KayabaLabs DApp Nursery Hackathon Program Report
Summary
The Online Vibe Coding Hackathon was a two-week (8–23 December), fully virtual innovation program designed to empower African developers to build mobile-first consumer blockchain applications on the Scroll Network. The program was intentionally structured to support builders at varying skill levels, guiding them from early-stage ideation through to deployable Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
Through strategic alignment with the Scroll ecosystem, the hackathon contributed directly to Layer-2 developer adoption while supporting the growth of an emerging community of African blockchain builders focused on real-world consumer applications.
Overview &Objectives
The Online Vibe Coding Hackathon was designed with clear technical, ecosystem, and market-oriented objectives to ensure measurable outcomes.
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Developer EnablementEquip African developers with the technical, architectural, and product-thinking skills required to build scalable, mobile-first blockchain applications. Emphasis was placed on hands-on learning, applied frameworks, and practical implementation rather than purely theoretical instruction.
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Ecosystem GrowthIntroduce participants to Scroll’s zkEVM-based Layer-2 infrastructure, ensuring familiarity with its architecture, tooling, and deployment processes. The objective was to encourage sustained participation in the Scroll ecosystem beyond the duration of the hackathon.
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AI-Augmented DevelopmentDemonstrate how AI tools can be responsibly integrated into modern development workflows. This included prompt engineering, code verification, refactoring strategies, and evaluation of AI-generated outputs to ensure security and maintainability.
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Market-Relevant InnovationEncourage the development of consumer-focused blockchain solutions that reflect African market realities, including mobile-first usage, low bandwidth environments, mobile money integration, and trust-sensitive user experiences.
Organized by KayabaLabs, the hackathon was delivered as an intensive two-week online program targeting developers, students, entrepreneurs, and early-stage founders across Africa. The virtual format enabled broad participation while maintaining structured coordination and accountability.
Participants followed a guided curriculum that blended:
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Theory-driven instruction to establish shared technical foundations
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Applied workshops focused on real-world use cases
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A supervised MVP build phase emphasizing delivery and execution
Throughout the program, participants were encouraged to think beyond proof-of-concept development and instead focus on building deployable, user-facing products.
Highlights
Key components of the program included:
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Hackathon-Style Builder Workshops: Practical technical sessions focused on real-world application development.
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Intensive MVP Nursery: A guided environment where teams transformed early concepts into market-ready prototypes.
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Vibe Coding Hackathon: Hands-on development of crypto consumer applications using AI-assisted workflows.
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Scroll Architecture Deep Dives: Technical sessions covering Scroll’s zkEVM architecture and Ethereum scaling via zero-knowledge proofs.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the program, participants demonstrated measurable growth across technical, product, and collaboration dimensions.
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Product Scoping and DesignTeams applied structured scoping methodologies and produced draft Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) that defined clear MVP boundaries, features, and user journeys.
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Accelerated Development CyclesParticipants adopted AI-assisted workflows and standardized development frameworks to reduce iteration time while maintaining code quality.
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Scalable Application DesignApplications were designed with future growth in mind, accounting for mobile-first usage, consumer scale, and integration with blockchain infrastructure.
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Code Evaluation and ImprovementThrough peer reviews and live demonstrations, participants learned to critically assess both human-written and AI-generated code, reinforcing best practices in verification and refactoring.
Program Timeline
Week 1: Education & Technical Foundations
Week 1 focused on establishing shared foundations in product thinking, design, blockchain architecture, and AI-assisted development.
