Name of the Project - Namaste Arbitrum 2.0
Link to Questbook Application - https://www.questbook.app/dashboard/?chainId=10&grantId=67d8021646da2f90cc325521&proposalId=67f0db7edcc1fa675f594c69&role=builder
Link to socials/websites -
Twitter - https://x.com/NamasteArbitrum
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pyorxyz/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pyorxyz
Hackathon website - https://namaste-arbitrum-workshop.vercel.app/#heroResource - https://assets.pyor.xyz/namaste-arbitrum/build-with-stylus.pdf
Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 was a large-scale, grassroots initiative designed to strengthen Arbitrum’s presence in India through education-first onboarding, developer enablement, and long-term community building. Building on the success of the first phase launched in August 2024, which focused on awareness and foundational education, this second phase intentionally shifted toward deep technical learning and hands-on building, with Stylus as the core focus.
The initiative followed a structured progression from awareness → learning → building → showcasing. It combined online technical content with extensive on-ground engagement to ensure accessibility while maintaining depth. A total of 15 technical videos were produced across three Stylus language tracks (Rust, C/C++, and Go), giving learners multiple entry points into the Arbitrum developer stack. These resources were used as pre-learning material, in-workshop references, and post-event learning aids, enabling continued engagement beyond live sessions.
On-ground outreach formed the backbone of the program. Ten hands-on technical university workshops were conducted across India in collaboration with Web3Compass, reaching 578 students. These workshops introduced Ethereum fundamentals, Layer 2 scaling, Arbitrum architecture, Stylus, and developer workflows with practical exposure. Pre-registration data helped tailor content to student backgrounds, improving pacing and learning outcomes. The consistent workshop format and direct interaction with students provided valuable insights into learning patterns, knowledge gaps, and the growing interest in Web3 development.
To broaden ecosystem participation beyond developers, Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 also organized five city-wide community meetups across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai. These meetups recorded 864 registrations and 248 attendees, engaging students, Web2 professionals, freelancers, and community members. Through talks, quizzes, wallet onboarding, and open discussions, the meetups played a key role in activating local communities and introducing non-developers to Arbitrum’s technology, governance, and contribution pathways. Collaboration with 12 regional communities and participation from 12+ Arbitrum ambassadors helped strengthen local ecosystem networks.
The initiative culminated in an education-first online hackathon, Build with Stylus, which received 30 registrations and resulted in 16 project submissions across AI Ă— Crypto, RWA & Stablecoins, and DeFi & Payments. Builders were supported through documentation, sample code, technical videos, a dedicated support group, and an additional online technical session. While participation drop-offs were influenced by academic schedules, time constraints, and early technical friction, the hackathon succeeded in onboarding new builders and reinforcing hands-on learning of Stylus.
Overall, Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 made a meaningful contribution to the Arbitrum ecosystem by increasing awareness, building early-stage developer familiarity with Stylus, and strengthening grassroots community networks across India. While not every participant converted into an active builder immediately, the initiative successfully lowered entry barriers to Arbitrum, created a growing pool of informed and engaged learners, and generated critical insights into how students learn, build, and engage with new blockchain technology.
In the long term, the program has laid a strong foundation for sustained ecosystem growth by establishing education formats, deepening university and community partnerships, and nurturing a pipeline of future Arbitrum developers and contributors. These learnings will directly inform future initiatives, enabling more effective, inclusive, and high-impact developer and community programs within the Arbitrum ecosystem.
The funding from this grant played a critical role in enabling Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 to move beyond awareness-based outreach and into meaningful, hands-on ecosystem building across India. It allowed us to design and execute a structured, pan-India program focused on developer education, community engagement, and early-stage adoption of Arbitrum Stylus.
The grant directly supported the creation of high-quality technical education resources, including 15 in-depth Stylus-focused video tutorials across multiple programming tracks. These resources significantly lowered the entry barrier for students and early-stage developers who were new to Arbitrum, and continue to serve as reusable learning material beyond the duration of the initiative.
A major impact of the funding was the ability to execute extensive on-ground programming. Through 10 technical university workshops and five city-wide community meetups, we were able to directly engage students, developers, and Web3-curious community members who may not have participated in online-only initiatives. These in-person sessions enabled structured, hands-on learning, improved comprehension of Stylus, and helped build trust and long-term interest within local communities. The on-ground presence also made it possible to collaborate closely with university blockchain clubs and regional communities, strengthening local ecosystem ties.
The grant further enabled an education-first online hackathon and a builder showcase, designed not just to optimize for submissions but to prioritize learning, experimentation, and confidence-building. Participants were supported through clear documentation, sample code, real-time technical support, and flexible timelines, creating a safer and more inclusive environment for first-time builders exploring Stylus.
Beyond individual events, the funding helped establish long-term infrastructure for ecosystem growth. This includes sustained community communication channels, partnerships with universities and regional Web3 communities, and a public dashboard to track builder outcomes. Together, these assets support continued onboarding, learning, and engagement even after the formal conclusion of the program.
Overall, the grant enabled depth, consistency, and continuity transforming Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 from a set of isolated activities into a cohesive learning-to-building pipeline. It helped create an active, engaged community of students, developers, ambassadors, and ecosystem contributors, laying a strong foundation for Arbitrum’s long-term developer and community growth in India.
Performance Against KPIs
Education and Workshops
-
10 technical university workshops conducted
-
578 students directly engaged
-
1,012 student registrations across workshops
-
15 technical videos released across 3 Stylus playlists
-
Structured learning resources covering Arbitrum & Stylus
Meetups and Community
-
5 city-wide community meetups
-
864 meetup registrations
-
244 total meetup attendees
-
520+ active community members
-
12 regional community partnerships
-
12+ Arbitrum ambassadors engaged across workshops, meetups, and hackathon
-
17+ speakers and panelists involved
Builder Programs & Hackathon
-
1 online “Build with Stylus” hackathon hosted
-
30 hackathon registrations
-
16 final project submissions
-
1 online Builder Showcase conducted
-
1 dashboard created to track submitted dApps
Content & Ecosystem Visibility
-
280+ unique content pieces created
-
621 social media posts across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn
-
325,000+ total impressions across social platforms
Most significant non-quantitative outcome.
