Amber Group Launches $10M Hackathon to Propel AI-Powered Crypto Innovation

Amber Group has announced the launch of BUIDL_QUESTS 2025, a high-stakes Web3 hackathon offering more than $10 million in total support to accelerate development in AgentFi—a cutting-edge sector combining decentralized finance and artificial intelligence. The Singapore-based digital asset firm is doubling down on its ambition to lead the crypto-AI convergence through its innovation accelerator, amber.ac.

AgentFi refers to a new paradigm where autonomous AI agents function as independent economic participants on blockchain networks. These agents are envisioned as decentralized wallets, traders, creators, and even governors within permissionless ecosystems. Amber Group’s hackathon aims to seed the infrastructure and applications necessary to bring this concept into practical use.

This year’s competition is split into two strategic tracks. The first focuses on foundational infrastructure, including multi-agent coordination protocols and on-chain decision-making engines. The second targets real-world applications—such as decentralized apps powered by intelligent agents, tools to automate decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and autonomous DeFi platforms.

The incentive package is among the largest ever seen in a Web3 developer event. Alongside $50,000 in direct prize money, participants will compete for a $5 million investment pool backed by top venture capital firms, over $5 million in liquidity support for AI-DeFi projects, and numerous additional perks. These include $MIA token rewards, AWS credits, RootData API access, and travel stipends for attending the final demo day in Singapore during Token2049.

The hackathon officially runs from July 21 to August 20, with shortlisted teams announced on September 1. Finalists will receive mentorship and pitch their solutions at a live demo event on September 30. Projects demonstrating strong alignment with AgentFi principles may also gain access to over $20 million in TVL incentives to support mainnet deployment.

Amber Group’s initiative comes amid rising interest in AI-integrated crypto models. In a related move, Memes Lab—a startup fusing SocialFi dynamics with memecoins—has raised $2.3 million in seed funding. Backed by Lemniscap, Animoca Brands, OKX Ventures, KuCoin Ventures, and Amber Group itself, the round reflects ongoing appetite for experimental crypto-financial hybrids.

By hosting one of the most ambitious hackathons in the Web3 space, Amber Group is positioning itself at the forefront of AI-led disruption in decentralized finance, with AgentFi poised to redefine how economic activity is automated across blockchain ecosystems.