TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES

 

💰CHALLENGE RESOURCES
Conversational AI Video Challenge

Use Tavus to bring real-time AI video agents to your Bolt.new app.

Description

Build the boldest, most original project that pushes the limits of Tavus video agents, showing how face-to-face AI can transform how we connect, collaborate, or create. Think AI tutors, companions, assistants, storytellers, or something no one’s seen before.

Examples

LiveKit & Tavus: Realtime AI Avatars 



Resources & Support

To build and customize real-time AI video agents with Tavus, start with the CVI Overview (conversational video interface) to understand how replicas, personas, and interaction layers fit together. Use the CVI Interaction protocol documentation to give your agent superpowers by leveraging tool calling and more. The CVI Cookbook offers practical recipes for designing great conversational experiences. Set up your agent’s behavior using the Persona Guide and create your own avatar with the Replica Guide, then dive into Raven-0 and Layers & Modes to enable perception and alter turn-taking. For UI and streaming, customize your setup using Daily or LiveKit (Tavus WebRTC providers).

Tips from a Judge

Hassaan, the Tavus judge, recommends that you give your video agent a hook to make the experience more engaging. This could be a metagame, a question the avatar asks, or a prompted framework that gets the conversation going and keeps it on track. Consider how you'll initiate the conversation naturally and maintain user interest through visual or interactive elements.

 

Make More Money Challenge

Use the RevenueCat mobile SDK and RevenueCat Paywall Builder to acquire subscribers in your mobile Bolt.new app.


Description: Build a mobile app (iOS, Android, or both) using Bolt.new and seamlessly integrate RevenueCat's mobile SDK and Paywall Builder to implement a subscription paywall. Your paywall should offer a clear value proposition, giving users access to premium content, features, or services.

RevenueCat simplifies in-app monetization, making it easy to manage subscriptions, analyze customer data, and grow your user base. Create your paywall visually with RevenueCat’s Paywall Builder, leverage Offerings and Entitlements to personalize subscription experiences, and track your app’s success in real-time.

Examples:

  • Subscription-based premium content (articles, videos, podcasts)
  • Unlockable features or enhanced functionality (custom themes, additional storage, access to an advanced AI model)
  • Tiered access or VIP memberships (exclusive community features, premium support)

Resources & Support:

Tips from a Judge:
"Build something real. We're looking for apps that demonstrate a thoughtful use of subscriptions to deliver genuine user value. Quickly ship a functional app and try to gain actual subscribers during the hackathon: We’ve seen folks build, ship, and generate revenue in under a week. You can do the same. Show us how RevenueCat empowered your app—whether through ease of integration, better analytics, or faster growth." - Miguel Carranza, CTO and co-founder of RevenueCat

 

Custom Domain Challenge

Use Entri to get an IONOS Domain Name and publish your Bolt.new app on the domain

Description

Use Entri to get an IONOS Domain Name and publish your Bolt.new app on the domain. The most creative domain name will win!

Examples
yourawesomehackathonproject.xyz 

Resources & Support

Tips from a Judge

Here are some best practices when thinking about what domain to acquire:
(1) Keep it short and simple. 

  • Fewer words, fewer syllables, and easy to pronounce. 

(2) Use New Domain Endings 

  • Newer Domain endings like .online, .store, .xyz and .app are great for finding good keywords and really standing out 

(3) Check for confusion! 

  •  Say it out loud!!! Could it be misheard or miswritten? Avoid hyphens and numbers 

(4) Future-proof it!

  • Choose something broad enough to grow with your business.

-Neal McPherson, Head of Domains, IONOS

 

Voice AI Challenge

Use ElevenLabs to make your Bolt.new app conversational.

Use ElevenLabs Conversational AI to give your app both a voice and a personality, allowing your users to interact with your app using just their voice. ElevenLabs provides a React SDK which allows Bolt.new to easily incorporate it into your app. 

Examples
Cross-platform Voice Agents with Expo React Native  



Resources & Support

Refer to the docs for a quickstart and detailed tutorial. For support, join the ElevenLabs Discord Server!

Tips from a Judge

Thor, the ElevenLabs judge, recommends that you check out the Prompting guide and Conversational voice design guides in the best practices section of the docs!

 

Deploy Challenge

Use Netlify to deploy your full-stack Bolt.new application.

