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Hackathon

dates TBA Build Season is the Note Systems hackathon: a fixed window in which teams build on the testnet deployment and submit working software. Prizes are paid from the Ecosystem bucket. Every date on this page is a placeholder until governance publishes the schedule here and on note.systems.

Build Season is distinct from the bug bounty. The bounty pays for vulnerabilities in the protocol; Build Season pays for things built on top of it. A vulnerability found during Build Season should go through the disclosure channels and is paid under the bounty terms, not as a hackathon entry.

At a glance

Section titled “At a glance”
ItemValue
FormatRemote, open entry, individuals or teams of up to five
Window4 weeks of building, 1 week of judging TBA
PrizesFunded from the Ecosystem bucket and paid in USDG and/or NOTE; the prize schedule is announced to registered teams. Contact team@note.systems or @notesystems
Where to buildNote Systems public testnet on Robinhood Chain testnet; addresses on the Addresses page
SubmissionPublic GitHub repository plus a demo video of at most 5 minutes
LicenceSubmissions must carry an OSI-approved licence
JudgingPanel of five: two core contributors, two external builders, one veNOTE delegate chosen by governance vote

Tracks

Section titled “Tracks”

Each track has a first prize and up to two runner-up prizes. A project may enter one track. Projects that do not fit a track may enter Open.

TrackWhat we want to see
Structured-note strategies on DeskVaults, rebalancers or allocators that put USDG to work across series through the Desk, or that hedge a COUPON or SHIELD position with the other leg. Must respect Desk caps and be liquidatable through the standard exit path
Gauges and veNOTE toolingVote-weight explorers, delegation and boost calculators, gauge-vote automation, bribe-free incentive markets, notifications for the weekly cycle
AnalyticsDashboards and data pipelines over the events: series performance, barrier distance, coupon realised versus discovered, Desk NAV history, treasury floor coverage, emissions
IntegrationsWallet, portfolio tracker, aggregator or lending-market integrations that read or route into note legs using the ERC-1155 leg ids; upkeep bots or Chainlink/Gelato integrations that beat NoteAutomation on cost or robustness
OpenAnything else that uses the contracts in a way the judges find useful: education, simulation, research, tooling for auditors

Prize amounts per track are announced to registered teams before the building window opens. Unawarded prizes return to the Ecosystem bucket.

Judging criteria

Section titled “Judging criteria”

Each judge scores every submission in their assigned track from 0 to 5 on each criterion. The weighted sum is the project score; the panel meets to resolve ties and disqualifications.

CriterionWeightWhat scores highly
Correctness30%Works against the testnet deployment as demonstrated. Handles reverts, the observation calendar and physical settlement properly. Tests included
Usefulness to the protocol25%Solves a problem a COUPON buyer, SHIELD poster, Desk depositor, veNOTE voter or upkeep operator actually has
Technical quality20%Clear structure, readable code, uses the published interfaces rather than re-implementing them, no unnecessary trust assumptions
Design and clarity15%Plain English, numbers first, distinguishes facts from estimates. Follows the brand where it presents Note Systems data
Completeness of submission10%Repository builds from a clean clone, README explains setup, demo video shows the working product

Disqualifying: closed source, plagiarised work, code that exploits or attempts to exploit the contracts, submissions that hold user funds without an exit path, or any team member who is a judge or core contributor.

Timeline

Section titled “Timeline”

TBA All dates below are placeholders. The schedule becomes binding only when published with calendar dates here.

MilestoneDate
Registration opensTBA
Kickoff call and testnet walkthroughTBA
Building window opensTBA
Office hours (weekly)TBA
Submission deadlineTBA, 23:59 UTC
JudgingTBA, 7 days
Winners announcedTBA
Prizes paidWithin 14 days of the announcement, after KYC where required

Submission

Section titled “Submission”

Submit by the deadline through the form linked from this page when the window opens. One submission per project. A submission consists of:

  1. A public GitHub repository with an OSI-approved licence, a README covering setup and the track entered, and at least one tagged release or commit hash frozen at the deadline. Commits after the deadline are ignored.
  2. A demo video of at most 5 minutes, unlisted or public, showing the project running against the testnet deployment. No slides-only videos.
  3. A short description of at most 300 words: what it does, who it is for, what is not finished.
  4. Team details for each member: GitHub handle and a Robinhood Chain wallet for prizes.

Optional but scored under Completeness: a hosted demo, a test suite, and a one-page note on design decisions.

Prizes and eligibility

Section titled “Prizes and eligibility”
  • Prizes are paid in USDG and/or NOTE at the team’s election, using the same valuation rule as the bug bounty. Prizes are split among team members as the team instructs.
  • Prizes above a threshold communicated to winners require identity verification of the receiving member. Residents of sanctioned jurisdictions and persons under the age of majority in their jurisdiction are not eligible.
  • Teams may also apply for a follow-on grant from the Ecosystem bucket to bring a winning project to mainnet; grants are decided by governance, not by the judges.
  • Core contributors, judges and their immediate families may build, but may not win.
  • Questions about prizes: team@note.systems, Discord or @notesystems.

Resources

Section titled “Resources”