The biggest circuits
- ETHGlobal: the flagship. Ethereum-first, 300+ hackers, real prize pools.
- Chain-native: Solana Radar, Base Around the World, Berachain hacks. Prize money follows the chain's growth budget.
- DAO-sponsored: Optimism Retro, Arbitrum Grants, Uniswap Foundation.
How to prepare
Ship one throwaway project on the target chain the week before. You don't want to be learning the SDK during the hackathon.
Winning categories vs main prize
Sponsor category prizes are often uncontested and pay 5-10x main prize per hour worked. Read the sponsor prize criteria first.