Many participants in industry hackathons are just looking to make some quick prize money and move on to the next contest — Dominic Kwok calls them “bounty hunters.”

But EasyA, the start-up for developers that he and his brother Phil started four years ago, is looking for a different type of competitor — those who are looking to build companies that can have a significant impact on Web3. It’s an approach that has proved fruitful, with the companies coming out of EasyA’s app community and monthly in-person hackathons having raised money at a collective valuation of over $3 billion from top VC firms such as a16z crypto and CMT Digital. And EasyA’s mobile app, which helps developers easily start building their own Web3 projects, has over a million users worldwide.

At the first EasyA Consensus hackathon in Austin last May, more than 700 participants launched 100 different crypto projects, and the Kwoks are expecting similar numbers for upcoming events at Consensus Hong Kong and Consensus Toronto (if you’d like to apply for the EasyA Hackathon at Consensus Hong Kong 2025, please go here).

Here they discuss why their unique approach to hackathons, how they expect Consensus Hong Kong will differ from hackathons in other parts of the world and how Donald Trump’s election could affect the types of projects crypto developers focus on.

This series is brought to you by Consensus Hong Kong. Come and experience the most influential event in Web3 and Digital Assets, Feb.18-20. Register today and save 15% with the code CoinDesk15.

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

How did EasyA get started?

Dominic: So we originally launched EasyA about four years ago as the go to place for anyone to learn about the world’s best blockchains. Anyone can use the EasyA app on iOS and Android to learn about the top Layer Ones out there, like Solana, Polkadot, Stellar and Ripple’s XRP Ledger. And people can learn how to not only develop, but also launch their own projects. We also host a lot of big hackathons in p

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Author: Nelson Wang