About This Theme ────────────────

HackerNoon invites builders and technologists to share real, working, impactful projects across foundational tech domains — from AI and security to fintech, web engineering, and Web3. Whether you’re an individual maker or a startup team, publish your project with one of the sponsored tags to compete.

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How to Enter ────────────────────

Step 1   ────   Build a project using your chosen tech stack​

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Step 2  ────   Enter the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon

​​​​1. Submit & Generate Your PoU Report

Your official registration. Without this report, your project will not be scored

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• Go to proofofusefulness.com and Click “Submit Project'

• Provide evidence of traction: active users, API calls, or GitHub stars/forks

• Submit your live project URL, GitHub repo, and integrated tech stack

• Receive your PoU Score (0–1000+) and downloadable report card

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2. Document Your Project on HackerNoon

Your technical documentation and pitch to the judges

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• Write about the problem, solution, and implementation with code snippets

• Tag with #proof-of-usefulness and HackerNoon sponsor tags

• Submit for publication to complete your entry​​

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3. Compete for Monthly & Grand Prizes

Jan 5 – June 5, 2026: Continuous improvement and monthly judging.

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• $20,000 in monthly cash prizes awarded on a rolling basis

• Update your product and improve your PoU score anytime

• Top-scoring projects compete for the $150,000+ grand prize pool