Stop 1 of the [ ARKIV ] Web3 Database Bus Tour.
We're partnering with Network School for the first Ethereum-focused month at NS — Genesis Block Month — and we're bringing a Builder Challenge with us. Two winners each get a $1,500 USDC stipend toward a one-month stay at Network School, in the month of their choice.
The Challenge is hybrid: build IRL on the NS campus in Forest City, Malaysia, or fully remote from anywhere. Anyone can join.
Builders get a structured 9-day window, kicking off during ETHNS EVM Day, with the final push during the ETHNS Open Days on Open Hardware and Privacy. Ship something that actually works. Something you'd put in your portfolio. Something that could become a reference implementation for builders working on AI, privacy, or DePIN with Arkiv.
| Theme | Build | The hook |
|---|---|---|
| AI | An AI agent whose memory lives as Arkiv entities | Memory you actually own, portable across any app that reads Arkiv |
| Privacy | Confidential data patterns on a public, tamper-proof layer | Encrypted payloads, ZK proofs, selective disclosure |
| DePIN | A queryable data layer for sensor / telemetry / device data | Time-scoped, tamper-proof readings; the missing layer for physical-world networks |
Pick one or mix them up! All themes will be scored on the same rubric, there's no advantage to picking one over another. Go with whatever excites you.
For more information on the themes, check out our Builder's Guide.
The obvious:
- Two winners, each receiving $1,500 USDC toward a one-month stay at Network School (Forest City, Malaysia), in the month of their choice.
- If you can't or don't want to travel to NS, you can keep the stipend.
The less obvious:
- Ship a working product on a data layer most devs haven't touched yet.
- Code is open source. The best submissions become a reference for other builders working on AI, privacy, or DePIN with Arkiv.
- Support from the Arkiv team throughout the build window. Join our Discord → #ethns-arkiv-challenge.
- Genesis Block Month at NS is the first Ethereum-focused residency at Network School — you're shipping into a moment, not into a vacuum.
- Developers who can build a full-stack web application (or a backend / agent service for the AI theme)
- Hybrid format — IRL at NS or fully remote, anywhere in the world!
- Solo or team (max 5), prize stays the same per winning team
- Any stack on the frontend / agent layer. Arkiv is the data layer, you pick everything else
- You don't need to know Arkiv beforehand. The May 15 IRL Arkiv 101 Workshop and the pre-challenge X Spaces (May 1–14) cover the basics. Reference patterns and docs handle the rest.
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| May 1–14 | Pre-challenge content — X Spaces, online workshops |
| May 15 | Arkiv 101 Workshop — IRL @ Network School |
| May 16 | Submissions open / Challenge kickstart — during ETHNS EVM Day |
| May 23–24 | ETHNS Open Days — Open Hardware + Privacy. Final-push activations IRL @ NS |
| May 25 | Submissions close — 23:59 UTC |
| May 26–28 | Judging |
| May 29 | Winners announced — live X Space with the judging panel |
The Organizer reserves the right to adjust these dates. Any changes will be communicated via Discord and official channels. See RULES.md for full terms.
| Slot | Prize | Who it goes to |
|---|---|---|
| Open slot | $1,500 USDC, intended toward a one-month stay at Network School | Top-ranked submission overall (any entrant) |
| Local slot | $1,500 USDC, intended toward a one-month stay at Network School | Top-ranked submission from a Network School attendee / affiliate |
Total prize pool: $3,000 USDC.
All submissions are judged together on the same rubric — the slot split only determines which prize a winning entry occupies. If no Local Entrant qualifies, the Local slot cascades to the next-highest-ranked submission overall.
If a winner can't or doesn't want to travel to NS, they keep the stipend.
One prize per winning team — how the team splits the stipend (and who attends NS) is up to them. KYC is required to claim the prize, not to enter. Full prize and disbursement terms: RULES Section 5 and Section 7.
Judging panel will be confirmed and announced soon.
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Builder's Guide | docs/builders-guide.md — themes, requirements, getting started |
| Official Rules | RULES.md — terms, prizes, eligibility |
| Scoring Rubric | docs/scoring-rubric.md — how we score, what we look for |
| FAQ | FAQ.md — common questions answered |
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Arkiv Docs | docs.arkiv.network |
| TypeScript SDK | Getting started |
| Data Explorer | data.arkiv.network — inspect your entities and test queries in the browser (docs). In Beta. |
| Agent Skill | docs/agent-skill.md — install arkiv-best-practices so your AI assistant knows the SDK and patterns |
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Submit | forms.arkiv.network/ethns-arkiv-challenge |
| Arkiv Discord | Join → #ethns-arkiv-challenge |
| Data Explorer feedback | The Explorer is in Beta — report bugs or gaps |