Buidlathon Prep Guide

ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021

BUIDLathon Preparation Guide

You have been selected to participate in this year’s Virtual ETHDenver & ColoradoJam community gathering which is on track to be the world’s largest Web3 #BUIDLathon to date. We’re thrilled to be working alongside you towards #BUIDLing the decentralized future.

To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of materials that will get you up to speed before the event. We believe the more knowledge you have prior to attending ETHDenver, the more you’ll get out of the weekend. This guide will give you several quality resources, from basic to advanced, to help you be as effective as possible during your time with us.

Note that ETHDenver 2021 also welcomes other chains and technologies that aren’t directly related to Ethereum. We believe in a future where blockchain interoperability and collaboration creates limitless possibilities, and that web3 is a “rising tide raises all boats” effort.

Should you have any questions, please contact our BUIDLer Experience team at buidlx@ethdenver.com or visit your Veertly BUIDL Floor mentorship room.

Complete BUIDLathon Registration: ETHDenver.com + Devfolio
Education/Preparation
Prizes, Bounties & Convertible Seed Grants
Team Formation - Icebreakers & Team Creation in Devfolio
Your Veertly Team Room - Where Mentors/Sponsors/Judges will Find You
Mentorship & Sponsor Assistance
Project Submission, Prizes & Judging (for tracks & bounties)
Event Rules
Hacker specific version of event Schedule (include suggestion for where they should be in working on their project each day) + suggested events hackers should attend + link to the full schedule
Receiving Prizes - KYC / Process for receiving prizes (1099 process etc) - Confirm process with accounting

See you soon!

ETHDenver Stewards

BUIDL Experience (BUIDLx)

1. Complete BUIDLathon Registration

BOTH of the following steps must be completed to be eligible to participate in the ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021 BUIDLathon.

Apply at ETHDenver.com/apply - All members of your BUIDLathon team are required to complete an application and be accepted to ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021. If members of your team have not yet submitted their application, being virtual, we are still able to accept their applications even during the event to finalize their participation. However, do NOT put this off as they will not have whitelisted access to your Veertly team room, the Virtual Castle or other events until they have been accepted which may take 24 hours or more for review.
Create Your Team via Devfolio - Devfolio is the platform where teams are formed and projects are submitted. It is important for you to create your team as soon as possible so we know who’s on your team and can create your Veertly Team Room.
1. Every BUIDLer must register for ETHDenver on the ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021 Devfolio Landing Page. You will only be asked a limited amount of information, much less than in the general application.
2. Once signed up, participants can create and name their team within the Devfolio Hackathon Dashboard.
3. Each team has a special Team Code (think of it as a private key!) that can be sent to other hackers so that they can join a team.
4. Your team’s room will be created within 24 hours of creating your team in Veertly. The Veertly platform will be open starting at 2:00pm (MT) Thursday, Feb 4th through the end of the event.

If you need a team, scroll down to the “Team Formation” section 3 below.

2. Education/Preparation

These links will give you a starting place for learning about blockchain & Ethereum. Although you may be aware of these concepts, it is essential to have knowledge of the fundamentals.

1. What is Blockchain?

2. What industries will Blockchain disrupt?

3. How does Ethereum work anyways?

4. ETHhub Reading & Community Resources

5. Learn about other blockchains and blockchain related software:

A Brief Primer on a few ethereum competitors (smart contract platforms)
Chainlink - an oracle system for odd-chain data to be verified and locked on chain
IPFS - A distributed file system, often paired with blockchain data & contracts
HyperLedger - a set or projects centering around blockchain for Enterprise.

6. Learn what a DAO is:

Brief Primer - just a start “DAOwn” the rabbit hole

7. Additional Educational Resources you may find valuable & fun:

Access Blockchain Learning Content at Blockgeeks.com (Beginner to Advanced)

ETHDenver attendees receive a courtesy 3 months of access to blockchain learning platform Blockgeeks by entering code ETHDNV20BG. Visit Blockgeeks.com/hackathon and on the payment page, apply your ETHDenver $75 coupon code. The price will change to "$0".

Essential Blockgeeks Pre-BUIDLathon Courses:

ETH 101: Intro to Ethereum (Everyone)
ETH 101: Intro to Ethereum Developer Course (Devs)

Blockchain 101

New to Blockchain or looking to learn a few new skills in preparation for ETHDenver? Have a member of your team who is very talented but needs the 101 on Blockchain? We’ve got some great resources from intermediate to advanced available at ETHDenver.com/blockchain101.

