Consensus 2024: Get Ready, Get Set, Polkadot

Polkadot is revving up for Consensus 2024 in Austin, Texas, from May 29th to May 31st. The road to this year’s conference is fueled by the community Indy 500 sponsorship and ecosystem teams and is set to be an unforgettable journey into Polkadot.

Before Consensus

Polkadot hackathon: North America edition 2024

April 15 to May 6, 2024

The Polkadot hackathon: North America edition 2024 is igniting the imaginations of developers worldwide, offering an unparalleled opportunity to dive deep into the world of blockchain development. This virtual hackathon, spanning three action-packed weeks, invites builders from every corner of the globe to participate in a thrilling adventure of creativity and collaboration. With three dynamic tracks—Smart Contracts, Web3 & Tooling, and XCM Integration—participants will embark on a quest to explore and craft groundbreaking solutions within the Polkadot ecosystem.

The top projects emerging victorious from this epic hackathon won't just claim their share of the impressive $138,000+ USDC prize pool. They'll also earn the prestigious spotlight at PolkadotSocial: Austin, a highlight event during Consensus on May 30, 2024. Gear up because the journey to innovation begins here, and the possibilities are limitless!

At Consensus

Polkadot booth

Discover Polkadot in an interactive adventure at the booth, where you can play, interact, enterprise, and build on Polkadot. Engage with participating teams to earn Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAPs) and more by progressing through four “pit-stop” themed stations, ending in the chill zone. Kick back and join scheduled fireside chats in the chill zone to discuss real-world blockchain applications powered by Polkadot.

The fun doesn’t stop there! After racing in the Indy 500 on May 26th, meet Conor Daly, a professional racing driver who has competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR, GP2 Series, and Nitrocross, at the Polkadot booth. Daly is the first Polkadot brand ambassador to be sponsored through an onchain decentralized community vote. Join Conor Daly and the Polkadot IndyCar at the booth for pictures, autographs, and chats.

When: Wednesday, May 29th — Friday, May 31st, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CT Daily

Where: Austin Convention Center, Booth #1209

Introducing Polkadot GO onboarding experience for events and more

The Polkadot GO app streamlines onboarding by integrating user registration and Substrate wallet creation, optimizing for actions such as registrations and wallet downloads. This tech solution, developed by Exiled Racers (EXR) and funded by the Polkadot treasury in collaboration with Distractive, prioritizes user experience and creates exclusive digital experiences using social proof rewards like POAPs and more, to onboard new users into the ecosystem.

Polkadot GO will reward Polkadot booth visitors at Consensus with POAPs, created by Koda, that they can use in the app. At each station of the Polkadot booth, visitors will try different ecosystem project activations and scan QR codes to receive NFT rewards.

Get started with Polkadot GO Hunt:

1. Scan the first QR code at the Polkadot booth entrance to kickstart your adventure.
2. Download Nova Wallet via Telegram and grab some swag. The wallet enables POAP drops from each station.
3. Visit each station, scan the QR code, and collect your station POAP.
4. Collect all POAPs and enter the Polkadot GO Draw for a chance to win autographed Conor Daly’s swag from the Indy500 race..

Players will be entered into an on-chain lottery for a chance to win exclusive autographed Conor Daly SWAG and EXR mint keys.

Discover Polkadot

🏁 The first stop, “Play with Polkadot,” introduces curious users to the world of game finance (GameFi), NFTs, and prediction markets within the Polkadot ecosystem. Experience the excitement of GameFi firsthand through immersive activities with Exiled Racers and Unique Network. Participate in a live demo and mint your own NFT with Unique Network to earn a POAP. You might even get the chance to play against Conor Daly himself!

🏁 Moving to the second stop, “Interact with Polkadot,” users are invited to dive into decentralized finance (DeFi) and explore practical ways to utilize DOT tokens within the Polkadot ecosystem. Discover how to custody, swap, stake, and more across the ecosystem with Polkaswap + SORA card, Talisman, StellaSwap, and OAK Network. Earn a POAP and sign up for the new release of the SORA Card and Polkaswap.

How to sign up for the SORA Card:

1. Download the SORA Wallet mobile app (iOS only)

2. Input your phone number for verification

3. Input your personal information as it appears on your ID

4. Submit your identification documents

5. Receive your SORA Card

🏁 Stop number three, “Enterprise with Polkadot,” showcases the diverse real-world applications of teams building on Polkadot. Energy Web, Agrotoken, and Learn Polkadot are out there connecting Web3 to businesses that want to be on the cutting edge of innovation. Be sure to sign up with your email for notifications of future Energy Web educational events and learn about how Web3 technologies are powering the energy transition and earn the station POAP.

🏁 Lastly, the fourth stop, “Build on Polkadot,” encourages builder creativity by connecting developers and curious minds with teams from Web3 Foundation, Crust Network, Acurast, LAOS, Phala, and CESS, who are building decentralized and composable infrastructure on Polkadot. At the final station, experience the ease of uploading and sharing an image using CESS’s decentralized storage and earn your final POAP.

How to share an image using CESS:

1. Take a selfie at the Polkadot booth
2. Upload to CESS DeShare
3. Once uploaded, add events@distractive.xyz in the “Save the file information to email”
4. Then hit “Send”

Polkadot events during Consensus

Consensus hackathon with EasyA

Join the Consensus hackathon, in partnership with EasyA, and build on Polkadot for a chance to win a share of the $37K prize pool. Participating ecosystem teams within the Polkadot track include Robonomics, Phala, Unique, Talisman, StellaSwap, and Acurast, with main themes for projects in consumer and community applications, and infrastructure and appchain development.

Consensus hackathon details:
Date: Wednesday, May 29th at 10:00 AM CDT

Submissions due: Friday, May 31st at 12:00 PM CDT
Register for the Consensus hackathon

{bash} Consensus closing party hosted by Polkadot

The {bash} collective has built a seamless onboarding interactive experience powered by Polkadot, Magic Labs, MuFi, and Exiled Racers. Join sponsors Exiled Racers, Moonbeans, Moonbeam, MuFi, Transistor, Magic, Polkadot, and Consensus at the official Consensus closing party with a one-step email-created Substrate wallet ticketing process! Expect world-class DJs, Conor Daly, live interactive experiences by Exiled Racers, plus collect a party POAP.

{bash} closing party details:

Date: Friday, May 31st, 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM CDT

Location: Distribution Hall