MDBA Youth Blockchain Hackathon 2026 — $50,000 (₹46L) Prize Pool for Youth — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a global blockchain competition for young people, hosted by the Maryland Blockchain Association with the Blockchain Legal Institute as a partner. Entrants develop blockchain-based projects over an extended window and compete for cash prizes.

The prize fund is worth $50,000 in total. At the 92 INR per US dollar rate quoted for the competition, that works out to roughly ₹46,00,000, which is where the up to ₹46L figure comes from. The published details do not split the fund into individual placings or prize tiers.

It is a youth-focused competition, so the target group is young participants. Students and early-stage builders are specifically named, and anyone interested in blockchain technology fits the stated audience. No company structure or incorporation is listed as a requirement.

Yes. There is no country-based restriction on entry, and Indian students and early-stage builders are among those explicitly welcome to compete.

November 1, 2026. That is also the date the competition closes, so registration has to be completed on or before that day. The competition itself opens earlier, on February 27, 2026, giving participants roughly eight months of build time.

No. Neither DPIIT recognition nor MSME registration appears anywhere in the requirements for this competition. It is a youth hackathon rather than an Indian government startup scheme, and the stated eligibility is simply youth participants with an interest in blockchain.

No. This is a prize competition, so the money awarded is a cash prize rather than an investment. Winners do not hand over an equity stake or any ownership share in return for it.

The Maryland Blockchain Association hosts the competition, and the Blockchain Legal Institute is involved as a partner organisation.

The published details do not include a document checklist. What the programme requires is registration through the official Internshala competition page and a blockchain-based project developed within the competition window.

Applications go through the official Internshala competition page for the MDBA Youth Blockchain Hackathon. Complete your registration there before November 1, 2026 to be part of the competition.