Rayls Hackathon: $100k in prizes to merge the worlds of TradFi & DeFI!
The Rayls Developer Program starts at Ethereum Devconnect in Buenos Aires with the first Rayls Hackathon.
This marks the first public developer experience of the Rayls ecosystem and an opportunity to help shape the foundations of one of the fastest and most technically advanced EVM-compatible blockchains to date.
We are calling on:
Smart contract developers ready to push the limits of latency-sensitive DeFi applications.
Infrastructure builders eager to experiment with bridging TradFI RWAs to the DeFi community.
Product teams and hackers who want to explore what’s possible when finality is measured in milliseconds.
Institutions looking for a compliant chain to utilise to start their journey into the world of Ethereum
We want you to be part of the first cohort shaping the Rayls developer experience.
“The developer community is the heart of Rayls. This program gives builders real influence over how sub-second Ethereum evolves — not just to use our chain, but to define what it becomes.” — Alex Jupiter, Product Lead, Rayls
Hackathon Details
We're aiming on giving away up to $100k in cash prizes for the best projects built and pitched during this hackathon. Projects will fit into three main categories with prizes awarded for placement in each category:
Use of AI for DeFi protocols. E.g. a model that simulates risk data and regulatory compliance rules to ensure the AI's allocation strategy meets institutional risk management requirements.
Use of ERC-4626 yield-bearing vaults. E.g. a tokenised receivables vault based on RWAs that offers institutionally backed returns
Miscellaneous projects in the area of bridging the TradFi >< DeFi divide. E.g. a new form of onchain identity application
Projects will be judged on:
A working prototype built during the hackathon
Problem statement
Long-term vision statement
Business model
Alignment with the Rayls vision (for more info on this read our litepaper)
During the hackathon there will be time to talk to the Rayls team more about your idea and collaborate with us on your project. In attendance at the hackathon will also be various advisors and tech experts to help direct your project. Final submissions will be judged via an in-person 5 minute pitch and 5 minute of questions on 19th Nov at 15:00 at the hackathon venue. There will be access to a large screen to present with, however all demos must be pre-recorded. Prizes will then be announced at the Rayls Happy Hour from 18:00 in the same building.
Only attendees in Buenos Aires can participate, no virtual attendees are allowed. We’ll be running a virtual hackathon soon!
Hackathon Schedule
Tuesday 18th:
10am prompt start. Welcome talks, meet the Rayls Team, hackathon brief, team sorting, Q&A.
11am hacking starts.
1pm lunch. Pizzas and drinks provided.
3pm. Coffee break.
5pm. End of first day checkin.
8pm. Pizzas and beers provided.
Venue available throughout the night for those that need it.
Wednesday 19th:
10am restart.
11am coffee break.
1pm lunch. Pizzas and drinks provided.
3pm hackathon pitches.
6pm onwards, prizes announced at the Rayls happy hour in the same building.
Selection Criteria
We'll be reviewing all applicants' GitHub and LinkedIn profiles to ensure a high-level of technical and Ethereum competency for participating in the hackathon. We're also judging applicants' "hackathon idea" on the basis that it could feasibly be impressive to our judges: so please take some time on your application!
Who Are Rayls
Rayls is a blockchain ecosystem that is merging the worlds of TradFi and DeFi. Already in market with a private permissioned blockchain network connecting various banks across LatAm (already generating transaction fees in RLS Token) the new Rayls Public Chain aims to be the place where the existing TradFi world and the new DeFi builders meet. This new public blockchain is fast, modular, and open.
Built atop reth, the ultra-performant Ethereum execution client by Paradigm, Rayls brings sub-second block finality — designed to make decentralized systems feel instant without compromising security or decentralization.
Our mission is simple: make public blockchains fast enough, open enough, and developer-friendly enough to rival the world’s most reliable systems, while maintaining full compatibility with the Ethereum ecosystem.
More information on Rayls can be read in the litepaper: Litepaper
Ethereum Alignment
Rayls is deeply Ethereum-aligned, with work underway to create new trust anchors that integrate directly with Ethereum Layer 1. This ongoing development aims to make Rayls not just EVM-compatible, but verifiably connected to Ethereum’s security model. While this feature is still in active development, it reflects Rayls’ long-term goal: to strengthen the Ethereum network’s reach rather than compete with it.
Why It Matters
Rayls is not just another EVM chain — it is a reth-powered Layer 1 with:
Sub-second finality
Modular architecture and forced inclusion
Full EVM compatibility and bridge-ready design
This enables developers to deploy contracts exactly as on Ethereum — but experience them with near-instant responsiveness suitable for mainstream use cases.
The Developer Program is the first step toward Rayls Mainnet, planned for 2025.
By engaging the community early, we ensure that developers help stress-test sub-second finality, shape design decisions before launch, and build applications that can migrate seamlessly to mainnet.
Your work today directly shapes how Rayls evolves tomorrow.