Workshop 1
Date: December 8th | Time: 4:30 PM GMT
Topic: Vibe Coding Framework & Product Scoping
Host: Hussein Suhuyini
Workshop Notes/Slides : Scoping and PRD Workshop Notes - Google Docs
Workshop Recording : https://youtu.be/lgjaX4k5vL4
Focus Areas:
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MVP scoping and Product Requirement Document development
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Standardized user stories instances for secure, maintainable code
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Refactoring protocols for developing technical and design features components
Workshop 2
Date: December 9th | Time: 4:30 PM GMT
Topic: UI/UX Mobile Design Principles
Host: Kenneth Ocran
Workshop Notes/Slides : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ozj5PcnDw9TlF6v_LQ3JOrA9Qn86PUoA/view?usp=sharing
Workshop Recording : https://youtu.be/lvH73FcBacI
Focus Areas:
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Designing for low-end devices and high data costs
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UX patterns for mobile money–to–crypto workflows (e.g., M-Pesa, MTN MoMo)
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Instant confirmation and trust-building interface patterns
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Cultural UX approaches combining Western design systems with African local context
Workshop 3Date: December 10th | Time: 4:30 PM GMT
Topic: Zero-Knowledge Proofs on Scroll (Technical Deep Dive)
Host: John Okyere
Workshop Notes/Slides : Scoping and PRD Workshop Notes - Google Docs
Workshop Recording : https://youtu.be/Mf4FVLSs0Pw
Focus Areas:
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Core concepts and cryptographic primitives behind zero-knowledge proofs
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The role of Scroll’s zkEVM architecture in Ethereum scaling
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Deployment of applications on the Scroll Testnet and Mainnet
Workshop 4Date: December 15th | Time: 8:30 PM GMT
Topic: A prompt engineering framework for vibe-coding
Host: Hussein Suhuyini
Workshop Recording : https://x.com/i/spaces/1BdxYZOQBABKX?s=20
Focus Areas:
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Standardized prompt engineering techniques for secure, maintainable code
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Verification protocols for understanding AI-generated components
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Refactoring methodologies tailored for AI-assisted codebases
Week 2: Build & Submission Phase
The second week transitioned participants from learning to execution.
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Teams commenced full MVP development following the completion of all educational workshops.
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Development was conducted asynchronously, supported by shared communication channels and regular sprint-style check-ins.
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Teams aligned their work with the standards and frameworks introduced during Week 1.
Final submissions included deployed applications, design artifacts, and supporting documentation, all reviewed against the hackathon’s technical and product criteria.
Community & Coordination
Beyond technical delivery, a key outcome of the hackathon was the successful coordination of an emerging Scroll developer community in Ghana. Community-building efforts were intentionally designed to align with local developer communication habits and collaboration styles.
Several coordination mechanisms were implemented:
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A Luma event page served as the central registration and onboarding point
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Program announcements and content were distributed across multiple social channels
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A Tally submission form collected structured project information prior to Build Week
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A dedicated Ghana Scroll Telegram group functioned as the real-time coordination hub
This approach enabled consistent communication, rapid feedback loops, and strong peer-to-peer engagement throughout the program.
Community Outcomes
The community coordination strategy produced clear engagement results:
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Community FormationThe Ghana Scroll Telegram group reached 50 members, including builders, designers, and ecosystem supporters.
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Active EngagementOver 85% of registered participants actively engaged in discussions, Q&A, and coordination during the build phase.
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Workshop Reach77 workshop registrations were recorded, with sustained attendance across all sessions.
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Builder Participation17 project submissions reflected strong alignment with mobile-first, consumer-oriented use cases relevant to African markets.
Submitted Projects & Build Phase Overview
Build Duration
The build phase ran from December 15–22, following the completion of all educational workshops. Teams moved from concept validation into active development, implementation, and deployment.
Clear expectations were set for functional progress, documentation, and deployment, ensuring consistency across submissions.
Project Qualification Requirements
To maintain quality and alignment with program objectives, all projects were required to meet defined criteria covering:
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Mobile application delivery
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Consumer-facing crypto functionality
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Product documentation
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Design Resources
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Active code repositories
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Scroll testnet deployment
Submitted Project Overview
Submitted Project Overview
A diverse range of consumer-focused blockchain applications were submitted, reflecting strong alignment with African market needs, mobile-first design, and practical crypto use cases.
Susu-Chain
Susu-Chain was a peer-to-peer ROSCA (Rotating Savings and Credit Association) platform that digitized African social finance and community-based group savings using blockchain coordination and trust mechanisms.
SoulLedger
SoulLedger was an on-chain accountability and self-improvement platform that transformed personal goals into a self-betting system, allowing users to earn token rewards and reclaim committed funds by completing tasks and milestones.
AveLot
AveLot was a decentralized, no-loss lottery platform designed to remove the financial risk traditionally associated with lotteries while preserving user engagement through transparent, chance-based participation.
