What is Bitcamp?

Bitcamp is a place for exploration. You will have 36 hours to delve into your curiosities, learn something new, and make something awesome. With world-class mentors and 1,000+ fellow campers, you're in for an amazing time. Whether you’re a seasoned hacker or completely new to the world of hacking, we’ll have something for you. If you're ready for an adventure, we'll see you by the campfire!

Our History

The idea of Bitcamp was conceived by a group of UMD students back in 2013. “Camp” represented an event that evoked togetherness, warmth, and adventure. “Bit” was the embodiment of tech. Bit+camp = Bitcamp! The first ever Bitcamp focused on the idea of YOU+TECH, where participants (“Bitcampers”) were encouraged to take something they loved and fuse it with technology. The team focused on collaboration, fun, and a commitment to the Bitcamp experience, which are all values we carry forward today.

The Campfire Games

The Campfire Games is a brand new way to learn, grow, and build with the Bitcamp Community. At the start of this year's event, you will join one of three teams based on your personality and interests—joining forces with hackers from around the world! By winning unique challenges, attending workshops, and participating in mini-events, you'll rack up points for your team. At the end of Bitcamp, members of the winning team will receive limited edition Bitcamp Apparel. Find your community, develop your team identity, and collaborate on something bigger than yourself: #AdventureAwaits

Colorwar

Colorwar is a rapid-fire live-design competition and one of the highlights of Bitcamp. Compete in our online design challenge for a chance to draw in front of a live audience at Bitcamp for some cool prizes! Stay tuned on our social media platforms for more information on how to enter, starting in March!

Requirements

  • Make your project, submit your hack to Devpost and attend the Bitcamp expo to show off what you built. You must demo at the expo and submit on Devpost in order to be eligible for prizes.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$7,850 in prizes
Cryptocurrency logo Prizes paid in cryptocurrency

Best Moonshot Hack - Bitcamp

The most creative, innovative, and imaginative hack that “shoots for the moon.”

The winning team will receive 2 Amazon Echos and 2 Google Homes.

Best Razzle Dazzle Hack - Bitcamp (2)

Make us go teehee! This prize will be awarded to two projects that best entertain our judges.

First place - Portable Projector

Second Place - Digital Camera/ Mini Video Camera

Best "Bitcamp" Hack - Bitcamp (2)

For the hacks that embrace the adventure that awaits and make us want to join the winners by the campfire!

First Place - Kodiak Hammock

Second Place - Marshmallow Roasting Skewer Set

Best First Time Hack - Bitcamp (2)

The Best Hack by a First Time Hacker that shows the most individual growth. Were you able to learn a new skill at Bitcamp and apply it to your project? You must have at least one first time hacker in your team to be eligible for this prize.

Each member of the winning team will receive a Hydroflask!

Best DIY Hack - Bitcamp

For the coolest hack that minimizes use of external packages and libraries. We want to see what you can accomplish out in the wilderness with nothing but your brain (and laptop)!

Each member of the winning team will receive a DIY Solar Robot Kit!

Best Social Good Hack - Bitcamp

Does your hack solve a social problem or help empower a marginalized community? Submit it here to win our Social Good prize!

Members of the winning team will each receive a magnetic levitating LED globe!

Best UI/UX - Bitcamp

Best overall submitted UX/UI designs of hacks from the weekend. Factors considered will be innovation, aesthetics, service to the project/challenge, and the process.

Each member of the winning team will receive a JBL Speaker!

Best Gamification Hack - Bitcamp

Created a hack that gamifies an everyday task? Submit it here; winners of this prize will each receive a copy of The Settlers of Catan!

Best Hardware Hack - Bitcamp

The most creative, technical, and innovative use of circuitry, electronics, or microcontrollers in a hack.

Each member of the winning team will receive a UNO Project Super Starter Kit.

Best Open Source Hack - Bitcamp

For the hack that best contributes to an open source project! Members of the winning team will each get a Chromecast.

Best Educational Hack - Bloomberg

We're looking for the best hack that teaches us something! Each member of the winning team will receive a waterproof Bose speaker!

Best Use of CockroachDB Serverless - Cockroach Labs

Build what you dream with CockroachDB Serverless! Each member of the team with the best use of CockroachDB Serverless will receive an iPad mini (up to 4 members) and the opportunity to discuss and demo their project on a CockroachDB live stream. This prize category is only available to teams that use the hosted serverless version of CockroachDB.

