Overview
This report summarizes all the activities carried out so far in the Blockchain Innovation Hub X Arbitrum Blockchain Software Development Bootcamp. It provides an overview of the training processes and methodology used during the boot camp. Additionally, it offers insights into the attendance rate, YouTube watch hours, social media activities, participants’ feedback, and details on the upcoming Hackathon, which starts on March 1st, 2024.
On the third day of our Bootcamp, January 10th, 2024, we broke the Arbitrum Sepolia record. The new record for the number of verified contracts in a single day now stands at 343.
Attendance Rate Statistics
Month 1
● Virtual Attendance: On average, 55 out of 84 participants attended the sessions virtually at least twice a week during the first month.
● On-site Attendance: Meanwhile, 14 out of 16 participants attended the classes on-site.
Month 2:
● On-site Attendance: An average of 14 out of 16 participants attended the classes on-site twice a week.
● Virtual Attendance: Meanwhile, 30 out of 84 participants attended the sessions virtually.
Average Attendance Rate of Participants in the last 2 months
YouTube Watch Rate and Hours
As highlighted in the previous report, recordings of each Bootcamp session have been uploaded to YouTube. To date, these videos have garnered approximately 1,677 views and accumulated a total watch time of 192.9 hours. This translates to an average of 209 views per week and 62 views per video.
We have recorded and made available about 27 classes, covering a range of topics for anyone interested in learning how to develop on Arbitrum. Below are links to some of these recorded sessions available on YouTube:
● Cryptography & Consensus Algorithms
● Solidity - Advanced Data Types
● Introduction to Arbitrum SDK
● Authentication & Authorization
Number of Views for Each Month
Total Number of View Hours for Each Month
Training Methodology
For the training sessions and assignment submissions, we transitioned from Notion to Zoho. The participants utilized ‘Zoho WorkDrive’ for submitting their assignments, while the training sessions were conducted and recorded using 'Zoho Meet.’
Throughout the boot camp, the curriculum was designed to equip students with practical skills in blockchain development, specifically focusing on the Arbitrum ecosystem. Key learning milestones included:
● Smart Contract Deployment : Students learned the intricacies of deploying smart contracts on the Arbitrum Sepolia network.
● Solidity Programming: Comprehensive training was provided on coding in Solidity, focusing on the best practices for writing, deploying, and managing upgradable smart contracts.
● Blockchain Network Connectivity : Instruction on how to connect to the Arbitrum network using Ethers.js was provided, enabling students to interact with blockchain technologies effectively.
● Development Tools : The course covered the use of Hardhat for smart contract development, Next.js for decentralized application (DApp) creation, and Express.js for backend development.
In the final stages of the boot camp, students delved into the Arbitrum SDK, exploring its fundamental use cases and learning about token bridging between Ethereum (Layer 1) and Arbitrum (Layer 2). Throughout the program, students successfully deployed more than 300 contracts on the Arbitrum Sepolia network.
Social Media Activities
The social media outreach for the BIH X Arbitrum Bootcamp, through the combined efforts of our participants and the content media team, has achieved significant traction. Overall, our posts garnered over 1,500 impressions and reached up to 500 engagements in total. On average, each post received about 600 impressions and 150 engagements.
This social media presence has sparked interest in the Arbitrum Blockchain ecosystem and Web3 software development community. The increasing curiosity among the audience about the ecosystem and pathways for entering the field has been notable. Encouraged by these inquiries, we are motivated to consider organizing additional Arbitrum software development boot camps to meet the growing interest.
Twitter Space Hackathon Orientation
On February 28th, 2024, we hosted a Twitter Space event titled “BIH X Arbitrum Bootcamp Hackathon Orientation.” (https://x.com/blockchainih/status/1762553389462786382?s=46). This event served as a platform for introducing the hackathon judges to our boot camp participants and providing them with detailed information about the upcoming hackathon. The session was highly interactive, fostering a significant level of engagement among attendees.
We were delighted to see over 160 individual tune into the space, making it a vibrant forum for discussion and learning. The judges shared invaluable advice with the participants, offering insights and guidance to prepare them for the hackathon challenges ahead.
Problems and Challenges
As highlighted in our previous report, we’ve identified certain challenges impacting student attendance at the Bootcamp. The main issues reported include:
● Work/School Conflicts: The predominant reason for inconsistent attendance has been scheduling conflicts with participants’ work or school commitments. Consequently, many have opted to engage with the Bootcamp through recorded sessions available on YouTube.
