UniHack 2025 marked a significant milestone as Sri Lanka’s first-ever inter-university blockchain hackathon, designed to empower undergraduates to explore, experiment, and create innovative blockchain-based solutions. The event was organized by CoinCeylon in partnership with the Faculty of Computing and Technology (FCT), University of Kelaniya, with the active collaboration of the Computer Science Students’ Association (CSSA) and the Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDS-AI) of FCT. This groundbreaking initiative aimed to bridge academic learning with practical experience by providing students a hands-on platform to build real-world applications using the Cardano blockchain.

Event Overview

The final stage of UniHack 2025 took place on 12th July 2025 at the Faculty of Computing and Technology, University of Kelaniya, bringing together the most promising teams from universities across Sri Lanka. The hackathon received an enthusiastic response, with over 60 teams and 200 undergraduate participants from 18 universities submitting innovative proposals aimed at solving real-world issues through blockchain technology.

Following a competitive review process, 10 outstanding teams were selected to advance to the final round. These teams pitched their blockchain solutions live to a panel of expert judges. Leveraging platforms like Cardano Mesh SDK, Aiken smart contract language, and the Blockfrost API, the finalists presented creative applications in areas such as decentralized identity, sustainable systems, education transparency, and next-gen tech integrations including AI and IoT.

To recognize excellence and encourage innovation, a total cash prize pool of LKR 300,000 was awarded to the top three teams.

A heartfelt congratulations to all the winning teams and participants of UniHack 2025! Your creativity, commitment, and collaborative spirit were truly inspiring and played a vital role in making this inaugural event a remarkable success.

The innovative solutions presented during the hackathon reflect the bright future of blockchain development in Sri Lanka. We look forward to seeing these ideas grow into impactful, real-world applications.

Acknowledgements

The success of UniHack 2025 would not have been possible without the collective efforts and unwavering support of many individuals and organizations. The Faculty of Computing and Technology extends its sincere gratitude to CoinCeylon for initiating and co-organizing this pioneering event, and for providing technical mentorship and sponsorship throughout the competition.

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the Computer Science Students’ Association (CSSA) and the Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDS-AI) of FCT, whose dedication and coordination were instrumental in the smooth execution of all stages of the hackathon.

Special thanks are also extended to our panel of judges, industry experts, university representatives, and volunteers, whose time, insight, and encouragement greatly enriched the experience for all participants.

Above all, we commend the enthusiasm and hard work of all the student teams who participated in UniHack 2025. Your passion and innovation are a testament to the bright future of technology and research in Sri Lanka.