Each individual in the winning teams will receive a prize!
Theme Track
And the Theme Track is… Make it Fun!
Many everyday tasks are important but tedious. Things like studying, organizing files, doing taxes, cleaning up data, tracking habits, and managing schedules are boring but important. This track challenges teams to transform those kinds of experiences into something more engaging, interactive, or enjoyable!
Your project doesn’t need to be a game (though it certainly can be!). Even small changes like sound design, animations, progress systems, or playful interfaces can turn frustrating tasks into experiences people actually enjoy using.
Ideas could include:
- turning productivity tasks into game-like experiences
- making boring workflows interactive or playful
- adding social, competitive, or collaborative elements to routine tasks
- improving interfaces so they feel more satisfying or rewarding to use
- designing systems that motivate people to complete everyday goals
The goal is simple:
Take something people normally avoid doing and make it fun enough that they actually want to do it.
1st Place Winner
General Track
The flagship track of HackKU26, dedicated to celebrating the most outstanding overall projects. This track is open to all submissions that do not fit into a specific themed or sponsored track, recognizing exceptional creativity, technical execution, and impact across any domain.
Sponsor Tracks
XRPL/Ripple
Build an MVP that leverages the XRP Ledger's core features to solve a real-world problem. We're seeking innovative solutions that go beyond single-feature demos: combine multiple XRPL primitives into one cohesive use case, and showcase what the blockchain can really do. If you donʼt know where to start, weʼre especially interested in applications around DeFi, privacy, and programmability.
What does success look like?
A successful project will be any creative solution to a real-world problem using XRPL deployed on XRPLʼs Testnet or Devnet. While the skyʼs the limit, this could look like:
- Stablecoin flows using RLUSD
- Experimentation with a combination of XRPLʼs native features like
- Lending Protocol and Single Asset Vault
- Smart escrow
- Multi-purpose tokens
- Batch transaction
- TokenEscrow
- SDKs for other developers to easily integrate XRPL features into their apps
- Payment apps leveraging stablecoins, microfinance, tokenization
- Multi-feature integrations to reflect real mainnet complexity and put XRPL's primitives to the test.
To compete, you must submit a working, testable MVP that is publicly available on GitHub with a detailed README. All resources for getting started can be found at this linktree. Weʼd love to hear your overall developer feedback from the hackathon—what worked, what didnʼt, and what could be better. Weʼd specifically like to hear feedback on the MCP server and the usefulness of SKILL.md
1st Place Winner: $1000 XRPL Cash
Security Benefit
Choose Your Financial Adventure: Life After Graduation – What If
Description: Build an interactive experience that transforms financial planning into a game. Create a tool where users can simulate life after graduation by making choices around career paths, lifestyle, debt, and savings—and see how those decisions play out over time. Go beyond basic calculators by incorporating storytelling, real-world scenarios, and engaging design to help users understand the long-term impact of their financial decisions.
1st Place Winner: Airpods Pro
2nd Place Winner: Bluetooth Speaker
3rd Place Winner: $50 Visa Gift Card
Lockton
The Lockton Track can be viewed at the link here
H&R
Community Responsibility & Giveback: “Solving Everyday Challenges, Strengthening Every Community”
This track highlights solutions that address everyday problems through a community-focused lens. Projects should demonstrate how thoughtful, practical ideas can create positive impact, promote responsibility, and improve the lives of others. Judges will prioritize solutions that are clear, actionable, and designed to scale beyond a single use case.
Judging Criteria
1. Problem Relevance & Community Impact (30%)
- Does the project solve a real, everyday problem that affects a community?
- Is the problem clearly defined and the solution practical?
- Could this solution create broader impact if expanded?
2. Innovation & Creativity (20%)
- Is the approach creative or unique in solving the problem?
- Does it apply technology or ideas in a thoughtful and effective way?
3. Accessibility & Inclusivity (15%)
- Is the solution usable by a wide range of people?
- Does it consider accessibility, fairness, or underserved populations?
4. Presentation & Communication (15%)
- Was the solution clearly and confidently presented?
- Did the team effectively explain the problem, solution, and impact?
- Was the presentation organized and easy to follow?
5. Practical Application (10%)
- Is the solution realistic and feasible to implement?
- Does it demonstrate clear value in an everyday setting?
6. Sustainability & Responsibility (10%)
- Does the solution support long-term positive impact?
- Does it consider responsible use of resources and environmental impact?
Total Score: 100
🤑 Prize:
🟩 1st Place Winner: two Logitech G733 Lightspeed Wireless RGB Gaming Headset and two Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse + G213 Prodigy Gaming Keyboard Bundle
Challenges
If you want to see all of the general HackKU26 challenges, click the link here!
MLH Challenges
If you want to see all the MLH Challenges, click the link here!