One of the most meaningful outcomes of Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 was how many people were introduced to Web3 and Arbitrum for the very first time. For a large number of students, this initiative was their first real exposure to blockchain beyond just theory. Through workshops, meetups, and hands-on sessions, complex concepts became easier to understand and less intimidating.
A key highlight was that several students deployed their first-ever smart contracts during the workshops and hackathon. For many, this was a big confidence boost—it helped them move from just being curious about Web3 to actually building something themselves.
Just as important was the sense of community that formed. Participants didn’t just attend events and leave; they stayed engaged, asked questions, helped each other, and became part of an active group that continues to learn and interact. Being part of this community made people feel supported and encouraged, especially those who were new and unsure where to start.
Overall, the initiative helped people feel more confident, more curious, and more empowered. It created a welcoming entry point into the Arbitrum ecosystem and gave students and early-stage developers the confidence to keep learning and building beyond the program.
We collected feedback from students who attended our sessions, including written responses and video testimonials. These have been shared across our social media channels and are also available in the Drive.
Link to the drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Y4IlDICtmenUwKD9i5NH76BAZzFOklAR?usp=sharing
A few representative examples have been linked here for reference.
- Grant Announcement: https://x.com/NamasteArbitrum/status/1938646571819901249
2. Grant Completion:
3. User-Generated Content & Media Coverage:
-
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeevagan-s_hack-activity-7401829132680306688-HUsC/
-
https://x.com/sagar_ujjanwal/status/1983155515514597859
Financial Summary
We mostly stayed within the planned budget. Our priority was ensuring key personnel, especially the Technical Lead, were compensated appropriately to maintain smooth execution, meet deadlines, and ensure consistency. While we aimed to adhere strictly to the budget, a few unexpected costs arose, such as website development for the hackathon. Since the demo day was held online, we were able to accommodate these expenses by combining them with other event costs, allowing us to stay on budget overall.
Next Steps for the Project Post-Grant:
Namaste Arbitrum plans to build on the strong foundation established during Phase 2 by introducing recurring workshops, follow-up sessions, and hybrid hackathons to maintain engagement with students and early-stage developers. We aim to expand our technical education content, covering deeper Stylus development topics, real-world DApp deployment. Future initiatives will focus on enhancing learning-to-building pipelines, supporting participants beyond initial hackathons, providing stronger real-time technical support, and creating opportunities for continued and deeper learning. Our goal is to build a community that is engaged, active, and supportive.
Expanding on the Original Idea:
The initiative will continue evolving from awareness-based outreach to hands-on ecosystem enablement. While Phase 2 focused on “how to build on Arbitrum,” the next phase will emphasize sustained mentorship, technical workshops with continued learning, and professional guidance. We also plan to broaden outreach to Tier 2 and Tier 3 colleges and cities, ensuring a wider, more inclusive developer base in India. The roadmap includes structured programs for post-hackathon follow-ups, DApp tracking dashboards, and content modules that align with real-world career relevance, ensuring learning is actionable and building-focused. Overall, we want to create a great, engaged community.
Continued Engagement with Arbitrum:
Namaste Arbitrum will remain actively engaged with the Arbitrum ecosystem through community-building, ambassador collaboration, and partnerships with universities and local crypto communities. Ongoing initiatives will include city-wide meetups, developer office hours, and regional workshops, ensuring that both technical and non-technical participants continue to learn, contribute, and onboard into Arbitrum. As active Arbitrum ambassadors in India, we are committed to staying engaged through content, offline events, meetups, and AMAs.
Impact of the Grant on Securing Further Funding and Partnerships:
The success of Namaste Arbitrum 2.0 has demonstrated the viability and value of education-first developer engagement in India. By delivering measurable outcomes 15 technical videos, 10 university workshops, 5 city meetups, and an online hackathon, we have built credibility with participants and ecosystem partners. While we haven’t actively pursued further funding yet, the growth of the community and our strengthened credibility show that future grants or partnerships are very achievable.
Overall Vision:
Namaste Arbitrum will continue to nurture a grassroots, developer-first ecosystem in India, enabling sustained adoption of Arbitrum and Stylus. By combining educational content, on-ground workshops, and structured hackathons, we aim to convert curiosity into actual builder activity, ensuring long-term growth, stronger local communities, and an active, engaged Arbitrum ecosystem across India.
Additional remarks
Namaste Arbitrum has revealed incredible potential within the community, and it’s clear that there is strong eagerness to learn, engage, and build. While we didn’t get as many project submissions as we had hoped, the fact that so many participants actively learned about Stylus is a meaningful first step in early-stage adoption.Moving forward, it’s important to align our systems to support prolonged and continuous learning. We need to create avenues for participants to keep building, foster skill development, and strengthen the community. By focusing on building structured pipelines from learning to creating we can harness this potential, grow the ecosystem, and convert curiosity into actual builder activity. This phase has laid the groundwork, and now we can build on it to create deeper, sustained engagement.
We gained incredible insights from this phase, and we will use these insights to make future programs as streamlined and as focused as possible.
Link to the Reports
Detailed version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SfpiKoqhvgXBNQ0sVLoHgv8mPLnCJVhU/view?usp=drive_linkSummarised version https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bgvk0nLQ9dbXAZrBECogtRY_QVPkR-1T/view?usp=drive_link
