Encode x Arc DeFi Hackathon
About event
Join us for a weekend of all things DeFi hacking on Arc, the Economic OS for the internet.
Arc is an open Layer-1 blockchain purpose-built to unite programmable money and onchain innovation with real-world economic activity. If you're an enterprise developer, application developer, or protocol developer – this event is for you.
Taking place at Encode Hub, this is a full 3-day, twice overnight hackathon for 300 builders, with a prize pool of $20k.
About Arc
Created by Circle, Arc enables builders and issuers worldwide to power the next era of onchain lending, capital markets, FX, and payments — igniting liquidity across currencies and asset classes.
Arc’s core features include:
Stablecoins as native gas: Gas fees are low, predictable, and fiat-based – starting with USDC
Deterministic sub-second finality: Instant settlement finality powered by Malachite, a highly performance BFT consensus engine
Opt-in configurable privacy: Balances and transactions can be selectively shielded while supporting compliance with relevant obligations
Full Circle platform integration: USDC, EURC, USYC, Mint, Wallets, Contracts, CCTP, Gateway, Circle Payments Network (CPN), and more
Arc provides asset issuers and builders with a robust environment to launch, coordinate, and scale with confidence. Arc is designed to meet the needs of global businesses without compromising openness or other critical aspects of the developer experience.
For builders
As an EVM-compatible blockchain, developers can build on Arc using the same frameworks and tooling they know and trust. Open and composable, Arc is where digital money meets enterprise-grade onchain infrastructure.
Here are just a few of the powerful use cases we’re excited to see builders bring to life on Arc:
Onchain credit with offchain trust
Design credit infrastructure that combines stablecoins with external trust signals:
Identity-based lending protocols using verifiable credentials
Reputation-driven credit systems tied to cash flow or payment history
SMB and consumer credit apps serving underserved markets
Capital markets settlement and tokenized collateral
Modernize capital markets with stablecoin-native settlement:
Tokenized securities platforms with instant DvP
Collateral management systems for stablecoin-backed margin
Tokenized funds and structured products issued onchain
Prediction markets trading real-time data, forecasts, and risk signals
Stablecoin FX
Create markets and services around stablecoin conversion and FX:
Perpetuals and derivatives exchanges on stablecoin pairs
Swap APIs for programmatic stablecoin-to-stablecoin conversion
Treasury tools for multi-currency rebalancing and cross-border payouts
Agentic commerce
Enable autonomous systems to transact natively onchain:
AI-mediated marketplaces where agents buy, sell, and execute transactions
Machine-to-machine payment networks for IoT and devices
Coordination systems for agents to post, match, and settle intents near instantly
Cross-border payments and payouts
Power global money movement with fiat-backed stablecoins, instant settlement, and low fees:
Remittance platforms for consumer transfers
Payout systems for marketplaces, gig workers, and global payroll
Trade finance platforms with tokenized invoices and escrowed settlement