Virtuals Protocol Launches ‘Ethereum Is For AI’ Hackathon To Advance On-Chain AI Agent Innovation With $100,000 In Prizes

In Brief

Virtuals Protocol has launched the “Ethereum is for AI” Hackathon, offering $100,000 in prizes and workshops to advance autonomous AI agents across Robotics, DePIN, privacy, consumer AI, DeFAI, and research on Ethereum.

Platform focused on AI agents for gaming and entertainment, Virtuals Protocol launched the “Ethereum is for AI” Hackathon with support from the Ethereum Foundation’s Founder Success program. The event offers $100,000 in prizes for the most advanced AI agent deployments, with winners receiving travel to Buenos Aires and access to DevConnect 2025 in November.

AI agents are developing specialized capabilities, contributing to economic activity and innovation on blockchain networks such as Ethereum. Their full potential emerges through collaboration, as independent agents can combine expertise to surpass traditional rule-based systems. By utilizing Ethereum’s secure and scalable infrastructure, agents can integrate distinct models, datasets, and actions to form dynamic clusters that enhance efficiency and generate new value.

Originally developed on Ethereum’s Layer 2 Base, Virtuals Protocol has expanded to Ethereum’s Layer 1, enabling seamless on-chain deployment of AI agents. This expansion, backed by the Ethereum Foundation, positions Virtuals as an important contributor to integrating AI into Ethereum, supporting applications including on-chain commerce, autonomous decision-making, and multi-agent coordination.

The hackathon is designed to accelerate these developments by encouraging innovation that transforms AI concepts into deployable, value-generating solutions. AI agents are expected to become highly active users of Ethereum, reasoning, transacting, and operating autonomously, with Ethereum serving as their trustless settlement layer, laying the groundwork for the next era of on-chain intelligence.

Virtuals Protocol Hackathon Kicks Off August 31 With Five Technical Workshops On AI Deployment and Scaling

The hackathon spans areas including Robotics, DePIN, privacy, consumer AI, DeFAI, and research, aiming to advance specialized AI agents into autonomous, self-sustaining ecosystems. The $100,000 prize pool will be distributed among the top ten teams, with first place receiving $50,000, second place $20,000, third place $10,000, fourth and fifth places $5,000 each, and the remaining teams $1,000 each.

As part of the program, five technical workshops led by Virtuals Protocol and the Ethereum Foundation will explore advanced system architectures, deployment approaches, and scaling strategies for AI-native applications.

Participants are encouraged to build on Ethereum and launch on Virtuals, with opportunities to secure funding, prizes, and recognition within a leading AI agent ecosystem.

The event timeline indicates that project submissions open on August 31st, with a final submission deadline of September 30th. Demo Day is scheduled for October 9th, and the final results will be announced on October 10th.