We are here to help you build better — not score you
Every track gets a critical deep-dive with actionable feedback
We study what won in 2025 so you know the bar
We warn you about judging criteria so you don't get disqualified or overlooked
By Day 3, every team leaves with a polished pitch and a sharper project
"The difference between a finalist and a winner is usually 3 small decisions made early."
The 4 Tracks
What We Are Building Toward
Core Track
Agentic Web (AI)
Agents that own objects, transact autonomously, and coordinate on-chain. $30K top prize.
Core Track
DeFi & Payments
Move-native financial primitives, real-time settlements, and payment rails. Sponsored by Pyth.
Specialized
Walrus
Programmable storage as a smart contract primitive. Not IPFS — on-chain access control + durability. $70K pool.
Specialized
DeepBook
Build on the shared on-chain orderbook. Novel interfaces, liquidity tools, and institutional-grade features. $70K pool.
Critical Warning
Project Eligibility — Read This Carefully
Build Period
Projects must be built during May 7 – June 21, 2026
Existing projects are allowed only if substantial new functionality was developed during this period
Judges will look at your commit history — a repo created in April with no new commits is a red flag
Disqualification risk: If your project was clearly built before May 7th with no meaningful new code, you will be removed from shortlisting. Don't waste your time.
Critical Warning
You Must Deploy to Testnet or Mainnet
Your project must be deployed to Sui Testnet or Mainnet at the time of shortlisting and demo day
You need a Package ID if your project has on-chain components
Local-only projects will not be shortlisted — no exceptions
Testnet is fine. Mainnet is better. No deployment = no review.
My project is deployed to Testnet or Mainnet
I have a Package ID ready for the submission form
I can access my app without localhost
Critical Warning
Submission Checklist — Missing = Rejected
Project Name — Clear and simple
Description — What it does, why it matters (2 sentences max)
Project Logo — 1:1 ratio, JPG or PNG
Public GitHub Repo — Must stay public during judging
Demo Video — Required. YouTube preferred. ≤ 5 minutes.
Website — Optional but highly recommended
Deployment — Testnet or Mainnet URL
Package ID — If you deployed on-chain
Most common failure: Teams spend 3 weeks building, then submit a 10-minute unedited screen recording with no voiceover. Your demo video is your first impression. Make it count.
Know the Bar
Judging Criteria — What Actually Moves the Needle
Real-World Application — 50%
This is half your score. Are you solving a real problem? Is there market relevance? Will this exist in 12 months?
Product & UX — 20%
Quality, usability, polish. A broken UI with great code loses to a smooth UI with decent code.
Technical Implementation — 20%
Code quality, reliability, and meaningful integration with Sui. Not just "we deployed a contract."
Presentation & Vision — 10%
Clarity, storytelling, and long-term vision. Can you explain your project to a non-crypto person?
Translation: A project that solves a real problem with decent UX and a clear Sui integration will beat a technically perfect project with no user. Build for people, not for judges.
Day 1 — Foundation & Core Tracks
Agenda
09:00Welcome & Eligibility Warnings
09:30Workshop: The Sui Advantage Audit
10:30Track 1: Agentic Web — Build AI That Owns Objects
12:00Lunch + 1:1 Office Hours
13:30Track 2: DeFi — Move-Native Design Patterns
15:00Day 1 Retro: What Changed in Your Project?
16:00Wrap-up & Homework
Pattern Analysis
What All 2025 Winners Had in Common
1. They Used Sui, Not Just Deployed On It
Winners leveraged object ownership, parallel execution, or zkLogin as core mechanics — not as afterthoughts.
2. They Had a Working Demo
Every winner had a live URL or video. Concepts without code never made the shortlist.
3. They Picked One Track and Owned It
Teams that tried to fit every track diluted their story. Winners went deep on one.
4. They Explained the "Why Sui" in 10 Seconds
Judges ask: "Why not Ethereum?" Winners had a crisp answer ready.
Workshop Exercise
The Sui Advantage Audit
Every team fills this out for their own project. Be honest.
Does my project break if I move it to Ethereum?
