Ready, Set, Techstars Startup Weekend Blockchain Edition

In an exercise equal parts Project Runway and blockchain mentoring seminar, Dragonchain and New Alchemy joined several other Seattle area tech leaders in sponsoring the May 4–6 Techstars Startup Weekend Blockchain Edition. The weekend long competitive event had participants form collaborative teams to tackle a broad range of problems using blockchain and pitched their ideas to a panel of industry judges, one of which included Dragonchain’s Founder and CEO, Joe Roets.

Throughout the weekend, teams had access to an impressive cast of mentors with backgrounds in programming, business, and design. Featured in this lineup, Jonel Cordero, CMO of Dragonchain, Tommy Cooksey, Training Architect of the Dragonchain Foundation, and Dan Webb who is part of the Program Planning Committee of Blockchain Seattle 2018 were all present and eager to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the hardworking participants.

Ray Parker, a Technical Program Manager at Dragonchain, was on the winning team with a project called Redditment. The team’s entry used blockchain driven machine learning and social media chatter to gauge public sentiment about cryptocurrencies and trading markets.

According to Parker, “Redditment uses machine learning models and data from sources, such as Reddit, Telegram, Facebook and other sources of cryptocurrency news/chatter, to offer a sentiment analysis of particular cryptocurrencies, in order to give day-traders an edge.”

Other innovations derived from the 54-hour competition included a tool for sending cryptocurrency via text messages and a blockchain based method for helping inventors keep track of their intellectual property.

Parker added that the event was valuable both for networking and education.

“My team was very collaborative and I got to know most of the individuals fairly well during the small amount of time that we had. I talked with people who had experience in blockchain or were very early adopters. Hearing the CEOs of Elastos and Arcblock speak was interesting as well.”

To help build on the experience and connections gained at Startup Weekend, Redditment was also awarded an exhibit space at Blockchain Seattle 2018. The September conference, which brings together a broad range of industry thought leaders, will be a premier opportunity to further develop and showcase their winning idea.

Early bird registration is now open for Blockchain Seattle 2018. Get your tickets now!