Official Rules & Regulations

The Tezos EVM (Etherlink) AI Hackathon (“Hackathon”) is a virtual competition inviting developers to build innovative projects combining artificial intelligence and blockchain technology on Tezos EVM (Etherlink), the EVM-compatible Layer 2 built on Tezos.

Partner: Now Media, in partnership with Trilitech

Who Can Enter

• Individuals 18 years of age or older at time of entry
• Teams of up to 5 members (all members must meet individual eligibility)
• Participants from any country, except where prohibited by law

Who Cannot Enter

• Employees, contractors, or immediate family members of Now Media or Trilitech
• Judges and their immediate family members
• Anyone residing in a jurisdiction where participation would be prohibited

Teams

• Teams may have 1–5 members
• Each individual may only participate on one team
• One submission per team
• Prizes will be distributed to the team lead, who is responsible for distribution among team members

Technical Requirements

All submissions must:

1. Build on Tezos EVM (Etherlink): Project must deploy to and function on Tezos EVM (Etherlink) mainnet
2. Incorporate AI: Project must meaningfully integrate artificial intelligence functionality
3. Be original work: Code must be created during the hackathon period (March 23 – April 9, 2026). Pre-existing libraries, frameworks, and open-source tools are permitted.
4. Be open source: Code must be publicly accessible on GitHub or equivalent platform

Submission Package

Each submission must include:

1. Project repository with source code
2. README containing:
   • Project description
   • AI component explanation
   • Etherlink integration details
   • Setup/installation instructions
   • Team member information
3. Demo video (3 minutes max) showing the project in action
4. Deployed contract address(es) on Tezos EVM (Etherlink) testnet or mainnet

Deadline

• Submissions close: April 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
• Late submissions will not be accepted
• Submissions may be updated until the deadline

Total Prize Pool: $5,000 USD

Prize Distribution

• All finalists will receive inclusion in Now Media livestream and recap
• Prizes will be distributed in USDT or equivalent stablecoin
• Prizes will be sent to a wallet address provided by the winner
• Distribution will occur within 14 days of winner verification
• Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes

Submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Judging Process

• All eligible submissions will be reviewed by the judge panel
• Judges will score each submission independently
• Scores will be aggregated to determine final rankings
• Judges' decisions are final

Participant Ownership

• Participants retain full ownership of their submissions
• By submitting, participants grant Now Media and Trilitech a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to showcase the project for promotional purposes (with attribution)

Open Source Requirement

• All submissions must be open source under a permissive license (MIT, Apache 2.0, or equivalent)
• This ensures projects can benefit the broader ecosystem

Third-Party Code

• Use of open-source libraries and frameworks is permitted
• Participants must comply with all applicable licenses
• Attribution must be provided where required

All participants agree to:

1. Treat others with respect. No harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior.
2. Maintain integrity. Submit only original work. Do not plagiarize or misrepresent your project.
3. Compete fairly. No attempts to sabotage other participants or manipulate the judging process.
4. Communicate professionally. In all hackathon-related channels (Telegram, Twitter, Discord, etc.).
5. Follow the rules. Comply with all hackathon guidelines and applicable laws.

The following will result in disqualification:

1. Violating eligibility requirements
2. Submitting plagiarized or stolen code
3. Submitting a project that does not deploy on Tezos EVM (Etherlink)
4. Submitting a project that does not incorporate AI
5. Violating the Code of Conduct
6. Attempting to manipulate the judging process
7. Submitting after the deadline
8. Failure to respond to winner verification within 7 days

Now Media reserves the right to disqualify any participant at its sole discretion.

Top finalists will be invited to present their projects in a live virtual showcase on April 15, 2026.

Finalist Requirements

• Finalists will be notified by April 12, 2026
• Each finalist team must prepare a 5-minute live presentation
• Presentations will be followed by brief Q&A with judges
• Attendance at the livestream is required to be eligible for prizes
• If a finalist cannot attend, they must notify organizers 24 hours in advance to arrange an alternative (pre-recorded presentation)

Livestream Format

• Platform: Twitter/X Spaces or YouTube Live (TBD)
• Date: April 15, 2026
• Time: TBD (will be announced with finalist notification)
• Duration: Approximately 1–2 hours depending on number of finalists

Winners will be announced live at the conclusion of the showcase.

• Winners will be announced publicly on April 15, 2026
• Winners will be contacted via the email provided in their submission
• Winners must respond within 7 days to claim their prize
• Winners must provide:
  • Wallet address for prize distribution
  • Verification of identity (if requested)
  • Tax information (if required by jurisdiction)

Unclaimed Prizes

Prizes unclaimed after 30 days will be forfeited. Now Media may, at its discretion, redistribute unclaimed prizes to other participants or retain them.

No Warranty

The Hackathon is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Now Media makes no guarantees regarding the availability, security, or functionality of any platforms or tools.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Now Media be liable for any damages arising from participation in the Hackathon, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

Indemnification

Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Now Media and their affiliates from any claims arising from their participation or their submitted projects.

Technical Issues

Now Media is not responsible for network or internet failures, platform outages (Etherlink, GitHub, etc.), submission system errors, or lost or corrupted submissions. Participants are encouraged to submit early.

Data Collection

By participating, you consent to the collection and use of:

• Name and contact information
• Team member information
• Submission materials
• Wallet address (for prize distribution)

Data Use

Information will be used for:

• Hackathon administration
• Prize distribution
• Promotional purposes (project showcasing with attribution)
• Communication about future events (opt-out available)

We will not sell your data to third parties.

Now Media reserves the right to modify these rules at any time. Material changes will be communicated via the official hackathon channels (Telegram, Twitter). Continued participation after changes constitutes acceptance of modified rules.

Any disputes arising from this Hackathon shall be governed by the laws of New York. Participants agree to resolve disputes through binding arbitration.

For questions about these rules or the Hackathon:

• Email: hackathon@nowmedia.co
• Telegram: Tezos EVM (Etherlink) AI Hackathon group
• Twitter: @etherlink @nowmedia