MasterZ and IOTA Launch Europe-Wide Web3 Hackathon for Next-Gen Builders

• IOTA and MasterZ are initiating a Web3 hackathon with live learning and real-world use cases across Europe, culminating in a final Demo Day in Berlin.
• Applications are open until January 31; winners to receive grants, incubation, and strike partnerships with other leading projects.

IOTA is continuing to push forward in 2026 with a focus on real-world use cases and builder-friendly initiatives. Its most recent initiative is an online hackathon in collaboration with Web3 education platform MasterZ, which aims to take participants through structured learning to creating production-ready Web3 solutions. The program is open to all experience levels throughout Europe, starting in February, and includes a Demo Day in Berlin.

The program is divided into an online learning phase from February 15 to 28 and a building phase throughout March. Participants will first learn key Web3 concepts, including how to build using the Move language and how IOTA supports real-world decentralized apps. The hackathon concludes on March 31 with the top five teams presenting in Berlin, with travel and accommodation fully covered.

Applications are open until January 31, and the event is already drawing attention as a practical path to Web3 opportunities. Builders who complete the hackathon will also receive an NFT certificate as proof of participation, adding to their on-chain credentials. This move aligns with the project’s 2026 roadmap, which places strong emphasis on building in partnership with governments and trade platforms, as CNF reported.

IOTA Hackathon Offers Entry Into Real-World Web3

Unlike many programs that assume participants are already advanced developers, the MasterZ × IOTA Hackathon begins with an education-first approach. The organizer will conduct guided learning lessons that will cover IOTA’s Layer 1 design and overall Web3 architecture, and give participants hands-on programming practice with Move. The goal is to prepare every builder, from beginner to advanced, to produce deployable Web3 projects by the end of the program.

The hackathon is 100% online and open to developers from across Europe. Builders can join as Starter, Dev, or Pro applicants depending on their background. Following the learning period, participants will transition to product development in March, and their use cases will include supply chain tracking, digital identity, asset tokenization, and workflow automation.

The top five projects will be invited to Berlin for a live Demo Day with the IOTA Foundation on March 31. Teams will present their prototypes and may unlock funding, incubation, or entry into long-term collaborations within the IOTA ecosystem. Meanwhile, as the CNF reported, the project continues expanding its institutional reach with recent integrations involving BitGo, Stargate, LayerZero, and Uphold.

Beyond the Demo Day, the hackathon will reward additional participants through ecosystem access and visibility. The top ten projects may receive follow-up incubation offers, while the top 30 will be featured on the public Builders Leaderboard. There are also individual awards for areas such as B2B, B2C, solo execution, and community contribution.

According to MasterZ, over 5,000 builders have already completed its blockchain programs, and the platform now serves a community of over 12,000 Web3 learners in Europe. 

The IOTA price has reacted positively to the news, managing to break out of the bearish zone. At press time, it had surged by over 4% to trade at $0.09223.