The Hackers League Sponsor Series acknowledges our outstanding sponsors, whose considerable support has been crucial in the creation of the Hackathon. We thank all the sponsors who back the talented individuals competing for victory and cash prizes. The series delves into sponsors' expectations for developers and provides tips for successful projects.

Today’s article highlights AEON, a Hackers League’s Title Sponsor focused on simplifying Web3 payments. AEON is a next-gen modular payment protocol developing a multi-chain PayFi standard to support various developer monetization strategies. As a key supporter, AEON sponsors the GameFi & Onboarding and Payments track at the Hacker League.

In addition, TON Society has joined as a partner in the GameOn TON Hackathon to bring in outstanding projects and provide support to bolster the event outreach. Hosted by AEON, Oak Grove Venture, Nomad Capital, The Open Network (TON) Foundation, and TOP, this collaboration aims to attract top talent, stimulate innovation, and accelerate the growth of Web3 game development on the TON platform, while also promoting the adoption of AEON’s payment protocol.

AEON seeks innovations in onboarding, payment models like subscriptions, and solutions enhancing financial functionality, including cross-chain liquidity and automated payments. Through the Hackathon, AEON aims to encourage developers to integrate their advanced payment API into projects, enabling broader adoption within the TON ecosystem.

Could you share more about the track you are sponsoring? What specific opportunities or innovations are you hoping to see in this track?

We’re proud to support the GameFi & Onboarding and AEON Payment tracks. Our core drive is AEON’s mission to simplify crypto payments and broaden monetization opportunities for developers on the TON network, ultimately attracting more mass crypto adoption.

In the GameFi track, we’re excited to see innovations in smooth onboarding and monetization models utilizing the AEON API, including in-game purchases like pre-auth transactions and subscriptions. For the AEON payment track, we’re looking forward to new approaches in all verticals (Defi/Infra/SocialFi, etc.) to streamline crypto payments and enhance financial functionalities, such as automated payments, cross-chain liquidity, yield generation, and more.

What kind of support, such as workshops, will you provide for participants in this track? And what kind of rewards will you offer for winners in this track?

We’ll host online AMA and workshops to showcase our product, guide participants through AEON’s features, and address any technical questions developers may have. To provide further support, we’ll establish a GitHub page where developers can post specific questions and receive continuous assistance from our team.

All participants in the gaming track are also invited to join the GameOn TON Hackathon (https://aeon.xyz/gameon) for a chance to win prizes totaling up to 6 million. We’ll offer grants and potential investment opportunities as rewards for winners in this track. We welcome all the gaming enthusiasts to join the hackathon at https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/game-on-ton-hackathon/detail.

For participants in other verticals besides gaming, we’ll provide investment opportunities and industry resources ranging from technical, community, and adoptions to exchange listings.

What factors must be addressed for startups working within your sponsored track when considering market fit? Why are the projects selected in this track important for TON?

We believe payments are central to achieving mass adoption for any technology. Just as Visa facilitates cross-border retail, PayPal drives e-commerce, and Google Pay/Apple Pay fuels mobile app growth, establishing a robust payment model is essential for widespread adoption on TON. Participants in our track should focus on clear monetization strategies and recognize the critical role of payments in building a sustainable and thriving ecosystem.

Startups should prioritize user adoption with revenue potential, emphasizing easy onboarding and a sustainable business model rooted in a seamless payment experience.

We see GameFi as an important driver of TON adoption, as it showcases practical use cases and provides effective monetization strategies for developers. However, other verticals, including SocialFi, e-commerce, and DeFi, are also promising areas within this track. Teams with strong technical skills and a dedicated focus on user experience are best positioned to make a lasting impact on the TON ecosystem.

Will you further support the winners in your track after the hackathon? Are there any plans you can share at this time?

Leveraging our extensive network of VCs, exchanges, and the broader Web3 industry, we will support the project’s growth after the hackathon, providing assistance with investments, exchange partnerships, community building, marketing and PR, technical mentorship, and more.

Stay tuned

Stay tuned for the next article in our series highlighting the Hackathon sponsors. Owing in part to their financial and technical support, this year's Hackathon is the largest ever, featuring a prize pool of over $3 million and IRL bootcamps in 19 cities worldwide, including London, Astana, Warsaw, and more.

Learn more about AEON and follow their development through X, Telegram, or visiting AEON.

This interview is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, approval, or recommendation of the project. The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of the TON Foundation. This is not an investment advice.