● Network Issues: A significant number of participants attending virtually have faced internet connectivity problems. This has led them to prefer watching the recorded versions of the training at their convenience, once uploaded to YouTube.
Participants’ Feedback
In our effort to gauge the effectiveness of the Bootcamp, we sought feedback from the participants via survey polls. The results are as follows:
● Overall Training Experience: The Bootcamp was awarded a 4.4-star rating, reflecting a high level of satisfaction among the participants
The majority of the participants who filled the poll are willing to continue building on Arbitrum after the Bootcamp.
Around 91.3% of the participants who filled out the poll watched the recording training directly from YouTube.
Hackathon Project Requirements
Development Phase : Teams, comprising front-end and back-end developers, will kick off the project development phase on March 1st, 2024.
Deployment : All projects must be deployed on Arbitrum Sepolia, incorporating front-end, back-end, and smart contract technologies.
Project Domains
Participants are encouraged to focus their projects on the following areas:
● ReFi (Regenerative Finance)
● DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
● Gaming
● Real-world applications
Additional Project Criteria
Projects should be innovative, scalable, and original, with the potential for widespread adoption. Additionally, they should aim to contribute to an increase in the Total Locked in Value (TLV) on Arbitrum.
Team Selection Criteria
● Teams should have 2 to 5 members.
● Participants must have completed the Blockchain Innovation Hub X Arbitrum Bootcamp 2023-2024.
● All team members must complete KYC verification.
● Participants are restricted to membership in only one team.
Project Submission Guidelines
● Deadline Compliance: Projects must adhere to the development phase timeline; no extensions will be allowed.
● Open Source Requirement: All projects should be open-sourced.
● Submission Components: Teams must submit the following:
● A 3-minute video presentation by team members.
● A public GitHub repository link.
● A working demo URL.
● A link to the presentation slides.
Hackathon Judges
For our hackathon, we have carefully chosen judges who are deeply affiliated with or have a vested interest in the Arbitrum ecosystem. These individuals bring years of experience in blockchain development and community engagement to the table. Meet our esteemed judges:
Aliu Musa
Role : Senior Program Manager at the Arbitrum Foundation.
Background : Aliu leads strategic and innovative business development and community growth initiatives. With a rich background in software engineering and business development, he previously served as the Africa Ecosystem Lead at Celo Foundation and the African Manager at OKX. Aliu is also a co-founder and software engineer at DLT Africa, a platform dedicated to onboarding millions of Africans into Web3 through training and partnerships.
Uchenna Onuegbu
Role : Arbitrum Ambassador and blockchain professional.
Expertise : Uchenna specializes in community building, education, and research, with interests spanning various verticals. He has collaborated with key industry leaders and notable projects, significantly contributing to the growth of these communities.
Tochi Otuokere
Role : Web3 Ecosystem Builder.
Expertise : Tochi Otuokere has excelled in developing vibrant communities and dynamic Web3 ecosystems for a range of brands, including Smerse, CosmoHeroes, UIOS, and CryptoSimplified. His expertise extends to strategic growth initiatives, notably with FTTDAO, where he successfully expanded the organization’s footprint from a local entity to a multinational presence across more than seven African countries.
Judging Criteria
Focus
Projects will be submitted and assessed on DoraHacks (BIH x Arbitrum Bootcamp 2023-2024 Hackathon | Hackathon | DoraHacks) platform, focusing on:
● Innovative Use of Arbitrum Technology: 30 points
● Originality: 20 points
● Complexity: 10 points
● Potential for Mass Adoption: 20 points
● User Experience: 20 points
Prizes
● First Place: $1,500 plus an additional $500 for attending a pitching event (includes accommodation and travel).
● Runner-Up: $1,000.
● Second Runner-Up: $500.
Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Fraud Policy
To ensure integrity, winning teams are required to:
● Establish a Multisig wallet with all team members, requiring a 2/3 approval rate for transactions.
● Undergo KYC verification.
● Acknowledge that we or our sponsors may publish winners’ names and projects.
Hackathon Timeline
● Team Formation and Project Selection: February 25th - February 29th, 2024.
● Project Development Phase: March 1st - March 22nd, 2024.
● Submission Deadline: March 22nd, 2024.
● Project Review: March 24th - March 28th, 2024.
● Result Announcement and Presentation: March 29th, 2024.