Deploy your full-stack Bolt.new application and add your Netlify Team account's slug to your Devpost submission. Here is how to access the team account slug. 

Resources

 

Blockchain Challenge

Build your app with Bolt. Use Algorand to make it more secure and decentralized.

Build a functional application with Bolt and Algorand that uses blockchain as part of the solution. Blockchain powers secure payments, verifiable data, user-owned identity, or programmable digital assets—all with speed, simplicity, and global scale. It best solves problems such as enabling direct, peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries, giving people the ability to truly own something through self-custody of a digital asset, and leveraging the immutable, public chain to prove the integrity of data. 

Resources & Support

Try our React example for bolt.new , go to our developer portal, try our tutorials, or learn more on our YouTube channel. If you need support, please reach out to us in Discord.

Tips from a Judge

Unleash the power of Algorand through a compelling and beautiful app experience! Leverage the chain to send transactions or store data without users knowing they're using a blockchain.

 

Silly Sh!t Challenge

Use Reddit’s Developer Platform x Bolt to bring your wackiest, weirdest, and silliest ideas to Reddit in the form of a game.

Description: This category celebrates the whimsical, the bizarre, and the hilariously impractical i.e. projects that serve no real purpose but bring maximum joy. The kind of content that makes you upvote without knowing why.

No one appreciates odd, irreverent, andfun quite like redditors. That’s why Reddit and Bolt are encouraging developers to let loose, get weird, and showcase their most gloriously silly ideas. In addition to cash prizes, winners will receive a Reddit trophy, internet glory, and of course—bragging rights for having built the most silly app.

Need some inspiration?

We’re thinking:

Build a Reddit app using Bolt

⚡Go to our template to build your first Bolt-powered Devvit app. ⚡

Support

Join us on Discord and Reddit for help making your game shine.

Additional Submission Materials

  • [Required] Demo Post: include a link to your a) test subreddit b) a post running your game. Please make sure your subreddit is public, OR you can install this app into your subreddit to allow our team to join automatically.
  • [Required] Reddit username.

Please note, participants must create a Developer Platform account to be eligible for this category. Make sure to include your Reddit username in your submission so we can verify you have done this.

Tips from a Judge

“Reddit is all about community and embracing topics people care about, no matter how weird. How well does the submission embrace playful, over-the-top, or intentionally silly concepts? We also recommend participants pay close attention to our template and documentation. Apps that are clearly built with the Reddit community will score highest. TL;DR: the more integrated with our platform, the better.”

Things to note

 

  • Deploying the Reddit x Bolt template is brand new and has some rough edges. You’ll need to use Bolt’s command line and probably get to know some of our support Snoos in our discord channel. 
  • Keep in mind that apps that eventually launch can be eligible for up to $116k in additional payouts from Reddit Developer Funds. Check it out here.

 

Startup Challenge

Use Supabase to prep your Bolt.new project to scale to millions.

Supercharge your Bolt.new project with Supabase so you can scale to millions. If you need more than a database, Supabase provides auth, storage, and more. Submit your project by adding the organization slug to your app and show us you’re building the next big thing.

Resources

Here are the tips from Tyler

Time to Value
Users should not have to take extensive actions or wait for a long time to feel the value of your creation. Focus on delivering value to your users with minimal time and input from them to keep them hooked.

Remove Frictions
Even if you could provide value to your users immediately, you could lose them with a cumbersome authentication process. Put yourself in the user’s shoes and think about the ideal time for when to ask them to sign up.

Continue Providing Value
Do not hold back once the user signs up. Continue providing more value and keep them amazed and surprised.Great visuals are an easy way to wow them.

 

EVENTS

 

SUPPORT CHANNELS

 

❓FAQ

What the hack is a hackathon?
Traditionally, a hackathon is a sprint-style event where people come together to build something—usually by coding—over a short period of time. But with Bolt.new, we’re taking it to the next level.

This one’s fully virtual and runs for a whole month, with hundreds of in-person events popping up along the way. Whether you’re building solo or with a team, it’s all about moving fast, being creative, and making something awesome.

What is the World's Largest Hackathon event?
It’s a global competition hosted by Bolt.new where anyone can participate, no coding required. Whether you're a designer, marketer, storyteller, or just have a bold idea, you’re welcome to join!

