Last week’s hackathon brought a wave of new innovation to GalaChain! We saw new tools and platforms come to life before our very eyes. Thank you to everyone who participated and to everyone who followed along with the development frenzy!
We’re already starting to think about future developments on GalaChain based on some of the major innovations from this event! Before we leave the GalaChain Hackathon in the past, however, we wanted to just recap some of the biggest developments from the event!
Big Names, Big Prizes
As you may have noticed over the past few weeks, we had some big names show up to help judge entries from the Hackathon!
Judge’s carousel
While our chain team and the judges are still deliberating over category prizes for the entire hackathon, the Judge’s Choice Awards for in-person participants has already made some GalaChain hackers into big winners!
Caption: (Left to Right): Jason Brink, Team NFTD, Team NoREST, Team Corgi AI3D Forever (+ data dog)
The winners of the in-person Judges’ Choice Awards took home a combined $450,000 prize pool! The awards are far from over though, as more than $500k of prizes will soon be awarded for the rest of the general category winners!
Congratulations to the winners of The Judges’ Choice awards… and a special thanks to all the judges who joined us for this major development event!
Caption: Check out the presentation for the first place Judges’ Choice – NFTD!
Innovation on Chain
Each of the three teams picked by the judges contributed massively to GalaChain, but that only scratches the surface of what came out of this hackathon!
💜 The Fuzzle Prime team participated in the GalaChain hackathon from @GoGalaGames, and we're thrilled to share our journey with you.
Below, you'll find three links to explore the results of our hard work. Dive in and discover the innovation! 🥂
Those in-person represented just a portion of total participants, and there were projects that we haven’t even touched on yet diligently coding away through the 24-hours. We want to give each of those projects a chance to get the attention they deserve. Expect us to be talking more about individual efforts in the near future after our chain team has had time to appreciate the nuance of each project.
Open source development isn’t just a sprint and then done. Everything that is crafted on chain creates more tools and opens the floodgates for better and better innovations.
Those gates are open on GalaChain, and this is just the first trickle of the torrent to come.
Thanks for Joining Us!
Whether you were laboriously swatting bugs and troubleshooting code all night along with us or you were at home just following along on Discord or our livestreams… thank you! The GalaChain Hackathon is about creating a better ecosystem for our community, and not only the techies among us benefit from that. Your comments, suggestions, support and excitement are a vital part of this process. Even if you’re not actively building on GalaChain, GalaChain is building for you!
GALAthon has finally come to its close, but the innovations it spawned will continue to incubate and grow in the minds of their creators. For the past 24 hours, this event was the talk of the cryptosphere, presenting GalaChain to the world as a petri dish of innovation, collaboration, and groundbreaking developments in the blockchain world.
Before we all rest for a long nap, it’s time to ease the anticipation of the entire web3 ecosystem with the eagerly awaited announcement of our “Judges’ Favorites” winners.
A Showcase of Pioneering Talent
GALAthon brought together some of the brightest minds in the industry, giving hackers a chance to demonstrate their web3 prowess, game development and digital artistry. The diversity of projects submitted has been nothing short of remarkable, reflecting the vast potential and dynamic nature of the web.
The Role of Our Esteemed Judges
Our panel of judges has had the challenging task of evaluating these innovative projects. Their expertise and insights have been instrumental in identifying entries that not only showcase technical excellence but also embody the spirit of innovation and community engagement.
The Judges’ Favorites
The “Judges’ Favorites” segment of the GalaChain Hackathon is a much-anticipated moment, where each judge selects a project that resonates with them on a personal or professional level. These picks are not just endorsements of the projects’ current achievements but also a nod to their potential impact on the future of gaming, entertainment, and blockchain utility.
Without further preamble, let’s get into the Judges’ Favorites.
Left to right: Jason Brink, NFTD team, Team NoRest, Team Corgi AI3D Forever
3) Corgi AI3D Forever
With generative AI hot in the news, we were extraordinarily pleased to see an onsite entry with such promise that focused on generative AI using GalaChain.
