GWDC 2026 KOREA Seeks Global Hackathon Teams, Bringing AI and Web3 Developers to Seoul

Web3 startup accelerator Web3Labs said Sept. 4 that it is recruiting hackathon teams from around the world for GWDC 2026 KOREA, which will be held at Seoul's aT Center from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30.

GWDC, or the Global Web3 Developer Conference, is a global developer event that connects developers, technology companies and investment firms while supporting technology exchange and industry collaboration in Web3 and artificial intelligence. This year's event is hosted by Web3Labs.

The event is expected to draw more than 8,000 participants, over 500 core developers, about 100 exhibitors and more than 100 investment firms. Organizers aim to create a large-scale venue for technology and industry exchange spanning AI and Web3.

The hackathon is accepting applications from developers worldwide under the slogan "For Builders, By Builders." It will focus on as many as five public blockchain ecosystems. Participating teams will receive a total of $100,000 in prize money and ecosystem support, including as much as $50,000 in prize money and separate ecosystem resources worth up to $50,000.

TRON will participate as a hackathon ecosystem partner, while Microsoft will provide cloud infrastructure for project development, testing and deployment. Projects that meet certain requirements will be eligible for Microsoft Azure Credits for up to six months.

The hackathon will consist of online applications and an in-person development round and finals in Seoul. Online applications opened Aug. 25 and will run through Sept. 25. Each team may have up to five members.

The offline hackathon will run from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30. Teams will develop projects on-site, optimize the technology and submit their final results. Top teams will present their projects at the Innovation Stage on Sept. 30, where representatives from major public blockchain ecosystems and venture capital firms are set to serve as judges.

Outstanding projects will receive priority access to Web3Labs' global acceleration program this year and to its incubating project candidate pool. They will also be offered networking opportunities with investment firms and ecosystem partners, along with chances to promote their projects through global media and communities.

Applicants must submit a publicly accessible GitHub code repository, a demo video of no more than three minutes, project materials and a pitch deck. Finalist teams will present their projects live at the Innovation Stage. Detailed hackathon tracks and assignments will be released in mid-September.

A GWDC official said technological innovation matters not when it stays within the code itself, but when it connects new ideas to the real world. The hackathon is intended to give developers worldwide an opportunity to turn ideas into actual projects and connect them with investment and ecosystem collaboration.