Hi everyone!
We’re sharing the final report for Building Together, a program organized by Ethereum Lima with the support of Arbitrum. This report consolidates the results, evidence and learnings from all seven milestones and marks the formal completion of the grant.
From university outreach and technical training to project development, community validation and awards, the program created a connected path for participants to discover the ecosystem, learn, build and continue engaging with Arbitrum.
Organizer: Ethereum Lima
Reporting cut-off: 15 September 2026
Approved grant: USD 14,288
1. Executive Summary
Building Together connected university outreach, technical education, project development and community validation through a coordinated program focused on Ethereum and Arbitrum.
Puqi Route 2026 introduced students with little or no prior crypto experience to the ecosystem through in-person educational events at higher education institutions across Lima. Sessions combined Arbitrum branding, an Ideathon format and activities with university communities.
Bootcamp “La Siembra” provided six weeks of technical preparation for Spanish-speaking developers. Its curriculum combined blockchain fundamentals, Solidity, Rust, Foundry, Hardhat and Arbitrum Stylus, supported by recorded sessions, practical exercises and technical guidance. The Bootcamp reported 211 registrations and 12 teams formed for the following phase.
The Ethereum Lima Hackathon extended the building experience through virtual workshops, mentorship and project development, with an in-person Demo Day. It reported 268 participants from nine countries and 50 projects.
The Arbitrum activation corresponding to Milestone 2 was integrated into Build & Explore, connecting ecosystem discovery with project demonstrations and community feedback. The experience reported 226 attendees and 343 feedback interactions. Following evaluation, 2,100 USDC was distributed across five awards.
| Indicator | Original Target | Achieved | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruta de Puqi attendees | 200+ | 227 | 114% |
| Institutions reached | 4 | 7 | 175% |
| Build & Explore attendees | 100+ | 226 | 226% |
| Hackathon participants | 90+ | 268 | 298% |
| Innovative projects / dApps | 25+ reference | 50 | 200% |
| Projects building on Arbitrum | 10+ | 50 | 500%+ |
| Prizes | USD 2,100 | USD 2,100 | 100% |
2. From Proposal to Final Execution
The core objectives of the grant remained unchanged, while the delivery format evolved to provide participants with more time to learn, build and validate their projects.
| Component | Original Proposal | Final Execution |
|---|---|---|
| University outreach | Ruta de Puqi across 4 universities | Expanded university/institutional outreach |
| Bootcamp | 18 immersive hours | 6-week technical learning process |
| Hackathon | 2.5-day onchain Hackathon | 18-day extended builder program with a strong virtual component |
| Milestone 2 activation | Separate Ethereum Lima Day workshop / activation | Integrated into the in-person Hackathon Demo Day |
| Project validation | Final presentations | Mentorship + community feedback + formal evaluation |
| Geographic reach | Primarily Lima / in-person | Participation from 9 countries |
3. What the Program Delivered
3.1 Outreach & Onboarding
La Ruta de Puqi
Related milestones: M0 + M1
The program began through university outreach, created accessible entry points into blockchain, Ethereum and Web3, bringing the ecosystem closer to students and new participants before inviting them into more technical experiences. The outreach stage established the top of the participant pipeline and connected university audiences with the activities that followed.
Results
| Indicator | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Attendees | 200+ | 227 |
| Universities / institutions | 4 | 7 |
Evidence
Milestone 1 — Ruta de Puqi Report
3.2 Technical Preparation
Bootcamp — La Siembra
Related milestone: M3
The Bootcamp moved participants from ecosystem discovery toward technical practice, the final implementation extended the learning period and included blockchain fundamentals, Solidity, Rust, Arbitrum Stylus, Foundry, Hardhat, Scaffold-Stylus and project development. The Bootcamp created the technical foundation for participants who wanted to continue building within the ecosystem.
Results
| Indicator | Original Reference | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations | 100 | 211 |
| Participants with tracked technical deliverables | 50 reference | 46 |
| Project teams | 5–10 | 12 |
| Technical modules | 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Program duration | 18 hours originally proposed | 6 weeks |
Evidence
3.3 Building
Ethereum Lima Hackathon
Related milestone: M4
The Hackathon became the main project-development stage. Instead of concentrating the experience into a 2.5-day event, the implemented format ran for 18 days, with much of the building process happening virtually.
This allowed participants to access technical training, product sessions, mentoring, project development, team support, checkpoints, an in-person Demo Day, evaluation and final results.
Results
| Indicator | Target / Reference | Achieved | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 90+ | 268 | 298% |
| Projects / dApps | 25+ | 50 | 200% |
| Projects building on Arbitrum | 10+ | 50 | 500%+ |
| Mentors | 5 reference | 15 | 300% |
| Countries | — | 9 | — |
| Workshops | — | 8 | — |
| Program duration | 2.5 days originally proposed | 18 days | Expanded |
The extended format increased access beyond Lima and provided teams with more time to develop, iterate and receive support before final evaluation.
