‘Building Future Cities’, a joint initiative by CoinSwitch (India’s leading Crypto investing app), Startup Karnataka (a Government of Karnataka initiative), and Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament (Bangalore South), successfully concluded on Saturday. The initiative was supported by Sequoia India Capital.

‘TownSquare’ was named the winner of the 24-hour hackathon aimed at recognizing and stimulating blockchain-based solutions to everyday problems faced by India’s 1.2 billion people. The hackathon received over 2,200 applications from blockchain developers and innovators from all over the country.

“For any country to progress, to be a superpower in the true sense, investing in foundational technologies and investing in emerging technologies is a non-negotiable policy requisite,” said Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament, Bangalore South, at the award ceremony.

“It was inspiring to see young developers from different parts of the country develop blockchain solutions that address the real-world problems of Indians. At CoinSwitch, we believe this hackathon will kickstart a new innovation cycle that will lead us to a blockchain-powered India,” said Vimal Sagar Tiwari, Co-founder and COO, CoinSwitch.

‘TownSquare’ conceptualized and built a universal public platform to solve community issues using the power of blockchain. The platform helps citizens find a common consensus to identify and vote on civic issues that need to be addressed on a public blockchain was adjudged the best project of the 24-hour hackathon.

‘Marvelous’and Tautotree were declared runners-up. Marvelous leveraged blockchain to bring transparency to the real estate business, and Tautotree’s project was a convergence of tech and sustainable development — aimed at improving urban forestry.

The winners received a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, and the total prize pool of the hackathon was Rs 6 lakh.

The hackathon challenged participants to envision a blockchain-powered India, focusing on smart mobility, energy credits and trading, decentralized waste management, secure digital identity and certificate management, efficient and transparent vaccine distribution, and farm supplies and supply chain management.

About Startup Karnataka

The Government of Karnataka is proud to be the first state to announce the Startup Policy in 2015! The Karnataka Startup Policy aims is to promote Bangalore and Karnataka as the ultimate startup destination in the World. For more information, visit: startup.karnataka.gov.in

About Tejasvi Surya

Shri Tejasvi Surya is the Member of Parliament from the Bengaluru South constituency. A lawyer by training and profession he was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2019 general election. Only 28 years old then, Surya emerged as an important symbol of the youth playing a crucial role in India’s polity, a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheme of things. In 2020, Surya took over as the National President of the BJP’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

About CoinSwitch

CoinSwitch is on a mission to Make Money Equal for All. India’s largest Crypto investing app and a Great Place to Work®, CoinSwitch is creating an ecosystem that simplifies Crypto and is trusted by over 18 million registered users. Founded in 2017 by Ashish Singhal, Govind Soni, and Vimal Sagar Tiwari, and backed by blue chip investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Paradigm, and Coinbase Ventures, the company is evolving into a wealth-tech destination for every Indian. For more information, visit: www.coinswitch.co