The inter-university competition "Fintech - Blockchain Hackathon 2025" underwent a challenging three-month journey, featuring three rigorously designed rounds to select the 10 most outstanding teams from over 3,000 initial participants. Each round set specific requirements, comprehensively testing contestants’ abilities—from foundational knowledge to practical application skills.
Round 1 – Online Quiz: This round tested basic knowledge of Fintech and Blockchain. As a crucial elimination stage, it allowed the organizers to assess participants’ understanding of concepts, technologies, trends, and applications in financial technology. With over 3,000 participants, this round created fierce competition right from the start.
Round 2 – Online Presentation: Teams were required to demonstrate professional research, analysis, and presentation skills. In the Research track, teams selected a Fintech-Blockchain-related research topic, providing in-depth analysis of technology, applications, market, or legal frameworks. In the Hackathon track, teams presented product ideas, technical architecture, and detailed development plans. This round attracted nearly 200,000 views, reflecting strong community interest.
Final Round – Live Competition: The ultimate showdown brought together the 10 best teams to present before the judging panel and over 400 attending students. Research teams delivered in-depth studies on their chosen topics, while Hackathon teams demonstrated working technological products and explained their functionality. Following the presentations, all teams faced situational questions from the judges and engaged in debates to defend their perspectives.
The debate segment was particularly challenging, requiring teams not only to have deep knowledge of their projects but also to think quickly, argue logically, and persuade effectively. The judges posed various real-world scenarios to test the teams’ adaptability and problem-solving skills.
In the final results, team "Sparkle" from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education won the Research track with an in-depth study on blockchain applications in education and digital certificate management. Team "Gen.H" from Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology won the Hackathon track with a decentralized payment application highly rated for practicality and user experience.
Notably, having 10 teams in the final (up from 9 in the previous season) demonstrated the organizers’ effort to provide more opportunities for outstanding projects to be showcased. It also reflected the increasing quality of participating projects, making the selection process more challenging.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu emphasized: “We believe that through these practical challenges, students will not only develop professional skills but also cultivate critical thinking and teamwork abilities—key factors for success in the digital era.”
Source: Sở Hữu Trí Tuệ