This team successfully created the world’s first AI3D x LLM “AI Virtual Human” to be minted on a blockchain, and GalaChain is proud to have been that blockchain.
Basically, AI3D is a plan for a system that allows users to create and configure a 3D person that will “live forever on GalaChain.” Primary characteristics and programming for your AI can actually be stored on GalaChain with UUID (Universally Unique Identifiers), ensuring the permanence (immortality) of your AI companion.
AI3D essentially bridges the gap between Large Language Models and the blockchain ledger, allowing users to input commands and iterations for their AI that are digested and remembered by the blockchain.
While we don’t have much to share, hopefully we will see a lot more from this San Francisco based development team, pushing the limits and possibilities of generative AI in blockchain tech. Well done!
2) Team NoRest: RESTful API for GalaChain
Team NoRest clinches second place by introducing a transformative RESTful API for GalaChain. This open-source project simplifies interactions with GalaChain, offering functionalities like token balance checks, token grants and automatic minting on startup. Designed to make blockchain more accessible, Team NoRest’s API lowers barriers for developers eager to explore GalaChain’s capabilities.
Key Features and Future Vision: Beyond its current offerings, Team NoRest outlines future enhancements including user registration for custodial wallets and extended token contract functionalities. Their focus on ease of use, with a “Plug n’ Play” approach, promises a user-friendly ecosystem that invites more developers to innovate on GalaChain.
Team NoRest’s project is a notable step towards bridging traditional web technologies with the blockchain, significantly expanding GalaChain’s potential applications. Congratulations to Team NoRest for their pioneering work and for setting new standards in blockchain accessibility and developer engagement!
1) NFTD
The overall Judges’ Favorite winner is a gaming project built by well-known members of the Gala community, collectors of Gala Games NFTs from way back.
Beautifully demonstrating interoperability with existing GalaChain NFTs, the team created a fully playable alpha playtest build for their aptly named game, Non-Fungible Tower Defence.
In addition to designing and GalaChain integrating a well planned and brilliantly executed playable project, this team presented a comprehensive and transparent slideshow presentation, complete with animated slides and aesthetic appeal. To learn more about Non-Fungible Tower Defence, check out their presentation HERE.
Incredible job to Deadily, Timboslice and Cryptograham for an extraordinary effort at GALAthon. Thanks for participating, and we hope the prize will empower your team to greater heights and innovations in web3 than you imagined!
After closing this important chapter of Gala history, we reflect on the incredible journey of discovery, growth and innovation that this event represents. GALAthon may be over, but the ripple effects of the projects showcased and the connections formed will be felt long into the future. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all participants and a special word of thanks to our judges, whose contributions have been invaluable.
Announcements about additional winners as outlined in this blog will come within the next couple weeks, as the GalaChain team has time to examine and evaluate the multitude of remote entries.
Thanks for your participation! Let’s do it again soon.
With all the GalaChain excitement, there was a moment to reevaluate the franchise.
The concept of building a giant Metaverse MMO was just not realistic for the team size or experience, so in the interest of delivering something the community can enjoy sooner than later, we decided to go smaller. Our journey to the VOXVerse will now begin with a mobile title. A ton of the same systems that we were planning for the MMO over time will still exist, such as resource gathering, crafting and world creation with self-expression. Most importantly, VOX will still involve the crucial social interactive elements our community craves.
VOX Populi
We love hanging out with the VOX. They just have great game presence. Every time we put them in the engine, their movement and personality just comes out easily (It might just be that our animator is super talented, but I like to think they are alive—like Tron). Be it The Walking Dead VOX, Mirandus VOX or any others, they all work inside the framework we are building for them to live and explore. What we have discovered in pre-production as we played around with 1000 ideas is that VOX can do anything. They fit in every game genre that we could think of, bringing their own flavor and flair.