Am I using object ownership as a feature, not just storage?
Does parallel execution make my app faster or cheaper?
Have I used zkLogin or sponsored transactions for UX?
Is Walrus part of my data layer, or just a buzzword?
Can I explain my Move safety guarantees in one sentence?
Reality check: If you checked fewer than 3 boxes, your project is chain-agnostic. That's a problem for winning.
Core Track — $30K / $15K / $10K / $7.5K
Track 1: Agentic Web (AI)
The Winning Angle
Build agents that own objects, sign tx, and coordinate — not chatbots that read blockchain data
The bar: your agent should be able to hold a Sui object and act on it autonomously
Integrate zkLogin so agents have recoverable identity without seed phrases
2025 Winner: Suithetic — LLM-generated synthetic data with on-chain verification. The AI didn't just query Sui; it produced verifiable on-chain assets.
Critical Feedback
Agentic Web — Mistakes We See Every Year
❌ The "Wrapper" Trap
Off-chain AI calls an API to read Sui state. That's not an agentic web app — that's a dashboard with GPT.
❌ No On-Chain State
If your agent's decisions aren't recorded on-chain, judges can't verify autonomy or fairness.
✅ The Fix: Object-Centric Agents
Give your agent a Sui object (like a Cap) that authorizes actions. The agent's state lives on-chain.
✅ The Fix: Verifiable Output
Hash AI outputs to Walrus. Prove the model ran and the result is untampered.
Action Items
Agentic Web — What to Build This Week
Define one Sui object type that your agent owns and manipulates
Implement sponsored transactions so the agent acts without user gas
Add on-chain logging of agent decisions (events or shared objects)
Write a 3-sentence "why Sui" pitch for your demo day
Record a 2-minute demo video showing the agent transacting
Core Track — Sponsored by Pyth Network
Track 2: DeFi & Payments
The Winning Angle
Don't port EVM patterns — invent Move-native primitives
Use sub-second finality for real-time settlements or streaming payments
Integrate with DeepBook V3 or LBTC instead of building isolated pools
2025 Winner: Magma Finance — Programmable yield vaults with AI rebalancing. They didn't clone Yearn; they used Move's object model to let users compose yield strategies like LEGO blocks.
Critical Feedback
DeFi — Mistakes We See Every Year
❌ Forking EVM Logic
Uniswap-style AMMs on Sui miss the point. Move enables programmable objects — use them.
❌ Ignoring DeepBook
Building a new orderbook when DeepBook V3 exists signals you didn't research the ecosystem.
✅ The Fix: Object Composability
Design positions, vaults, or collateral as objects that other protocols can import and extend.
✅ The Fix: Real-World Settlement
Show a payment to a merchant, a payroll stream, or a BTC-backed stablecoin in action.
Action Items
DeFi — What to Build This Week
Audit your code: are you using Move's resource model for safety?
Integrate with DeepBook V3 or Pyth price feeds — don't reinvent
Add a real-world payment demo (even a mock merchant checkout)
Document your risk model — judges always ask about liquidation
Build a simple dashboard showing TVL or volume — metrics matter
Day 1 Retro
What Changed in Your Project Today?
Before
What was your project this morning?
After
What is it now? What did you cut or add?
Blocker
What's the one thing stopping you from shipping?
Winning Edge
What's your "why Sui" sentence?
Share with your table. The best feedback comes from other builders, not judges.
Day 1 — Closing
Homework for Tonight
Pick one 2025 winner in your track and study their repo or demo
Write down 3 things they did that you haven't done yet
Commit one meaningful change to your project before sleep
Prepare one question about your track for tomorrow morning
Tomorrow: Walrus, DeepBook, and cross-track composability.
Day 2 — Specialized Tracks & Integration
Agenda
09:00Day 1 Retro Share-Out
09:30Track 3: Walrus — Storage as a Primitive
11:00Track 4: DeepBook — Liquidity Layer
12:30Lunch + Office Hours
13:30Workshop: Cross-Track Composability
15:00Integration Pairing — Build Together
16:00Day 2 Retro & Demo Status Check
Share-Out
What We Learned from Day 1
Common Wins
[Teams fill this in — e.g., "3 teams added zkLogin today"]
Common Struggles
[Teams fill this in — e.g., "Move borrow checker confusion"]
Best Pivot
[Which team changed direction and why?]
