Build for a world that values freedom, a world where control is not encouraged, where privacy is protected. Encode a free society.

Free Society Hack is where you begin your journey in the Zcash ecosystem. Build on Zcash during Devcon. Plus an Agentic Commerce track by Bitrefill. $5,000 in cash prizes.

75 hand-picked builders, in person. A whole day & night to ship a working product on private money, with mentors from Zcash projects beside you.

A full day to meet the people across the ecosystem who can help you keep going.

  • Privacy track, with Zcash. Five projects win on the day: a top prize of 1,300 USD, two second prizes of 300 USD, and two third prizes of 200 USD.- Agentic Commerce track, by Bitrefill. Use Bitrefill in your project to compete for 1,000 USD for the most innovative project, 800 USD for second, 600 for third, and 100 USD for the best feedback.

  • (Bonus) The Zcash Ecosystem Prize. Both 300 USD winners are also named Ecosystem Prize winners. Agree on one milestone relevant to your submission, ship in public to earn a further 100 USD.

  • Mentorship. You get exclusive mentorship from top Zcash projects.The Ecosystem Prize helps you build a public track record and connect with people who know your work, with dedicated mentorship guidance and support.

  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner, including an unmissable afterparty.

  • A short tuktuk ride from the main Devcon venue

  • Dedicated IRL 1-on-1 mentor support and guidance to thrive within the Zcash ecosystem

  • Cosy hacking areas, fast internet & group seating

  • Our merch is infamous. Get there early.

Who should apply?

Calling all engineers, developers, marketers and founders, technical or not. Most of our builders are new to Zcash. All you need is the drive to build your idea.

Wed 4 Nov: Hack day11:00 Welcome and walkthrough11:30 Build, with workshops & mentors00:00 Submissions close

Judges score every project overnight and pick the strongest to demo on stage. Winners announced on stage.

Thu 5 Nov: Demo day11:00 Top teams announced12:00 Demos & Winners

Do I need to know Zcash?No. Most of the room will be building on it for the first time. We start with a tooling walkthrough, and mentors are around all day.

Who should apply?Engineers, product people, marketers and founders. If you’ve got a small idea and want to grow it, apply.

Do I need a team?No. Teams are one to four people. Come with your crew or find one on the day.

Can one project enter both tracks?Yes, as long as it meets both tracks' requirements.

What happens after the hack?Winning teams get paired with an ecosystem partner to agree, deliver and share one small milestone within 30 days.

What if I don’t win?The same path is open to every builder. Agree a milestone, ship it, share it.

Can I join remotely?No. You need to be in Mumbai, in person, on Wed 4 Nov.

When do applications close?We review applications on rolling basis, so apply early!

Is food included?Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on hack day, plus the after-party.