anomalies → opens tickets → posts a short incident report.
- **QA / Regression Agent**
Runs daily test scripts against endpoints, compares outputs, flags drift, and files issues with evidence.
- **Community Support Agent**
Triage questions in Discord/Telegram, routes to docs, escalates edge cases to humans.
**2) On-chain & crypto-native agents (safe + verifiable)**
- **Receipt Verifier Agent**
Takes tx hashes/receipts → explains what happened → validates expected state changes → emits an attestation artifact.
- **Treasury Watch Agent**
Monitors balances/flows, posts alerts, generates periodic reports (with policy-based thresholds).
- **Governance Analyst Agent**
Summarizes proposals, finds risks/tradeoffs, and provides structured “for/against” reasoning (with sources).
**3) Multi-agent systems and coordination**
- **Coordinator Agent**
Breaks a goal into subtasks, delegates to specialized agents/tools, merges results, validates final output.
- **Disagreement Resolver**
When two agents disagree, run multi-run validation + rubric scoring and return a structured arbitration bundle.
**4) Memory & personalization (done responsibly)**
- **Project Memory Agent**
Maintains a structured memory store (decisions, constraints, TODOs), produces weekly deltas, supports “why did we decide X?”
- **Knowledge Base Builder**
Turns docs/issues into a searchable map, then answers questions with citations + confidence + validation.
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#tooling-dx-ideas-still-highly-valued)
Tooling / DX ideas (still highly valued)
- **Agent Starter Templates** (TS/Python): tool registry, session helpers, structured logging, replay runner
- **Evaluation Harness**: local scripts to run N trials across models/runs; generate validation reports
- **Observability dashboards**: agent task success rates, latency, failure reasons, validator scores over time
---
### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#ongoing-support)
Ongoing Support
- Outstanding projects may receive monthly $COR grants for ongoing improvements.
- Exceptional teams may be offered dedicated roles in the Cortensor developer community.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#how-to-participate)
How to Participate
- Join Discord: discord.gg/cortensor
- Build openly in the community repo: [https://github.com/cortensor/community-projects](https://github.com/cortensor/community-projects)
- Submit your final app with a clear README showing functionality and Cortensor integration:
- Create PR as submission at [https://github.com/cortensor/community-projects](https://github.com/cortensor/community-projects)
- Demo App/URL
- Documentation / Video
- Cortensor Session IDs & Router Endpoint (if you used web2 integration)
- Post all of the above into Discord **#build-ground**
#### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#deliverables-checklist-agent-focused)
Deliverables Checklist (Agent-focused)
- Public repo with permissive license (MIT/Apache-2.0)
- README with:
- quickstart + runbook
- architecture diagram
- tool list (what the agent can do)
- safety/constraints (what it refuses to do)
- Demo link (live URL or recorded video) + reproduction steps
- **Agent runtime proof**:
- sample transcripts / logs
- structured outputs (JSON where relevant)
- replay script or test command
- **Verification** (recommended):
- rubric prompt(s) / scoring policy
- cross-run checks or validator usage
- evidence bundle format (JSON + optional IPFS)
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#timeline)
Timeline
- Kick-off: **TBD (Q1 2026)**
- Submission deadline: **TBD (≈6 weeks after kick-off)**
> If dates shift, we’ll announce updates in Discord.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#evaluation-criteria)
Evaluation Criteria
Mandatory: Working public demonstration during the hackathon (Discord/Telegram or designated channel). Projects not demonstrated will not qualify.
Scoring rubric:
- **Agent capability & workflow completeness** — 30%
- **Integration with Cortensor** (sessions, routing, validators, staking/payment flows; PoI/PoUW where applicable) — 25%
- **Reliability & safety guardrails** — 20%
- **Usability & demo quality** — 15%
- **Public good impact** (free access, docs, community value) — 10%
Bonus considerations: ERC-8004 artifacts, x402 flows, MCP patterns, `/validate` usage, on-chain records, tests/benchmarks, observability dashboards.
No Auto-Generated Submissions: Purely AI-generated entries without a working implementation do not qualify.
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### [](https://docs.cortensor.network/community-and-ecosystem/hackathon/hackathon-4#terms-and-notes)
Terms & Notes
- Optional surfaces (FYI): COR Prover, ERC-8004, x402, and MCP are internal/WIP and not required.
- Safety/Compliance: Projects must follow applicable laws and reasonable safety guidelines.
- Transparency: Clearly mark any centralized components or paid services used.
- Data: Use public or properly licensed datasets/APIs.
- Contact: Questions and office hours will be posted in Discord.
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Hackathon #4 is about **agents that actually ship work** — with **execution you can rely on** and **results you can verify**.
Let’s build agent apps that hold up in the real world.