Essential Info
Important Dates
September 28, 2026: Fall hackathon begins
November 2, 2026: Submission deadline
~1 week before the deadline: Submission form becomes available on the platform
Winner announcement: typically ~6-7 weeks after the deadline (Frontier: May 11 deadline, winners announced June 26, 2026)
Competition Categories (Tracks)
Prizes (Detailed)
Global Hackathon — Frontier (Spring 2026) structure
The fall 2026 prize structure has not been announced yet; the table below shows the concluded Frontier edition for reference:
Grand Champion
$30,000
1
Top Winners
$10,000
20 (later 25)*
University Award (students)
$10,000
1
Public Goods Award
$10,000
1
* 20 Top Winner slots were announced; judging expanded the list to 25 runner-ups, for 26 winning teams total.
Announced total for the global hackathon: $250,000
Colosseum Accelerator
Winning teams are invited to the accelerator (Cohort 5 admitted 21), each receiving:
$250,000 in pre-seed capital each
Exclusive access to networking and investors
Direct 1:1 mentorship
2-week residency in San Francisco
Legal support and infrastructure
All hackathon winners receive interviews for possible inclusion in the accelerator. Cohort 5 (June 2026) admitted 21 startups drawn from Frontier winners and the Eternal sprint — Colosseum's largest cohort to date.
Brazil Track
$10,000 distributed among the top 10 Brazilian teams
Invitations to join Superteam Brasil
Submission Requirements
The submission form becomes available on the platform 1 week before the final deadline. The submission must include:
1. Pitch Video (max 3 minutes)
The most important element — and usually the first thing judges review. It should include:
Team background
Product description
Problem being solved and for whom
Market opportunity
Initial usage strategy or existing traction
Product demo
Recommended format: Loom. Avoid videos with exaggerated visual effects and little substance. Do not exceed 3 minutes.
2. Technical Demo Video (2-3 minutes)
Distinct from the pitch — should be technical, direct, and specific about the implementation:
Demonstrate core functionalities
Explain tech stack decisions
Show Solana integration and the reasoning behind the choices
Gameplay footage or architecture diagrams are accepted
3. GitHub Repository
Source code with documentation
Guaranteed access for judges (don't leave it private without granting access)
Judges evaluate code quality, design decisions, Solana integration, and overall architecture
4. Documentation
Technical documentation explaining the approach
Fill in all optional form fields — they provide important context
Tip: Keep building after the deadline — judges also evaluate post-hackathon progress.
Evaluation Criteria
The judges — prominent founders, developers, and investors in the ecosystem — evaluate based on:
Innovation
Originality and creative problem-solving approach
Technical Implementation
Code quality, functionality, and completeness
Practical Impact
Real-world applicability and potential utility
Presentation Quality
Clarity of explanation and demo effectiveness
User Experience
Interface design and usability
Market Validation
Evidence that it solves a real problem for real users
Solana Integration
Effective use of Solana's unique capabilities
Business Model
Viability of building a sustainable business
Projects that stand out demonstrate initial traction and conversations with potential users (feedback on Twitter/X, Telegram, etc.)
Team Composition
Individual participation is allowed, but teams of 2-3 people are typical among winners
Teams with both technical and non-technical members tend to be more successful
Average winning team size: more than 3 members
Solo founders should explain relevant experience
Use the Colosseum Cofounder Directory to find co-founders
Recommended Timeline (5 weeks)
The September 28 – November 2, 2026 window is exactly 5 weeks:
Weeks 1-4
Engineering sprint — achieve a functional demo on Solana devnet
Week 5
Testing and presentation creation
Start building in public from registration: create an X/Twitter account for the product, share your vision, recruit beta testers early.
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