Evidence
Milestone 4 — Ethereum Lima Hackathon Report
3.4 Explore & Validate
Build & Explore — Hackathon Demo Day
Related milestone: M2 + M4
Milestone 2 was initially proposed as a separate workshop and activation introducing participants to Arbitrum. In the final implementation, the in-person experience was integrated into the Hackathon Demo Day. This created a stronger connection between ecosystem education and real products already being built.
Participants could: Explore → interact → understand → give feedback rather than only attend an introductory session.
Results
| Indicator | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Activation attendees | 100+ | 226 |
| Builders involved | — | 228 |
| Projects showcased | — | 49 |
| Projects showcased on Arbitrum | — | 49 |
| Feedback interactions | — | 343 |
| Communities involved | — | 8 |
| Speakers | — | 7 |
| Registrations attributed to activation | — | 53 |
Evidence
Milestone 2 — Build & Explore Report
3.5 Evaluate & Reward
Evaluation, Winners & Prize Distribution
Related milestones: M4 + M5
After Demo Day and community feedback, projects moved into formal evaluation.
The evaluation framework balanced:
50% Product / 50% Technical
This allowed projects to be assessed not only on technical implementation, but also on problem definition, value proposition, product development and communication.
Evaluation
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Projects evaluated | 50 |
| Judges | 9 |
| Evaluation period | 12–16 August 2026 |
| Final results | 17 August 2026 |
Prize Distribution
| Indicator | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Prize pool | USD 2,100 | USD 2,100 |
| Prize distribution | Required | Completed |
| Public winner announcement | Required | Completed |
The original grant allocated USD 2,100 to the Hackathon prize component.
Evidence
Milestone 5 — Winners & Prize Distribution
Hackathon Winners — Public Video
4. Grant Closeout
The grant was approved through seven milestones. The table below reconciles the contractual structure with the final delivery.
| Milestone | Approved Commitment | Final Delivery | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| M0 | Operational support for merchandise, Ruta de Puqi, coffee breaks and raffles | Resources used to support outreach execution |  Completed |
| M1 | 200+ attendees across 4 universities | 227 attendees across 7 institutions | Exceeded |
| M2 | Arbitrum workshop / activation with 100+ attendees | Integrated into Demo Day; 226 attendees, 49 projects showcased and 343 feedback interactions | Exceeded |
| M3 | Bootcamp execution | 211 registrations, 46 participants with tracked technical deliverables, 12 teams | Completed |
| M4 | Hackathon with 90+ participants | 268 participants, 50 projects, 15 mentors, 9 countries | Exceeded |
| M5 | USD 2,100 prize payments | USD 2,100 prize pool delivered | Completed |
| M6 | Final report + onboarding / volunteer compensation | Final reporting and grant closeout | Completed |
The milestone amounts and original deliverables are documented in the approved application.
5. Key Learnings
1. Longer building periods created stronger continuity
Extending the Hackathon beyond a short in-person format provided teams with more time for learning, mentorship and iteration.
2. Reach and technical progression need different metrics
Registrations are useful for measuring reach, but technical deliverables and project teams provide a stronger indicator of actual builder participation.
3. Demo Day worked better as part of the builder process
Integrating Explore & Learn into the Hackathon Demo Day connected Arbitrum onboarding with real projects rather than treating the activation as an isolated event.
4. Community feedback added a new validation layer
The 343 feedback interactions complemented mentorship and judging with direct community input.
5. A local program can create regional participation
The extended virtual format helped the Hackathon reach builders from 9 countries, expanding the program beyond its original Lima-based scope.
6. Continuity Beyond the Grant
The program generated more than attendance: it created learning opportunities, teams, projects, feedback, mentorship and a continuing builder network around Arbitrum.
From outreach to builders. From builders to projects. From projects to continued ecosystem participation.
The original sustainability plan contemplated continued training, future Hackathons and bounties, university collaborations, developer follow-up and the Ethereum Lima Virtual Campus.
That infrastructure continues beyond the formal grant period.
Current continuity mechanisms include:
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builder and team follow-up;
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continued technical and community activities;
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educational resources through the Virtual Campus;
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university relationships for future onboarding;
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public technical documentation and recordings;
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visibility and ecosystem opportunities for participating teams.
Ethereum Lima continues supporting participating teams and sharing educational content, community updates, builder achievements and participation opportunities through its communication channels. Future follow-up should track active teams, repository updates, verified deployments and recurring participation to assess continuity beyond the program.
Ongoing Resources
The funded program concluded. The builder pipeline continues.
7. Closing Assessment
Building Together established a connected route through which participants could move from ecosystem discovery into technical learning, project development, public validation, evaluation and continued participation.
All seven milestones have been completed. The funded program is now closed, while the builder network, educational resources and community support continue.
Thank you to Arbitrum and to every institution, community, speaker, mentor, judge and participant who was part of this process.
Ethereum Lima Team