Project Cerberus
A mysterious thing of beauty awaits…
Our first game doesn’t even have an official name yet. StuckPixel, our Engineering Director, likes to go with Greek mythology names. We canceled Project Plutus at the end of last year, and now the vision has morphed into Cerberus, the giant 3 headed dog. While our Cerberus isn’t guarding the entrance to the underworld, it does have three “heads”: Collecting, Crafting and Social.
Version 0 is almost ready for release, bringing to life the first of these three heads. What is in V0, you ask?
Every player will get a Frontier on which to gather resources.
Every player will get a ProtoVOX who will gather those resources.
For players who own NFT VOX land (received as a prize or purchased on the secondary market), those pieces of land will count as Frontiers; they will be fully usable in your account. Initially for V0, only 5 Frontiers can be active at a time. This will change as the game grows.
All your VOX will be usable as resource collecting workers on your Frontiers.
VOX that were leveled up and for whom resources were collected in the preliminary VOX Idle game, VOX Odyssey, will retain their levels from that game. Additionally, all resources collected in VOX Odyssey will join your VOX in Project Cerberus.
VOX will continue to gain XP by collecting resources—and in later updates by other actions.
And more…
Behold the breathtaking beauty and spinning glory of VOX Frontiers!
With V0, our main effort is to make sure the big promises of VOX were covered. VOX has utility. Check.
The team is hard at work building one of the main pillars, and the one with some of our biggest technological hurdles: How to make 33k unique VOX NFTs available to use in a game? That was a pretty huge one–We’ll keep you posted on our progress.
Development is tough but adorable.
Vision for V1–VOX and GalaChain
Our whole game is on GalaChain. Going into V1, we will tap into expansive resources like the storefront and GalaSwap to further empower VOX owners and players to get the most of their pixelated companions within Project Cerberus. Have too much wood but need some stone? GalaSwap. Need a new ProtoVOX or land? It’s on the chain. Want to sell your VOX…it’s on the chain.
In simple terms, V1 will bring the ability to trade (to varying degrees) the following on GalaChain:
Resources
Land
Protovox
VOX
Souls
The Future
Moving forward we will continue to update the community on what’s coming next on our road.
For the latest community and team updates tune in to ChatterVOX, every Wednesday at 5pm PT in the VOX Discord community.
The VOXverse will grow, and we’ll continue adding new features, from building your VOXverse and hanging out with friends, to minigames, adventures for your VOX and more! The team is excited to start realizing the true potential of the VOX and where they can lead us! Once more into the VOXVerse!!
As we continue to unveil the panel of judges for the GalaChain Hackathon at GDC 2024, we are honored to introduce Moshe Shen – the Business Development and Partnership Director at Wintermute!
Wintermute is a leading global algorithmic trading firm and liquidity provider in digital assets. Moshe is in charge of expanding Wintermute’s footprint in Asia, where the demand for digital assets is rapidly increasing. We’re thrilled to have him as part of the judging team for the GalaChain Hackathon!
Moshe Shen: A Decade of Experience in Capital Markets with a Focus on Growth
With a solid decade of experience in financial markets and derivatives, Moshe has a deep understanding of the cryptocurrency ecosystem and the specific needs of its various participants. At Wintermute, Moshe focuses on regional growth across liquidity provision, OTC trading, and venture investments in Web3 projects, leveraging his expertise in both centralized and decentralized finance.
A Unique Lens on Innovation
Moshe’s expertise in liquidity provision and digital asset market structure offers a unique perspective on the potential applications of any new blockchain technology. His role requires a keen understanding of market dynamics, market sociology and the technological underpinnings that facilitate efficient digital transactions. This background makes him an ideal judge to view GalaChain Hackathon entries through a unique lens – one that values technical sophistication, market impact, and innovation in digital finance.
