Forward, renowned for making web3 accessible to the world akin to WordPress for web3, has successfully concluded its recent Hackathon event at ITMO University in Russia. This collaborative event, sponsored by Forward and the prestigious ITMO University, aimed at developing innovative dApp templates that are customizable and deployable by users.
Forward’s mission is to democratize access to web3 technology, making it user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Users can effortlessly create decentralized applications (dApps) using pre-built templates available in the Forward Factory, a key component of the Forward platform.
The MoreTech team emerged victorious with their groundbreaking Soulbound Token Template, which facilitates NFTs’ display of personal achievements, awards, competencies, and certificates.
Hackathon Overview
The Forward x ITMO University Hackathon was a hybrid event held from April 14 to May 5, 2024, both online and on-site, at the ITMO University campus in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Sponsored by Forward and ITMO University, the hackathon tasked participants with creating templates for the Forward Factory that other users can easily deploy. This challenge brought together a diverse group of participants to leverage their skills in creating practical web3 solutions.
ITMO University played a crucial role in hosting the event, providing the venue and necessary resources for participants. The event saw the participation of 60 individuals across 20 teams, who submitted a wide range of projects focused on creating practical and functional dApp templates. These projects were evaluated based on their problem articulation, solution viability, and business model.
Conversation with MoreTech Team
Team Members
- Sobolev Sergey (Web3 Developer and Mastermind)
- Timur Vaschenko (Frontend Developer)
Interviewer: Can you give us a brief background about yourselves?
Sobolev Sergey: I am a final year Master’s student and researcher in Web3 security. My journey began over three years ago with investing, and I soon moved into programming. I focus on finding vulnerabilities and creating contracts for DAOs, with a keen interest in cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs.
Timur Vaschenko: I’m a school student with over six months in web3 and two years in frontend development. Before the hackathon, I participated in a startup and worked on freelance projects.
Interviewer: What’s your winning template all about, and what problem does it solve?
MoreTech Team: Our winning template is the Soulbound Token (SBT) Template. It’s designed for NFTs to display personal achievements, awards, competencies, certificates, and even misdemeanors, using ERC721 and ERC1155 standards. This template solves the issue of verifying and authenticating personal credentials by providing a secure and permanent digital record. Potential use cases include educational certificates, professional awards, competency badges, and tracking misdemeanors. It’s all about ensuring authenticity and preventing fraud, making it super useful for anyone using the Forward Factory to create reliable and trustworthy dApps.
Interviewer: How was your experience using the Forward Factory? What did you like the most?
MoreTech Team: Using the Forward Factory was pretty cool. We really liked the idea behind it—it makes creating web3 apps so much simpler. The pre-built templates were a huge time-saver. Sure, we ran into some bugs that made things a bit tricky, but we know the platform is still in its early stages. We’re excited to see the updates and improvements. All in all, it’s a solid platform with great potential to make web3 development more accessible for everyone.
Interviewer: How did the v4 updates of the Forward Factory improve your experience?
MoreTech Team: The v4 updates definitely made a difference. Though we didn’t use v3 much, we can tell that v4 is more user-friendly. The interface is cleaner, and the workflow feels more streamlined. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into making the constructor easier to use. These updates really enhanced our experience and made the template creation process smoother. We’re looking forward to seeing how it continues to evolve!
Interviewer: Were there any challenges you faced while using the Forward Factory? If so, how did you overcome them?
MoreTech Team: Forward Factory is a great tool that really simplifies web3 app development. However, we did face a few challenges along the way. For example, we had some issues with HTML attributes and the reliance on the Bootstrap CSS framework. But we managed to work through these by being patient and adapting our approach. Despite these hurdles, the platform’s potential is clear, and we’re confident that future updates will address these issues and make the user experience even better.
Interviewer: How easy was it to build a dApp template using the Forward Factory, and what does the Forward Factory do to make development easier?
MoreTech Team: The Forward Factory makes the process pretty straightforward. It provides a solid foundation and useful tools that simplify development. However, we think it could be even better with more interactivity and a more convenient way to work in JavaScript. An API with functions to make things easier would be a great addition. Despite these suggestions, it was a good experience, and the Factory definitely helps streamline the development process.
Interviewer: How would you describe your experience at the Forward Hackathon?
MoreTech Team: It was a great experience and a pleasure to participate. We enjoyed hearing about other participants’ projects and the uniqueness of the ideas being implemented. Winning a prize and working closely with the team were definite highlights—we even made new friends and potential future colleagues. The hackathon organization and resources mostly met our needs, though the template evaluation took a bit long. Despite these minor issues, it was a fantastic event.
Interviewer: Thanks for participating and contributing with your amazing Soulbound Token Template. Congratulations on your win! We look forward to seeing you in our future hackathons.
MoreTech Team: Thanks! We had a great time and are definitely looking forward to participating in more hackathons in the future.
Forward’s Vision and Roadmap
Forward’s vision is to democratize access to web3 technology, making it user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Initiatives like this hackathon not only improve their platform by eliminating bugs and adding more templates but also increase the reach and visibility of the platform to a global audience. This vision aligns seamlessly with their current initiatives, including the Forward Factory V4 update, which enhances dApp creation with AI capabilities and more. Looking ahead, Forward is focused on further enhancing the platform with new features and updates, such as improved user interfaces and more robust developer tools.
Conclusion
Forward’s commitment to fostering innovation in the web3 space was evident throughout the Forward x ITMO University Hackathon. This event highlighted the incredible talent of the participants, whose contributions significantly enhanced the Forward Factory’s capabilities. The hackathon’s success underscores the potential for future events, urging developers and blockchain enthusiasts to participate in upcoming Forward hackathons and initiatives.
For more information and updates, visit Forward’s website and follow their social media channels.
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