Perfection
Perfection was a campus-focused e-commerce platform that enabled students to buy, sell products, and offer services to one another. The system also included an administrative notification module for broadcasting campus-wide announcements and trends.
Emerald
Emerald was an all-in-one personal finance mobile application designed to help users manage daily budgeting, consistent savings habits, and simplified investment planning within a single interface.
Settle
Settle was a gasless Web3 invoicing tool tailored for African freelancers and remote workers. It functioned as a decentralized alternative to platforms like Payoneer or Stripe, aiming to reduce fees and settlement delays.
Pound
Pound was a next-generation blockchain wallet , enabling secure storage, transfers, swaps, and instant settlement of multiple tokens and stablecoins with minimal transaction costs.
PenniRent
PenniRent was a rental super-app focused on making rentals across Africa safer and more transparent. It combined Web3 escrow, mobile money payments, identity verification, and AI-assisted pricing into a unified platform.
Crib
Crib was a digital ecosystem designed for African creatives, addressing challenges related to monetization, collaboration, visibility, and access to opportunities across creative industries.
BluRadar
BluRadar was a decentralized marine intelligence platform addressing climate change and commercial fishing inefficiencies. The system leveraged blockchain and data intelligence to optimize fishing routes, reduce fuel usage, and adapt to shifting fish migration patterns.
x420-Scroll
x420-Scroll was a consumer subscription payment application that enabled users to pay for recurring services using blockchain-based payment rails.
Flik
Flik was a lightweight crypto invoicing tool that allowed users to request and receive crypto payments through shareable links, simplifying wallet-to-wallet transactions for everyday use cases.
Cartified
Cartified was a full-stack Web3 e-commerce delivery verification platform designed to reduce fraud in online commerce. It enabled crypto-only purchases with blockchain-backed delivery confirmation and transaction transparency.
RemiFi
RemiFi (formerly AfriRemit) was a comprehensive DeFi platform positioned as “Africa’s Stablecoin Gateway to the World.” It focused on reducing cross-border remittance costs, improving local stablecoin liquidity, and replacing informal savings mechanisms with secure on-chain alternatives.
Performance
KPI Summary
| KPI | Target(Goal) | Achieved |
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| Registered Developers | 50+ | 77 |
| Submitted Projects | 10+ | 14 |
| X Engagement (Posts / Mentions ) | 10+ | 16 |
| Quality Submissions Post-Hackathon | 5 | 7 |
| Scroll Ghana Community Onboarding | 50+ | 86 |
KPI Analysis
Performance metrics indicated strong alignment between program design and outcomes. Participation exceeded targets, projects reached functional completion, Scroll infrastructure was actively used, and post-hackathon continuation demonstrated sustained builder interest beyond the structured program timeline.
Post-Hackathon Outcomes and Feedback
Project Outcomes
Seven (7) projects met the defined qualification standards, with four (4) selected as winners based on completeness, technical execution, and alignment with program goals. All qualified teams were onboarded for continued technical support.
Community Engagement
The Ghana Scroll Telegram group remained active after the hackathon, continuing to serve as a coordination and information-sharing channel.
Post-Hackathon Builder Support
High-performing teams and individual builders were identified for ongoing mentorship and technical guidance aimed at refining MVPs toward production readiness.
Ecosystem Integration
Discussions were initiated to connect the Ghana Scroll community with broader Scroll ecosystem initiatives, including future hackathons, grants, and developer programs.
Feedback and Capacity Building
Participant feedback highlighted opportunities for deeper focus in future programs, particularly around zkEVM concepts, mobile-first UX, and scalable consumer crypto architectures. These insights were documented to inform subsequent workshops and community initiatives.
Conclusion
The Online KayabaLabs DApp Nursery represented a strategic investment in Africa’s blockchain talent pipeline. By combining Scroll’s zkEVM infrastructure, AI-powered development workflows, and a strong focus on mobile-first consumer applications, the program successfully bridged education and real-world deployment. Participants exited the program with practical technical skills, deployed products, deeper ecosystem understanding, and the confidence to build globally relevant blockchain solutions from Africa.