1. Watch the Cryptochicks Blockchain 101 Video

You can also visit Cryptochicks.ca for more content/tutorials.

2. Join Workshops in the ETHDenver Virtual Castle "Blockchain 101 Room"

Open Daily with presentation times listed at ETHDenver.com/blockchain101 and the event schedule.

3. Prizes, Bounties & Convertible Seed Grants

Over $250,000 in prizes, bounties & convertible seed grants will be awarded to standout projects participating in ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021.

This year, each team who submits a project for the ETHDenver BUILDathon will automatically be entered into one main competition track: the Open Track (historically you had to decide if you wanted to compete in the Open or Impact Tracks). Every team will compete for the chance to make it as one of the top 20 finalists, where teams will present on the mainstage livestream to a group of celebrity judges and to the world.

Prizes: A first for ETHDenver, the Open Track prizes will be distributed via Quadratic Funding (wtf it qf? Learn more at wtfisqf.com). Celebrity judges and Round 1 judges will allocate prize funding to their favorite projects with ETHDenver contributing matching funds quadratically. A total of $15,000 will be allocated to the top 20 Open Track competitors. The top 20 teams (those receiving the most voting signal from the initial round of judging), will present on the mainstage livestream in front of a panel of 5 celebrity judges (with Round 1 judges watching online) who will have the opportunity to ask the teams questions. Teams will have a total of 5 minutes to present (we suggest finishing in ~4 minutes and saving at least 1 minute of the allocated time for judge questions).

Bounties: In addition to competing in the Open Track, all BUIDLer teams will also be able to simultaneously submit their projects to three additional areas for opportunities to secure bounties for sponsoring projects. (Note that these bounties are judged by the projects issuing the bounty, not by ETHDenver Open Track judges):

ColoradoJam - If your project addresses an issue laid out by the State of Colorado your team is eligible to compete for bounties listed in the ColoradoJam bounties roster. Judging will be completed by state representatives with expertise in the specific bounty to which you submitted. Bounties range from $250-$1500 and total approximately $25,000 in bounty opportunities. Teams who win ColoradoJam bounties are also qualified to accept Convertible Seed Grants to continue their work through the ColoradoJam incubator program detailed below. [READ ColoradoJam Bounties Here]

Impact Bounties - If your project addresses a specific UN Sustainability Goal (SDG) your team is eligible for Impact Bounties in addition to being qualified to compete in the Open Track. When submitting for an Impact Bounty, you must specifically call out the SDG you are addressing and how your project lends value to the SDG. Impact Judges are specifically qualified to evaluate projects submitted for Impact bounties. $3000 will be awarded to the top 5 scoring projects in the Impact category with a total of $15,000 in total bounties being allocated.

Sponsor Bounties - Similar to the Impact and ColoradoJam categories, sponsor bounties are judged by the issuing project, not by the Open Track judges. Each ETHDenver sponsor has a different set of bounties with varying rewards, and each BUILDathon team can submit their project to up to ten sponsor bounties. Sponsors will issue rewards based on how closely a project meets the bounty criteria. We’ll make an announcement during the Closing Ceremony when sponsor bounty winners have been announced on Devfolio.co. There are over $160,000 in project bounties for #BUIDLers to compete to win. See a full list of the sponsor bounties and associated prizes at ETHDenver.com/bounties.

Convertible Seed Grants: As part of the evolution of ETHDenver from a private organization to a tokenized, community owned cooperative & event DAO, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the ColoradoJam Incubator and Bufficorn Ventures, a pre-seed/seed investment organization. As a result, these organizations will be making convertible seed grants to qualifying teams to continue their work. Convertible seed grants are instruments that act as grants, without investment terms, yet convert to the terms of future capital formation efforts at a TGE, angel or venture round with a pro-rata share allocated to the ETHDenver grant amount. Up to $70,000 is available to be awarded to Open Track Finalists, ColoradoJam Bounties and Impact Bounties winners who demonstrate the most promise to advancing the ColoradoJam initiative and the decentralized future in general.