Participants build apps, websites, and tools for a chance to win $1M in prizes—and be part of a Guinness World Record attempt. While we typically see a lot of founders, developers and designers, all kinds of creators are encouraged to jump in.

When does the hackathon start and end?
The hackathon is exactly 1 month long and officially starts on May 30, 2025 (12:15 am Pacific Time) – June 30, 2025 (2:00 pm Pacific Time) (“Submission Period”).

 

Who can participate?
Developers, designers, indie hackers, product managers, entrepreneurs, your grandma, creators and builders of all skill levels are welcome: no coding experience necessary. Learn more here.

How do I stay updated?
We’ve got a few ways to stay in the loop:

  • Follow us on X for real-time updates and announcements
  • Join the community on Discord, we’ll post announcements, host AMAs, and help answer questions
  • Follow our newsletter (you’ll get updates straight to your inbox)
  • Check the Devpost updates tab for key info throughout the event

We’ll be sharing tips, reminders, and surprises along the way—don’t miss out!

How much does it cost to participate?
It’s totally free to join. On top of being part of a world record attempt, you’ll get access to the Builder Pack, loaded with perks, tools, and resources (worth $$$) to help you kickstart your project.

How do I register?
Register here. 

Is this event virtual, in-person, or hybrid?
It’s a hybrid event — you can participate virtually from anywhere in the world, or optionally join one of the in-person meetups happening globally. 

Can I participate solo, or do I need a team?
Either! You can compete individually, or form a team. We’ll also have ways for solo participants to find teammates if they’d like by joining our Discord server. 

What are the prize categories?
1st Place ($100k): The most exceptional project of the hackathon. This winner knocked it out of the park across every judging criteria — impact, creativity, technical build, and design polish.

2nd–5th Place ($75k-$22k): Incredible projects that delivered powerful ideas and beautiful execution. These teams showed excellence in both innovation and craft.

6th–10th Place ($20k-$10k): Strong contenders that built useful, well-designed applications with impressive technical implementation. These projects stood out from thousands of entries.

Regional-specific $10k prizes for AMER, APAC, and EMEA.

Additional bonus prizes for categories like Most Viral Project, Most Likely to Get Funded, Most Beautiful UI, and Uniquely Useful Tool.

How will judging work?
A panel of 30+ industry leaders from top companies, AI labs, and VC firms will carefully review submissions to select winners. You can find the judging criteria here.

When will winners be announced?
After judging, hackathon winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on July 26, 2025.

What will I need to submit?
See the full list of project and submission requirement in the rules here. At a high level, you must build a NEW application primarily with Bolt.new and submit the project on Devpost with the following items: 

  • Include a video (about 3 minutes) that demonstrates your submission. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook Video and made public.
  • Provide a URL to a publicly available version of the Project that is fully functional as described for review and judging. 
  • Provide the Bolt.new project URL (must start with https://bolt.new/~/…).
  • Confirm usage of Bolt.new to build the project and show the ‘Built with Bolt.new’ badge on your public project.
  • Include a text description that should explain the features and functionality of your Project. The text description should also explain how it meets any Challenge Requirements or Bonus prize the Project is being submitted into.

Submit all the above here.

What tools can I use?
You’re encouraged to use any tools you like. We’ll also highlight some awesome sponsor tools that you can integrate into your builds (some of which will have bonus prizes!)

Where can I find the official rules?
You can dig into the details about submission requirements, judging, eligibility, and much more on Devpost.

Can I submit multiple projects?
Yes, participants can submit multiple projects. However, each submission must be unique and substantially different from each of the entrant’s other submissions. You can learn more here.

Will there be workshops, livestreams, or mentorship?
Absolutely. Throughout the hackathon, we’ll be hosting weekly livestreams covering everything from idea generation to building, scaling, and go-to-market strategies.

You’ll also find IRL meetups happening in different cities, which is great for connecting with other builders.

Need guidance? Hop into the #mentorship channel on our Discord to ask questions, get feedback, and connect with mentors on your project.

What happens after I submit my project?
Judging will take place throughout July, and finalists will be invited to the awards ceremony on July 26th. Even if you don’t win, you’ll get exposure through social spotlights, our partner channels, and post-event content…and of course, you’ll have built something worth showing off!