Helpful Resource
[Share the doc, repo, or thread that saved someone]
Specialized Track — $70K Prize Pool
Track 3: Walrus
The Winning Angle
Walrus is not IPFS — it's programmable storage with on-chain access control
Winners treat storage as a smart contract primitive, not a file dump
Use Seal for encryption + Walrus for durability — that's the combo judges look for
2025 Winner: SuiSign — Decentralized document signing. They didn't just store PDFs; they created a signing workflow where access control, version history, and verification all live on Sui.
Critical Feedback
Walrus — Mistakes & Fixes
❌ "We Store on Walrus" (But Just Hash)
Hashing a file and putting the hash on Sui while the file sits on AWS isn't Walrus integration.
❌ No Access Control
If anyone can read your stored data, you missed the programmable part.
✅ The Fix: Seal + Walrus
Encrypt with Seal, store blob on Walrus, decrypt only for object owners. That's the pattern.
✅ The Fix: Storage as State
Your smart contract should reference Walrus blobs as part of its state transitions.
Action Items
Walrus — What to Build This Week
Store at least one meaningful blob on Walrus (not just a test file)
Implement Seal encryption so only authorized users can read it
Make the blob referenceable from a Move object — link on-chain and off-chain
Show a versioning or update flow (old blob → new blob via smart contract)
Document your cost model vs. traditional cloud storage
Specialized Track — $70K Prize Pool
Track 4: DeepBook
The Winning Angle
DeepBook V3 is a shared liquidity layer — don't compete with it, build on it
Winners create novel interfaces (prediction markets, RFQ, institutional tools) that plug into DeepBook pools
Show you understand flash loans, governance, and shared pools
2025 Context: DeepBook was embedded in winning DeFi projects. In 2026, it's a standalone track — the bar is higher. You need to show DeepBook as a platform, not just a price source.
Critical Feedback
DeepBook — Mistakes & Fixes
❌ Building a New Orderbook
Creating your own AMM or orderbook when DeepBook exists is a red flag. Use the shared pool.
❌ No UI Polish
Judges compare your UI to Binance or dYdX. A bare table of prices won't win.
✅ The Fix: Novel Interface
Build a prediction market, RFQ system, or institutional tool that routes through DeepBook.
✅ The Fix: MEV Awareness
Explain how your design avoids or mitigates MEV. Judges always ask.
Action Items
DeepBook — What to Build This Week
Read the DeepBook V3 docs and identify one feature you can expose
Build a UI that feels like a CEX — orderbook depth, fast execution, clean charts
Implement MEV protection or explain why your design avoids it
Show a liquidity bootstrapping mechanism (incentives, LPs, or airdrops)
Demo a cross-protocol trade (your app → DeepBook → another protocol)
Workshop
Cross-Track Composability
The best projects borrow from multiple tracks. Let's map how your project could plug into others.
Agentic Web + DeFi
AI agent that rebalances a DeepBook LP position autonomously based on market conditions.
Walrus + Agentic Web
Agent stores its decision logs on Walrus, with verifiable encryption via Seal.
DeepBook + Walrus
Store orderbook history or audit logs on Walrus for transparency and compliance.
DeFi + Walrus
Collateral documents, KYC blobs, or legal agreements stored on Walrus with on-chain access control.
Exercise: Pair with a team from a different track. Find one integration point. Spend 20 minutes sketching the shared object.
Build Session
Integration Pairing — Build Together
Form pairs across tracks (e.g., Walrus + DeFi, Agentic + DeepBook)
Spend 45 minutes building one shared interaction
Goal: a working function call or object handoff between your projects
End with a 5-minute demo to your pair partner
Why this matters: Judges love seeing ecosystem thinking. A project that composes with another team's work signals maturity and community mindset.
Day 2 Retro
What Changed in Your Project Today?
New Integration
What Sui primitive did you add today?
