When people picture Goa, they usually think of palm trees, sunsets, and the ocean breeze. In early September 2025, it became something else. For three days, the coastline turned into a workspace where laptops stayed open late into the night and new ideas took shape on the sand.

Together with Rise In, Stacks hosted its first Hacker House in India. It wasn’t about stages or speeches. It was about giving builders a quiet place to focus, with mentors nearby and the space to experiment. Forty-three developers showed up. By the end, 29 projects were running demos.

Why Goa, Why Now?

India already has one of the strongest developer communities in the world. Most blockchain projects look at Delhi or Bangalore when they want to connect. Goa offered a different setting. Away from the noise of big cities, builders had the chance to think clearly, work together, and test what Stacks can make possible.

During the event, groups formed naturally. Someone struggling with a Clarity contract would wave another participant over. Mentors pulled up chairs and walked through issues line by line. Meals turned into design sessions. By the last evening, people who had met only days before were presenting as teams.

What We Did

• - 43 developers joined the Hacker House.
• - 29 projects were submitted over three days.
• - Participants included students, startup founders, and self-taught coders.
• - Mentorship came from Stacks contributors and ecosystem allies.
• - Demo Day closed with teams pitching to ecosystem leaders.
  
• For many, it was the first time touching Clarity. But the format worked. Builders didn’t just copy tutorials. They launched tools, apps, and experiments that showed how far Bitcoin smart contracts can go.

The Winning Projects

🥇 Amaan Sayyad – HyperInsure

An on-chain insurance protocol that protects users from transaction delays, network congestion, and finality risks. Instead of overpaying fees, builders can buy affordable coverage with verifiable, on-chain claims. Future plans include wallet theft protection and cross-chain coverage.

GitHub - Pitch Deck

https://x.com/riseinweb3/status/1967597153326641467/video/1

🥈 Suryashish Kundu – Clarity Contract Analyzer

A professional web tool for analyzing Clarity smart contracts. It parses code, tracks dependencies, and lets developers run tests with live feedback. The dashboard makes it easy to see risks and performance before launch.

GitHub • Live Demo

https://x.com/riseinweb3/status/1967597157349011783

🥉 Yashodeep Nimbekar – Stacks Agent Kit

A TypeScript SDK that combines blockchain and AI. It handles wallets, multi-sig transactions, and smart contracts, but also lets developers use natural language to trigger blockchain actions. One demo showed AI agents playing “Among Us” with STX bets on testnet.

GitHub • Demo Video

https://x.com/riseinweb3/status/1967597161140588842

Hear From Participants

The best way to understand what happened in Goa is to hear it from the builders themselves.

• - Some shared their projects straight from the Hacker House, like this demo.
  - Others captured the atmosphere, from late-night debugging to beachside sessions.
• - Posts like this, this, and this show the excitement through the eyes of participants.
• - Builders also reflected on what it meant to them to be part of the Stacks ecosystem in India:
  here, here, and here.
• - Even after the event, participants kept sharing their journey: link, link, link.
  
  

Goa wasn’t just an event. It was a moment people wanted to document, celebrate, and share.

Why It Matters for Stacks

The numbers tell part of the story:

• - 43 developers onboarded into Stacks
• - 29 project submissions in three days
• - 3 winners showing what’s possible with insurance protocols, developer tools, and AI kits
  
  

But there is more behind these numbers. Forty-three of India’s most motivated developers came together, built side by side, and left with stronger ties to each other and to the ecosystem. For many, Goa was the first step into Stacks. What followed proved it wasn’t a one-time experience.

Several participants have already applied to Code for Stacks and the Stacks Ascent program, demonstrating their eagerness to stay involved in the long term. This is more than event-driven momentum. It marks the beginning of a real presence in India, with builders who are excited about the next chapter and committed to growing within the ecosystem.

In short, Goa didn’t just create demos. It created retention. Builders are not only trying Stacks, they are choosing to stay.

Key Takeaways

• - The most powerful proof came from the builders themselves. Dozens of participants posted about their experience in Goa, sharing demos, photos, and reflections. Instead of us telling the story, the community showed it in their own words. This kind of organic visibility builds trust in ways no campaign can.
  
  
• - Goa didn’t just bring people together; it produced real output. Over the course of three days, 29 projects were submitted, ranging from DeFi tools to AI-powered kits. Many participants were working with Clarity for the first time, yet they left with live demos and prototypes. That transformation from zero to shipping in a weekend is the best signal of developer potential.
  
  
• - The momentum did not stop when the event ended. Several builders have already applied to Code for Stacks and Stacks Ascent, making it clear that this was not a one-off experience. They are choosing to stay in the ecosystem, continue their journey, and look for ways to grow their projects within Stacks. - -This is where short-term energy turns into long-term retention.
  
  
• - Most importantly, Goa laid a foundation for its presence in India. Builders left not only with code but with stronger ties to each other and to the ecosystem. That combination of projects, personal stories, and ongoing engagement sets the stage for Stacks to grow authentically in one of the most important developer markets in the world.
  

About the Organizers

Rise In: A talent ecosystem for leading web3 protocols. With more than 200,000 developers onboarded through courses, bootcamps, and hackathons, Rise In connects global protocols with local talent across Asia and the Middle East. Europe and LATAM.

Stacks: The leading Bitcoin Layer for smart contracts. Stacks makes it possible to build decentralized apps, DeFi protocols, NFTs, and more, all secured by Bitcoin. It extends Bitcoin beyond a store of value and anchors a new generation of applications to the most trusted blockchain in the world.

What’s Next

Goa was the first step. Hacker Houses are proving to be one of the most effective ways to activate talent. By combining Stacks’ global vision with local execution, more of these builder-first gatherings will appear in new regions.

And the journey does not stop at the event. Many Goa participants have already applied to Code for STX, a monthly program with a 10,000 STX prize pool that rewards consistent contributions and keeps projects moving forward. Others have turned to Stacks Ascent, the milestone-based program that provides grants, mentorship, and visibility to help builders scale prototypes into production-ready applications.

Goa showed how quickly developers in India can move from curiosity to prototypes. Programs like Code for STX and Stacks Ascent make sure this momentum continues, turning short-term energy into long-term retention and laying the foundation for a lasting Stacks presence in the region.

The tide is rising for Bitcoin builders. Stacks is where it comes to shore.

👉 Already building a prototype? Apply to Stacks Ascent for milestone-based grants and mentorship.

👉 Shipping regular contributions? Join Code for STX and get rewarded for consistent progress.

👉 Apply now to join our open cohorts: risein.com