When people picture Istanbul, they envision the Bosphorus, streetlights, and endless motion. But on the first weekend of October, the city became something else.

Fifty developers gathered under one roof to build the future of Algorand. Laptops stayed open late into the night, mentors circled between tables, and new ideas came alive. By Sunday, 24 projects had been built, tested, and demoed, a weekend that showed how fast builders can move when the environment is right.

Together, Rise In and the Algorand Foundation hosted AlgoHack Istanbul, a hackathon designed to help developers create next-generation decentralized applications (dApps) on Algorand, ranging from DeFi tools to AI-powered assistants.

What Happened

For two days, the energy in the room didn’t fade. Students, founders, and curious minds sat side by side building, experimenting, and testing what Algorand can make possible.

Some even set up their full home office on site, complete with laptop stands and mechanical keyboards. Between intense coding sprints and retro game breaks, the space felt less like a competition and more like a creative playground. Istanbul’s coffee consumption probably peaked right alongside the hackathon hours. ☕

By Demo Day, the energy shifted from caffeine to adrenaline. Teams pitched like seasoned founders, judges leaned in, and the crowd cheered every time a live demo worked on the first try (a rare miracle).

The event featured two tracks: AI Consumer Applications and Open Innovation, each rewarding projects that combined creativity, functionality, and on-chain impact. When Demo Day arrived, judges from Rise In and Algorand watched as builders showcased products that only existed as ideas 48 hours earlier.

AI Consumer Applications Track Winners

🥇 Apollon – $2,500 

Built by: @eldahalas | Protocol Rebels
Project: Price Prediction Oracle on Algorand
An on-chain oracle that enhances DeFi strategy accuracy and data reliability across the Algorand ecosystem.

🥈 Aether AI – $1,500 

Built by: Efe Yılmaz
Project: Advanced Web3 & DeFi AI Assistant
Combines Google Gemini AI with Algorand’s infrastructure to enable wallet actions, swaps, and portfolio insights through chat-based commands.

🥉 DeFiXpert – $1,000
Built by: Önder Durak
Project: Live DeFi Opportunities & AI Strategy Platform
Cross-chain analytics, real-time arbitrage detection, and AI-powered DeFi strategies all in one platform.

Open Innovation Track Winners

🥇 FarmIN – $2,500
Built by: @cengzhnkse & @EfeAkkurtOFF
Project: Yield Aggregator with Insurance-Backed Farming
Helps investors earn with transparent risk analysis and one-click deposits, simplifying the DeFi experience.

🥈 Blazr – $1,500
Built by: Beytullah Çakmak, Resul Berk Çiçek & Talha Aydın
Project: Swipe-to-Invest Platform for Early-Stage Web3 Startups
Let users discover and invest in new projects before they launch, just like swiping on social media.

🥉 AlgoFlow – $1,000
Built by: @kara_akifcan
Project: Developer-Focused SDK for Seamless Algorand Integrations
Enables instant crypto payments, NFT minting, and POS-ready interfaces for retail businesses.

The Energy in the Room

AlgoHack Istanbul gathered people driven by a shared desire to build something meaningful. Over the course of two days, ideas evolved from sketches into real, functioning projects. 

Mentors from the Algorand team guided the process, offering feedback that pushed builders to explore new directions and refine their thinking. Participants supported one another through debugging sessions and long discussions, turning individual efforts into collective progress. 

The atmosphere in the room carried a rare mix of calm focus and creative momentum, the kind that emerges when curiosity meets purpose. By the end of the weekend, what remained wasn’t just a list of finished projects but a sense of connection, proof that innovation grows fastest in environments built on trust, collaboration, and shared ambition.

The Takeaway

By the end of the hackathon:

• • 50 participants had built and demoed their projects.
  • 24 new dApps were running on Algorand.
  • 6 winning teams walked away with a combined prize pool of $10,000.
    

The projects ranged from DeFi analytics and AI-driven assistants to developer SDKs and financial automation tools. But the biggest takeaway was the spirit of the builders, curious, collaborative, and determined to create real impact within the Algorand ecosystem.

About the Organizers

Rise In is a global web3 talent platform that connects developers with leading blockchain protocols through bootcamps, hackathons, and learning programs. With over 200,000 developers onboarded worldwide, Rise In builds bridges between global ecosystems and emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and LATAM.

The Algorand Foundation is committed to building an inclusive, transparent, and sustainable global economy powered by blockchain technology. As the organization behind the Algorand protocol, it supports builders, researchers, and innovators who are developing decentralized applications that make finance and technology accessible to everyone.

What’s Next

AlgoHack Istanbul became more than a space for building products; it became a space for building people. Over one weekend, a community took shape, one fueled by curiosity, trust, and the confidence that real progress begins with experimentation. The connections formed and lessons learned will keep shaping the builders who were there long after the event has passed. What happened in that room was a glimpse of the future of creation, a future already taking root on Algorand.