Attention Ethereum enthusiasts! Circuit Breaker 2024 recently disrupted the status quo. This recent ETHGlobal hackathon wasn’t just another coding marathon but a celebration of Web3 and camaraderie. The dedicated event was all about zero-knowledge proofs, where participants learned how to write ZK Circuits.
With $50,000 in prizes and a virtual playground, creators and contributors had the opportunity to work on projects during the hackathon. Not to forget an impressive lineup of speakers, from venture capital and Ethereum foundation members to developers and founders of cutting-edge blockchain technologies and platforms.
Read on to find out more about the async hackathon!
All About Circuit Breaker
The Ethereum ecosystem is now a hub for innovation and community collaboration. Recognizing this, Circuit Breaker emerged as a key event (Feb 2–21) to unite the brightest minds and talents within the Web3 space.
This unique hackathon focused on building, learning, and understanding how to write ZK Circuits while fostering creativity, technical prowess, and the development of Web3 applications.
A Haven for Builders
At its core, Circuit Breaker served as a collaborative incubator for developers, designers, and artists who are eager to dive into the world of Ethereum.
ETHGlobal, committed to innovating, educating, and collaborating on Ethereum-based projects, tailored this event to welcome both neophytes and seasoned experts of Web3. It provided a great opportunity for attendees to engage with web3 tech to explore and create innovative projects on the Ethereum blockchain.
Bridging Web2 and Web3
Circuit Breaker was designed for individuals with a background in Web2 tech who are keen on transitioning into the Web3 space. This not only democratized access to blockchain technology but brought in fresh ideas and viewpoints.
Participants were encouraged to use their creativity and work on any project they were passionate about, as long as it added to the Ethereum community.
The finalists include:
- Priv.cast: It’s a Sybil-resistant and private voting application that uses Farcaster Frames & Noir for anonymous voting. It solves data privacy & vote manipulation issues in polling applications by incorporating zk-proofs, allowing users to vote without revealing their Farcaster ID, thus maintaining 100% anonymity.
- VeriBot: It uses zk-proofs and machine learning to prove the safety of smart contracts without exposing their source code. It allows developers to validate the integrity of their contracts, keeping the code private and secure against vulnerabilities or rug pulls.
- zkDL: It uses zk-proofs to enhance user privacy in personhood verification. It validates the authenticity of standardized digital driving licenses (mDLs) without disclosing personal information, ensuring user anonymity.
- 0xShadows: It improves multi-signature wallets by allowing owners to submit, approve, or reject transactions anonymously. Using a Semaphore group within its smart contract, it maintains the integrity of the system without revealing which member voted in which way, thereby ensuring privacy and preventing double-signaling.
- ZK Open Banking: It aims to maintain the privacy of banking data during open banking transactions with ZK-proofs. It integrates with open banking providers for data access and employs the Aztec network for private data storage without exposing sensitive user data.
- EVMTrace: This platform enhances the understanding of cryptography adoption across blockchain networks by collecting data using methods such as tracing, tracking precompiles, pattern recognition, and manual efforts.
- Myriad: It makes interaction with DAOs fun and engaging by letting users create and participate in DAOs, leveraging the Farcaster protocol and Semaphore for privacy and scalability.
A Commitment-Free Exploration with a Twist
An appealing aspect of the event was its cost-free participation model, making it accessible to all interested hackers. In an innovative twist to ensure commitment, organizers required participants to ‘stake’ a nominal amount of cryptocurrency. This stake, fully reimbursable upon project submission, ensured the processing of the waitlist efficiently and boosted more participation. It underscored the event’s ethos of commitment and engagement for everyone involved.
Endless Potential with Support and Inspiration
Circuit Breaker was beyond a mere competition; it was a supportive ecosystem where participants received extensive resources, mentorship, and technical assistance. With the presence of its sponsors and an array of protocols and SDKs available for integration, hackers were spoiled for choice in tools and technologies to bring their ideas to life. Partners included:
- Avail
- Scroll
- Privacy + Scaling Explorations
- Ethereum Foundation
- Iron Fish
- Sindri
- Aztec
Open-Ended Creativity and Rewarding Challenges
Participants had the freedom to work on any project within the Ethereum framework, which makes the idea an open-ended approach and a win-win for all!
The event was filled with challenges and prize opportunities provided by sponsors, adding an extra layer of excitement and motivation to integrate novel protocols and technologies into their projects.
Conclusion
Circuit Breaker epitomized the spirit of the Ethereum community—open, innovative, and collaborative. By offering a unique platform for web2 professionals to transition into the web3 world, it surely encouraged a convergence of talent and technology.
The event not only propelled individual projects but also contributed to the broader evolution of the Ethereum ecosystem.
For more details, dive into the event page.