Cut Scope
What feature did you drop to focus on what matters?
Cross-Track Buddy
Who did you pair with, and what did you build together?
Demo Status
Is your 2-minute demo ready? If not, what's missing?
Day 2 — Closing
Homework for Tonight
Finish your 2-minute demo video — no exceptions
Write your README or one-pager as if a judge will read it at 11 PM
Test your app on Testnet with a fresh wallet — no pre-seeded accounts
Prepare 3 slides for tomorrow's dry-run pitch
Tomorrow: Pitch workshop, demo review, and dry-run pitches for all 4 tracks.
Day 3 — Polish, Pitch & Final Dry-Run
Agenda
09:00Day 2 Retro & Demo Video Review
09:30Workshop: The 3-Minute Pitch That Wins
11:00Demo Video Critique — All Tracks
12:00Lunch + Pitch Clinic
13:30Dry-Run Pitches — Agentic Web & DeFi
14:30Dry-Run Pitches — Walrus & DeepBook
15:30Final Feedback Round
16:00Wrap-up & Next Steps
Critique
Demo Video Review — What Works
Best Demo Flow
[Which team's video told a clear story from problem to solution?]
Common Video Mistakes
[Too long? No voiceover? No "why Sui" moment?]
Best README
[Which repo made you want to clone and run it immediately?]
Testnet Hero
[Who deployed something that actually works on Testnet today?]
Pitch Workshop
The 3-Minute Pitch That Wins
Structure
0:00–0:20 — The Problem: One sentence, relatable, urgent
0:20–0:50 — The Solution: Demo starts immediately. Show, don't tell.
0:50–1:30 — Why Sui: Object model, parallel execution, zkLogin, Walrus — pick one and own it
1:30–2:15 — The Traction: Users, integrations, or code quality. Be specific.
2:15–2:45 — The Vision: Where does this go in 12 months?
2:45–3:00 — The Ask: What do you need (grant, users, feedback)?
Common killer: Spending 90 seconds on "what is blockchain." The judges know. Start with your app.
Track-Specific Tips
Pitching Your Track — What Judges Ask
Agentic Web
Question: "Can this agent act without human approval?" Have a video of it transacting.
DeFi & Payments
Question: "What's the liquidation risk?" Have a risk model slide ready.
Walrus
Question: "Is the data actually on Walrus?" Show the blob ID and the on-chain reference.
DeepBook
Question: "Why not use DeepBook directly?" Explain your novel interface or tool.
Final Warning
Submission Prep — Don't Get Disqualified
Deployed? Testnet or Mainnet URL works right now
Repo public? GitHub is public and has commits from May 7 onwards
Video ≤ 5 min? YouTube link, with voiceover, showing the full flow
Logo ready? 1:1 ratio, not blurry, not a placeholder
Package ID? If on-chain, you have the ID for the submission form
Description clear? A non-crypto person understands what it does
Existing project? You can prove substantial new work during the build period
Last-minute disasters: Private repo, missing video, localhost-only app, logo is a screenshot. These are all disqualifiers. Check every box before you submit.
Dry-Run
Dry-Run Format — 5 Minutes Per Team
3 minutes — Pitch (timed, no exceptions)
1 minute — Demo video or live demo
1 minute — Feedback from the room (2 things to keep, 2 things to fix)
Feedback rules: Be kind, be specific, be actionable. "Your UI is bad" is useless. "Your chart labels are unreadable on a projector" is gold.
Final Feedback
Last-Minute Fixes — 48 Hours to Submit
Deploy Now
If your app is still on localhost, stop everything and deploy to Testnet. Nothing else matters if you can't submit a URL.
Cut the Fluff
Remove features that don't work. A polished half-product beats a broken full product.
Record the Video
5 minutes max. Voiceover. Show the happy path. No blockchain tutorials.
Write the README
One page. What it does, how to run it, the Package ID, and a screenshot.
End of Workshop
You Are Ready
3 days of building, feedback, and iteration. Now go ship.
"The best projects aren't the most complex — they're the ones that clearly answer: why Sui, why now, and why you."