Eth Connect

Problem Statement

ETH Connect is a pioneering platform designed to make hackathons and large-scale events more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. Built with a strong emphasis on enabling specially-abled participants and introverts to thrive in collaborative spaces, ETH Connect leverages blockchain technology to create seamless and trusted connections between participants.At its core, ETH Connect introduces on-chain verification via self-verification technology, ensuring that participant identities are authenticated transparently while respecting privacy. Once verified, hackers can access events, connect with peers, and showcase their skills without facing the physical or social barriers that often prevent full participation.This is especially transformative for:Specially-abled individuals, who may find it challenging to navigate crowded or physically demanding event spaces.Introverted participants, who often miss out on opportunities due to hesitation in initiating conversations.By removing these barriers, ETH Connect ensures that innovation is shaped by ideas and skills—not limited by social struggles or accessibility challenges.Technically, ETH Connect is not just a concept—it is a fully live project. With a working frontend, backend, and smart contracts already deployed on the Celo Mainnet, ETH Connect demonstrates real-world applicability and scalability.Through this platform, hackathons become more than just competitions; they evolve into truly inclusive ecosystems where every participant has an equal opportunity to be seen, heard, and connected.

Solution

ETH Connect is built as a full-stack dApp with accessibility at its core. On the blockchain side, we deployed smart contracts on Celo Mainnet to enable self-verification and event participation without external gatekeepers. For the frontend, we used Next.js + React, connected via wagmi and ethers.js, while the backend is powered by Node.js/Express to handle event data and off-chain coordination.To bring the metaverse experience to life, we created a 2D multiplayer game world using Tiled (for map design) and WebSockets (for real-time communication). This lets participants explore a shared hackathon space, interact with others, and join events seamlessly—even if they are introverted or differently abled.Celo’s fast, low-cost mobile-first infrastructure was a key partner advantage, making on-chain participation practical and accessible. We also experimented with a hub-and-spoke state channel–inspired model to minimize repetitive on-chain calls, keeping transactions cheap while preserving verifiability.A particularly hacky part: we combined self-verification flows with our multiplayer game, so joining an event feels like “walking into a virtual room,” yet it’s fully tied to on-chain identity.