What Moshe Looks for in a Winning Entry
Given Moshe’s focus on market efficiency and liquidity, it’s likely that he’s looking out for projects that:
Enhance Market Infrastructure: Projects that aim to improve the underlying infrastructure of digital markets will stand out. Innovations that improve trading efficiency, or present effective liquidity solutions are all very close to home for Moshe.
Offer scalable infrastructure: Moshe is likely to be drawn to projects demonstrating the ability to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the market, ensuring consistent and equitable access for all participants.
Innovate in Financial Technologies: Moshe will potentially gravitate toward projects that push the boundaries of financial technology – especially those that leverage GalaChain to introduce new financial instruments or trading mechanisms.
The Future of Digital Markets with Moshe Shen
Moshe’s participation as a judge underscores the GalaChain Hackathon’s commitment to pioneering advancements in web3 and digital markets. His deep understanding of financial markets and technical aspects of algorithmic trading should guide participants toward creating projects that are not just innovative but also pragmatic and impactful to the future of digital assets.
As we gear up for this groundbreaking event, let Moshe’s contributions to the world of digital finance inspire you to envision new possibilities for blockchain technology.
This hackathon is not just a competition… it can easily be a launchpad for the next generation of financial technologies that harness the power of GalaChain! What will you build?
In the lineup of judges for GALAthon, the GalaChain Hackathon during GDC 2024, Danny Bilson stands out as a distinguished figure whose career covers a wide range of topics. Sitting at the intersection of academia, game development, and interactive media, Bilson is the Faculty Chair of Interactive Media and Games at the University of Southern California (USC), as well as the Director of USC Games.
Bilson brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the evolving dynamics of game design, development and how new technologies are positioned to shape the gaming industry.
Danny Bilson: Gaming Excellence and Innovation
Danny Bilson has extensive background creating compelling narratives within games as well as fostering the next generation of game designers and developers. This gives him a totally unique perspective among the GalaChain Hackathon judging panel. His work at USC Games — a leading program dedicated to the advancement of interactive entertainment — showcases his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what games can be and pushing progress into the next generation.
Bilson’s expertise not only covers the technical and design aspects of gaming but also emphasizes storytelling, user engagement and the exploration of new tech for greater gaming experiences.
A Unique Perspective on Game Development and Web3
In evaluating hackathon entries, Bilson is likely to draw upon his vast experience in game design and education to identify projects that embody creativity, technical innovation, and overall show a deep understanding of what makes games engaging and memorable. The fun factor in a game isn’t always easy, but Bilson knows how to identify and cultivate that spark.
His perspective is invaluable in recognizing entries that not only leverage GalaChain’s capabilities but also push the envelope in terms of user experience, creativity and overall execution.
What Danny Bilson Might Look for in a Winning Entry
Given his extensive background and experience, Danny Bilson might prioritize projects that:
Showcase Innovative Design and Mechanics: Projects that introduce unique and innovative systems, leveraging GalaChain’s technology to offer new forms of interaction, and user experience.
Demonstrate Technical Excellence: Entries that are technically sound and also exhibit creative use of blockchain technology to improve aspects like individual ownership, game economies, and community-driven content.
Focus on Engagement and Community: Initiatives that emphasize creating a strong, engaged community around the project itself, increasing the ways for the community to engage with each other and drive the evolution and narrative of the project.
Inspiring the Future of Gaming with Danny Bilson
Danny Bilson’s role as a judge underscores the GalaChain Hackathon’s commitment to uncovering and nurturing groundbreaking projects that are poised to redefine the landscape of interactive entertainment. His insights will guide participants towards creating experiences that are not just technologically advanced but also nuanced, well-planned and expertly executed. Even beyond just game projects, Bilson brings a huge amount of insight to the table as a judge.
As the hackathon approaches, let Bilson’s dedication to education and innovation in gaming inspire you to envision and create projects that are bold, innovative, and capable of captivating users in new and profound ways. The opportunity to impress a figure of Bilson’s stature is not just an honor; it’s a challenge to elevate your work to the highest standards of design and development. What compelling experience will you craft?
