GM ETHChicagoans,
As innovation (and financial) cycles reset in crypto, we play a game of "which narratives will dominate this time?" In the past year, we've seen the seeds of a clear narrative forming. Solana and its memecoin frenzy have taken off and now have a dedicated social marketplace. Bittensor's AI x crypto marketplace protocol has expanded into an entire ecosystem of decentralized AI projects. And, recently, web3 gaming experienced arguably one of its biggest viral moments.
5.5Million wallet addresses
53 Million transactions
Top 3 shooter game on Twitch
1M+ hours streamed on Twitch
Reach of the game = 800+ Million
Built on its own…
787
As we shift priorities from building the narrative puzzle to expanding on these trends, it's important to emphasize that the Ethereum roadmap continues to deliver. The protocol is maturing into a next-generation global financial network through its L2 ecosystem. With Uniswap recently announcing Unichain and, just today, Kraken announcing Ink, the OP stack superchain continues to build steam.
Where web2 companies are incentivized to keep their data networks closed and proprietary, blockchains must avoid this fate. In the coming months, you will hear increased noise regarding chain abstraction and interoperability. ETHChicago plans to be on the forefront of that discussion.
Here are your headlines:
Where Creativity Meets Technology: Cyberjam’s Story So Far
Upcoming Events
Community Spotlight: Castalia City
Where Creativity Meets Technology: Cyberjam’s Story So Far
We kicked off this year’s Cyberjam with an incredible opening ceremony, setting the tone for a week filled with creativity and tech-driven magic.
For those who couldn’t make it or are considering joining us next year, here’s a quick recap and what's happening during Build Week!
Sign up for the closing ceremony this Sunday 2-5pm at 1871 to see what our teams have been cooking to win the Grand Prize of $2,000 from our frens at Chainlink!
Opening Ceremony Highlights:
The energy was electric! Teams gathered as we launched our first challenge: building robots from scratch for a relay race. It was chaotic and fun, and it set the tone for what Cyberjam is all about—merging digital ideas with physical creations.
We even had a Jammer Jeopardy session, covering themes like AI, governance, crypto, software engineering, and more. It’s safe to say this isn’t your average hackathon.
Here is an incredible recap of our Robot Race by our very own Alexa Tryhack, Ann Marie! Below is a picture of our pizza party brought to you by our frens at PizzaDAO!
Build Week in Full Swing:
Monday saw the first teams dive into their projects. Discord is buzzing with activity. Mentors have shown up to guide teams. Even Judge Head Kumar is working on a special algorithm to ensure a fair and innovative weighted voting system!
Teams are crafting, soldering, and coding—some at the maker space (Pumping Station One), where wood is being cut, circuits are being circuited, and amazing things are coming together.
Build Week is about bringing creativity and technology to life, and we’ve already seen some cool prototypes.
What’s Next? Closing Ceremony
Don't miss out on our Closing Ceremony, where you’ll experience the immersive projects our teams have been working on. Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 27, and sign up now to secure your spot.
Be sure to join our Discord to follow along with the teams and mentors. Cyberjam's unique blend of hackathon creativity has room for everyone, whether you're soldering hardware, cutting wood, or creating art.
Let’s build something unforgettable together!
Best,
The Cyberjam Team
Upcoming Events
Michigan Blockchain is hosting the first-ever Midwest Blockchain Conference at the University of Michigan on November 8-9.
The event will offer blockchain education for both beginners and experts, and will consist of keynotes, panels, developer workshops, and a research competition across many different verticals.
With over 35 universities, 30 companies, and 300 students from across the nation, MBC is gearing up to be the largest student blockchain conference ever, living right in the Midwest! Event sponsors include Coinbase, Franklin Templeton, Avalanche, and many more!
Please sign up here and learn more about the event on the website! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to blockchain@umich.edu.
Oct 27 - Cyberjam Closing Ceremony
Oct 29 - TradFi Meets Solana
Oct 30 - Community Cowork Day: Halloween Edition
Nov 8 - Midwest Blockchain Conference
For a full list of upcoming community events and to submit your own event, check out our Luma calendar below:
Community Spotlight: Castalia City
Castalia is a 3 week pop-up city from Nov 15 - Dec 25 2024 focused on the intersection of science & web3/zk/AI. One hundred residents in La Codensa, Mexico City will work together to develop cutting-edge products & push the boundaries of what science-tech can achieve. Co-led by ETHChicago core team member Erin Magennis, the 3-week hybrid hackathon focuses on creating tangible outputs and projects that continue after the event. Learn more about the residency and how to apply here.
Castalia is part of the MuseMatrix DeSci Fellowship ecosystem, also co-led by Erin. If you are interested in joining the next cohort of the MuseMatrix fellowship, applications for Cohort 3 are open now! Apply to be a fellow, mentor, or partner here.
Until next time,
The ETHChicago Core Team
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Warpcast: (ETHChicago)