Best Use of Real Estate Data - CoStar Group

CoStar is a Real Estate Data Company -- We are looking for the best implementation of public real estate data (https://bit.ly/3NSS0hj). Go crazy and show us what you got! Examples include: Make an App, Dashboard, Chatbot, Visualization, Market Place, Route Planning for Visiting Houses (field research), Price Prediction (ML), Property Comparisons, House Categorization… there is no limit just like at CoStar.

Each member of the winning team (up to 4 members) will receive a branded swag bag with various CoStar Group items, CoStar branded Apple AirTags, and a $200 Amazon gift card.

Best Use of Data in an Application - Two Six Technologies (2)

We will be judging based on speed of the data, how is the data processed, how much data is processed, what is the cap of what the app can do, and level of difficulty.

1st Place: $100 to each member of the winning team (up to 4 members)
2nd Place: $25 to DoorDash for each member of the team (up to 4 members)

Bytecamp People's Choice Hack! - Bitcamp

We'll open voting for our People's Choice Hack via a Google Form! Copy the name of your favorite submission on Devpost into the form to vote.

Best Use of Google Cloud - MLH

Build your hackathon project with a suite of secure storage, powerful compute, and integrated data analytics products provided by Google Cloud. See full list of products here: g.co/cloud. Each winning team member located in the US will receive a Google Cloud Swag Bag complete with a beanie, pillow, journal, socks and lanyards. International winners will receive a Google branded backpack.

Best Domain Name from Domain.com - MLH

Register a .tech domain name using Domain.com during the weekend. Each team may submit one entry per person on the team. Each winning team member will receive a PowerSquare Qi wireless phone charger.

Most Creative Use of Twilio - MLH

Twilio allows you to incorporate mobile messaging, phone calls and a ton of other awesome communication features right into your hackathon project using web service APIs. Are you building an e-commerce website and want to send text notifications or email confirmations once an order is completed? Or maybe your application needs to verify users based on their mobile numbers? Twilio makes all this possible and more. Build a hack that simplifies your life using any one of Twilio’s APIs for a chance to win a Twilio Swag Box and GameGo Console for you and each of your teammates!

Best Use of DeSo - MLH
Cryptocurrency logo

DeSo is the official Web3 sponsor of the MLH Hackathon League and the first Layer 1 blockchain custom-built for decentralized social media applications. While blockchains like Avalanche or Solana cost $0.50+ to store just a 200-character post, the DeSo blockchain is built with custom indexing and storage optimizations which make it 10,000X cheaper to store social content on-chain! In order to qualify for the contest, you must launch an app that writes to the DeSo blockchain and/or implements DeSo identity. While social media apps are a great fit for DeSo, you can also build financial apps, marketplaces, and more on the DeSo blockchain. For inspiration on project ideas, you can check out some of the existing 200+ apps already live on DeSo at Bithunt.com as well as our DeSo APIs. The Best Use of DeSo gets $100 worth of $DESO coin & an exclusive DeSo branded tumbler!

Best Web Monetization Project - MLH

Coil is all about providing better ways to access and reward the creators, publishers and platforms that you love. Coil members get to view web monetized sites while streaming micropayments directly to the website owner, or in this case, you! In turn, you can react to payments in real time by displaying a thank-you message, unlocking bonus content, features and so much more! The possibilities are endless. Build a web monetized hack using Coil for a chance to win an Anker - PowerCore Quick Charge Portable Charger, exclusive Coil pin and a $60 coil credit redemption card! Bonus points for originality and creativity!

Best CI/CD Application Using CircleCI - MLH

Have you ever wondered how professional developers from companies like Peloton & Samsung collaborate and ship code to production? For one, they use continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) platforms like CircleCI to help automate testing, versioning, deployment and so much more. Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill, practice coding, or hack with friends, CircleCI can help you to utilize the best development practices possible when approaching a new project, however big or small. Use CircleCI in your next hack for a chance to win some awesome CircleCI swag, including a branded mug, beanie, socks and stickers!

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Bitcamp

Bitcamp

Bloomberg

Bloomberg

Cockroach Labs

Cockroach Labs

CoStar Group

CoStar Group

Two Six Technologies

Two Six Technologies

MLH

MLH

Judging Criteria

  • Technical Difficulty
    Is the hack technically interesting or difficult? Is it just some lipstick on an API, or were there real technical challenges to surmount?
  • Originality
    Is the hack more than just another generic social/mobile/local app? Does it do something entirely novel, or at least take a fresh approach to an old problem?
  • User Experience
    Is the hack usable in its current state? Is the user experience smooth? Does everything appear to work? Is it well designed?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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