4. Team Formation - Icebreakers & Team Creation in Devfolio

Prize qualifying BUIDLathon teams consist of 2-4 members. This hard requirement helps maintain an even playing field. We suggest taking time to start your team formation efforts before the event. Once you have a team, you’ll communicate this by creating a team in Devfolio which is also the platform where you’ll submit your final project. Here are some tips to get started with creating your team or finding team members:

Assemble your team via Devfolio (REQUIRED) - This is important to complete as soon as possible. This is how we’ll know you’re participating on a team and how we’ll know you need a team room created in Veertly. Devfolio is also how you’ll submit your team’s final project.
1. Every BUIDLer must register for ETHDenver on the ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021 Devfolio Landing Page. You will only be asked a limited amount of information, much less than in the general application.
2. Once signed up, participants can create and name their team within the Devfolio Hackathon Dashboard.
3. Each team has a special Team Code (think of it as a private key!) that can be sent to other hackers so that they can join a team.
4. Your team’s room will be created within 24 hours of creating your team in Veertly. The Veertly platform will be open starting at 2:00pm (MT) Thursday, Feb 4th through the end of the event.
Join the ETHDenver Discord and find a team on the #find-a-team channel. Make a post telling prospective team members about yourself and your interests:
1. What skills do you have?
2. What do you want to learn?
3. Have an idea? Pitch it here so that people looking for a team to join can DM you to connect!
Connect with other people like you who are looking for a team during a Team Formation Icebreaker event:
Thursday, February 4th 9:00AM Gamerjibe Virtual Castle Welcome Zone (1hr)
Thursday, February 4th 4:00PM Gamerjibe Virtual Castle Welcome Zone (1hr)
Friday, February 5th 8:00PM Gamerjibe Virtual Castle Welcome Zone (1hr)
Review these Tips and Tricks for BUIDLathons:

Note that we have HUNDREDS of solo BUIDLers attending. Make an effort to connect with people via the Discord channel, but don’t be worried if you aren’t able to form or join a team until the first day of the event.

5. Your Veertly Team Room - Where Mentors/Sponsors/Judges will Find You

Veertly is a collaborative video chat platform providing 24hr Virtual Rooms for hacker teams, mentors and sponsors to remotely collaborate. It also enables ETHDenver 2021 Livestream Watch Parties in the rooms for sharing the Main Stage experience.

Teams should use this as their primary hangout during ETHDenver, making it easy for sponsors, mentors and friends to find you throughout the week. You’ll even have a mentor room on your floor that is dedicated to supporting your team. Pop in whenever you need help and invite them to your channel.

ENTER VEERTLY

Veertly Rooms Open Thursday, Feb 4th at 2PM (MST)

Open 24 hours through the end of ETHDenver 2021

A team can turn their room into an ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021 Livestream Watch Party by importing the stream, allowing the team (and anyone else invited) to chat while watching live presentations/events.

On the final day of the event, your Veertly room is where judges will find your team so make sure you’re cozy and ready for judges to visit you from every challenge and bounty your team submits for. The final day of the event will also double as an opportunity to hop in rooms with other teams to learn about their projects. Please plan to keep at least one person in your room at all times to talk about your own project, even after judging is complete.

Team Rooms

Each team is assigned room to use for the duration of the event
Collaborate on anything related to ETHDenver
Mentors will be visiting teams to provide support.

Mentor Rooms

Help desk sessions
Support

Sponsor Rooms

Office hours
Support on their bounties
Mediums sized community events

6. Mentor Assistance

There are three ways to get help from mentors with your project at ETHDenver:

Veertly (details)
You'll have a mentor desk on your "floor" that you can visit for help. You can also invite a mentor to come to your room.
Post in our Discord channel
Just post to #mentor-support 1) what type of problem you’re having, 2) what skills you think you may need to solve it, and 3) your table number. Mentors will respond on a first-come first-serve basis. Make sure to download Discord for desktop and/or mobile to prepare yourself for ETHDenver.
Talk with our Sponsors
If you are working on a project using one of our sponsors’ technologies and are having trouble, stop by the sponsor's room on Veertly or reach out to the mentor desk on your floor. We will help get in contact with the correct party to help debug any issues you are having with a sponsor’s technology. You can also visit sponsors directly at their channels located on Discord. They will frequently have representatives present to give you quick assistance so you can finish their bounty.

7. Project Submission via Devfolio

Participants should be ready to build from the moment the BUILDathon starts at 9:00am on Friday, February 5th until it ends at 9:00am on Friday, February 12th. Everyone should aim to form a team either before the event kicks off (or shortly after), and teams must submit their projects for judging before it comes to a close. Hackers will sign-up, create teams, and submit their projects through Devfolio by adhering to the following guidelines:

Signing up and creating a team on Devfolio.co
1. Every BUIDLer must register via the ETHDenver & ColoradoJam 2021 Devfolio Landing Page. You will only be asked a limited amount of information, much less than in the general application.
2. Once signed up, participants can create and name their team within the Devfolio Hackathon Dashboard.
3. Each team has a special Team Code (think of it as a private key!) that can be sent to other hackers so that they can join a team. Projects can only be submitted from a team of at least 2 members. If you sign up as a solo hacker, attend the Icebreaker event or join the ETHDenver Discord and find a team on the #find-a-team channel.
Creating and submitting a project
1. The features to create a team project will become available once the BUILDathon begins at 9:00am on Friday, February 5th. Within the Hackathon Dashboard, participants can begin entering project details to the site by selecting Add Project (It’s possible only the team’s creator or admin will have this privilege). Teams should add details like:
  1. Project name
  2. Problem being solved
  3. Challenges encountered along the way
  4. Technologies used (important for bounties!!!)
  5. Links to code, visuals, or presentations
  6. Video demo (all teams must submit a 3-5 minute video demo of their project)
  7. Pictures (if applicable)
  8. Applicable tracks - All teams a part of the Open track, but they can also select to enter the Impact, Colorado Jam, or Sponsor bounties
2. Submitting and saving these details will automatically create a project page that showcases it up to that point. Teams can edit their project page as many times as they’d like before the BUILDathon ends (hard deadline at 9:00am on Friday, February 12th).
3. Teams can submit their projects for judging using the “Submit Project for Judging” button at any point before the BUILDathon ends. Once a team submits their project for judging, they will no longer be able to edit its contents. Hackers should only hit the final submit button when their project is complete, but make sure to do so before 9:00am (Mountain Time) on Friday, February 12th.
Judging process
1. Judging will take place from 10:00am-1:00pm (Mountain Time) on Friday, February 12th. All judges for the Open track and bounties (Impact, ColoradoJam, and Sponsors) will be visiting teams at their respective Veertly table during this time block. Teams should make sure they are at their assigned position and ready to present. The BUILDathon is also a science fair at heart, so members of other teams could also drop by to say hi and learn about the project.
2. Finalists for the Open track will be announced between 1:00-2:00pm, where they will have the chance to present on the mainstage livestream to a group of celebrity judges. Teams should plan to be available from 2:00-3:00pm in case they earn a finalist position.
3. All winning teams, including Impact and ColoradoJam Bounty winners, will be recognized during the Closing Ceremony, which will run from 3:00-6:00pm. Sponsor Bounties awards will likely be announced and distributed at a later date.

8. ETHDenver BUIDLathon Rules

The Top 20 projects will have an opportunity to present during the closing ceremony on Friday, February 12th. Prizes will be awarded to projects based on the decisions made by a panel of celebrity judges + community judges. ColoradoJam winners will present on stage. An announcement will be made when sponsor bounty winners have been assigned in Devfolio. All winning teams will be recognized during the Closing Ceremony on Friday, February 12th.

In order to qualify for prize consideration:

YOU MUST HAVE APPLIED AT ETHDENVER.COM AND BEEN ACCEPTED
YOUR TEAM MUST BE CREATED VIA ETHDENVER’S DEVFOLIO PAGE TO WORK ON A PROJECT AND SUBMIT NO LATER THAN 9:00AM FRIDAY, FEB 12TH
YOUR TEAM MUST BE PRESENT IN YOUR ASSIGNED VEERTLY TEAM ROOM FOR LIVE JUDGING 10:00AM - 2:00PM FRIDAY, FEB 12TH
You must form a team of 2-4 members and add all members to Devfolio
Your project must integrate blockchain technology (other chains besides Ethereum are fine) - The exception is if you choose to participate solely in pursuing ColoradoJam bounties, you can participate without web3 (NOTE: you will not qualify for the Open Track).
You cannot work on your project before the event begins
You cannot steal another team's source code
Decisions are final for determining of prizes and awards
Please comply with all instructions from ETHDenver organizers
Be cool - disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification
Please refer to the waiver you signed when applying for the event for additional details regarding appropriate behavior

9. BUIDLathon Schedule & Planning

We suggest reviewing the detailed schedule at ethdenver.com/schedule with your team so that you can schedule time in advance to attend workshops and panels without disturbing your team’s workflow.

INSERT GENERAL 2021 Schedule overview

ETHDenver officially begins at 9:00AM on Friday, February 5th and runs 24 hours a day until the project submission deadline of 9:00AM on Friday, February 12th.

Judging will take place in your assigned Veertly Team Room between 10:00AM-1:00PM.

The Closing Ceremony, including awards, is on Friday, February 12th from 3:00PM-6:00PM.

The ETHDenver Closing Party and Virtual Concert will take place right after the Closing Ceremony in a combination of the Virtual Castle + Livestream from 6:00PM-8:00PM.

Connect

Rules, Release & Waiver

hello@ethdenver.com