Flow dominated ETH Global once again, with one in every four hackers building on Flow.
At ETHGlobal New York 2025, Flow was the number 1 network of choice for developers as the most hacked on technology across the entire hackathon. A result of committing to empowering builders, community scholars and exciting the imagination of builders through groundbreaking keynotes redefining what’s possible onchain
Dieter, the creator of the ERC-721 standard that shaped digital collectables and helped define interoperability in web3 announced the unveiling of a brand new standard - Actions. Actions are onchain workflows that are completely protocol-agnostic, allowing agents and developers to interact directly with any protocol without custom implementations. Common workflows like swapping or staking can be used interoperably with any DeFi protocol or DEX, minimizing agentic hallucinations and enabling lightning fast development. Accompanying this announcement was the revealing of Agents on Flow. Agents operate like onchain cronjobs that can utilize time-based triggers, previously only implementable through offchain servers and centralized systems. Agents unlock the next stage of onchain automation, with time-based loop logic execution that can transform entire verticals from DeFi to Agents as well as introduce new forms of business models for web3 applications. Learn more about Flow Actions and Agents in this recent article.
Forte is coming to Flow mainnet in October. However, developers at ETHGlobal were able to get early access to these new features in beta. Many developers dove in to build preview apps.
Hackathon Highlights & Tracks
ETHGlobal New York had 950 attendees from over 50 countries and Flow emerged as developers top choice to build on. One in every four hackers chose to build with Flow, a clear recognition amongst developers that Flow provides the robust, scalable, and user-friendly environment needed to build applications that will onboard the next billion users to Web3. Furthermore, 40% of event finalists built and deployed on Flow.
Best Use of Flow Actions
Flow Actions transform protocol logic into self-contained, reusable onchain building blocks. Each Action functions as a trustless workflow, complete with clear metadata, integrated safety checks, atomic execution, and verifiable success criteria, effectively serving as standardized onchain APIs that assemble like LEGO Blocks.
This bounty challenged builders to push the boundaries of what’s possible with Flow Actions. Whether it’s making new connectors to major protocols, chaining cross-protocol workflows, using Actions with fully onchain Agents, or creating tooling to support others building with Actions. Whether their passion lies in DeFi, gaming, or novel automation, this was an opportunity for any developer to shape the future of composability and consumer crypto.
1st Place - Flare Flow Flow introduces an on-chain LLM (Large Language Model) proxy with automated bill payment, leveraging Flow Actions to govern API key access and usage. It integrates with LiteLLM to stream per-key usage data on-chain, enabling real-time metering and access control for AI models. Leveraging Flow to ensure secure, efficient, and auto-pausing API keys based on pre-defined limits or balances, offering a robust solution for managing and monetizing AI model access on-chain.
2nd Place - BountyBlocks is a web3 Verifiable Bounty Ledger (VBL) designed to enhance transparency and community engagement in bug bounty programs. It enables sponsors to fund bounties in one asset while allowing ethical hackers to claim rewards in another via Flow Actions, ensuring token-agnostic payouts. Built on Flow for programmable issue management and Walrus for privacy-preserving evidence, BountyBlocks provides a decentralized, auditable workflow for bug remediation, where hackers can maintain anonymity while building verifiable reputations.
3rd Place - Tollbooth offers a novel approach to access control for websites, allowing site owners to charge micro-fees to automated traffic (bots and AI agents) instead of relying on frustrating captchas or outright blocking. Utilizing Flow scheduled callbacks, Tollbooth enables subscription-based access with recurring payments, providing a seamless browsing experience for legitimate automated tools. This project allows publishers to monetize bot traffic while offering a frictionless alternative to traditional bot defense mechanisms.
Top Killer Apps
Consumer-oriented “killer apps” possess the transformative power to define and lead entire industries. This track aims to find the next breakthrough application capable of capturing the interest of millions, or even billions, of everyday users. Eligible projects encompassed a wide spectrum, from AI Agents and Real-World Assets (RWA) to engaging games and innovative social applications, all possible to be killer apps on Flow, the network built for mass adoption and consumer-grade experiences.
1st Place - Dreamprint reimagines crypto event swag by creating interactive, onchain NFT polaroids. This innovative project addresses the problem of low ROI and unengaging physical giveaways by offering personalized, AI-enhanced photos that attendees can mint as free NFTs on Flow EVM mainnet. Users connect their wallets and make a payment on Flow, receiving a unique digital collectible that encourages virality and provides sponsors with live feedback, turning a simple photo into a memorable, onchain experience.
2nd Place - LoveFi aims to revolutionize dating by building an end-to-end relationship platform on the blockchain, moving beyond superficial swipes to foster long-term connections. It tackles common dating app issues like fake profiles, lack of accountability, and privacy concerns. LoveFi leverages Flow's blockchain capabilities through zero-knowledge proofs for private verification of age and relationship status, optional onchain escrow deposits to reduce "flaking" on dates, and portable reputation systems, providing a foundation of trust, accountability, and privacy for users from their first match to marriage.
3rd Place - Rivals is an augmented reality (AR) multiplayer shooter that transforms real-world environments into dynamic battlegrounds where players combat AI-driven zombies to earn crypto rewards. This game uniquely blends Unity's AR Foundation with blockchain economics, creating a persistent, location-based gaming experience. It utilizes a custom ERC-20 token, $RIVAL, deployed on Flow, enabling players to earn tokens for kills, spend them on in-game traps, and incur penalties upon defeat. The project abstracts complex Web3 interactions, allowing players to earn real value without directly managing wallets or gas fees, positioning it as a groundbreaking fusion of immersive AR and play-to-earn mechanics, made possible by Flow.
Honorable Mentions
While these projects didn’t win a top place prize, they were stand out examples of interesting, exciting, and unique submissions:
- Surr: Fast multiplayer kart combat game - drive, eliminate rivals and Earn! Powered by Flow
- Skyfall: AI-powered weather risk hedging with real-time data and DeFi mutual aid pools
- Polyglot: Language Learning with Multi Language Context using Spaced Repetition on Flow.
- Cheroot
- TX Delay Insurance: Delay and Quarantine Insurance for EVM Transactions using RPC Proxy for non-intrusive operation
Vibe Coding After Dark
A thriving developer ecosystem extended far beyond the hackathon itself. The team on the ground supported many side events and activations focused on developers. These included a University of Waterloo Hacker House, an exclusive Builder Breakfast for developers to prepare and network before the hackathon, and a fast-paced Vibe Coding After Dark: Speedrun, with over 300 entries, in under an hour.
The Vibe Coding After Dark: Speedrun had ~30 submissions, with many developers building on Flow. A few of the most interesting submissions:
The success at ETHGlobal New York reaffirms Flow's position as a consistent top choice for builders at Ethereum Hackathons in 2025. Flow is empowering these developers to build secure, efficient, and sophisticated apps that will bring mainstream users to Web3 without compromising on composability or developer experience. For many of these builders, the hackathon is just the first step towards bringing their product to life, last month over $420k in funding was distributed to projects innovating on Flow with the majority having been previous hackers in the ecosystem. The future of decentralized consumer applications is being built on Flow, and ETHGlobal New York was a powerful testament to that reality.
With Flow on track to be the fastest growing developer ecosystem for 2025, now is the time to build on Flow.
Get started today: https://developers.flow.com/
