Foreword
[Me (Jeriel), Jeff and Kevin after submitting and presenting our project]
I've participated in many hackathons, but ETH Oxford 2025 was a game‐changer for me. Not only was it my first international hackathon, but it was also an incredible opportunity to learn from and network with some of the most brilliant minds from all around the world.
Alongside my teammates from the Blockchain Department of NUS Fintech Society, we travelled 11,000 km from Singapore all the way to Oxford, ready to tackle a real‐world problem with cutting‐edge technology.
ETH Oxford is an annual hackathon organised by Oxford Blockchain Society with $100,000 USD worth of prizes and multiple sponsors in the web3 space. Bringing Venture Capitalists, Undergraduates, Masters and PhD students from all around the world—concentrating in one place that is the Oxford Mathematical Institute.
Arrival in the UK
Before heading to Oxford, I landed in London a day early to prepare for the hackathon. With time to spare, we visited mutuals at Oxford's Colleges—Queen's College, Balliol College—and even attended a networking event hosted by Flare Network. It was my first time in the United Kingdom, and I was loving every moment of it.
ETH Oxford: The Hack Begins
As a massive mathematics geek, I grew up watching Numberphile videos and competing in mathematical contests. When I first found out that the hackathon would be held at the University of Oxford's Mathematical Institute, it felt like a dream come true.
I was about to hack alongside some of the brightest mathematical and blockchain minds at a university I had looked up to since childhood. It felt surreal stepping into Oxford's facilities, and I was in awe of the building's architecture. It was ladled with beautiful mathematical and origami structures that fold inwards or expand. Seeing this in person amazed me.
The event kicked off with an opening ceremony, where sponsors like HomeDAO and Torus Network shared insights and inspiration. The crowd was like no other, filling two large auditoriums to the brim. Thanks to the earlier networking event, I knew that many Undergraduate, Masters and even PhD students from all around the world were competing in this Oxford Blockchain Society hackathon, with Cambridge's Blockchain Society members helping out for this event. I felt like a small fry amongst giants.
One of the standout workshops was on Flare Network's Data Connector (FDC) protocol, a feature that my Team Lead Jeff was extremely eager to integrate into our project.
Building FlareGate & my first Hacker House
Over the next 40 intense hours, my teammates Jeff, Kevin, and I worked on FlareGate, a decentralised peer-to-peer (P2P) platform designed to seamlessly on-ramp and off-ramp fiat and cryptocurrencies. We leveraged Flare Network's FDC to enable trustless transactions by securely integrating off-chain data into smart contracts.
There were WiFi connectivity issues at the institute due to the overwhelming number of hackers. However, we powered through with paella, fresh pizza, and instant coffee. We took turns taking short naps at the hacker house sponsored by BNB Chain, pushing ourselves to deliver a functional MVP within the deadline.
[my friends Marcus, Jeff and I enjoying, pizza, paella and coding in 4° C weather]
The Submission and a Win!
The submission was due at 2 PM on February 9th—on my own birthday. I pulled an all-nighter fixing bugs just to ensure we could build the product in time.
With just minutes to spare, we submitted our hosted web app link, demo video, and presentation deck. The live pitch to Flare's judges and the Consumer DApp track panel went smoothly, as they recognised our solution's simplicity and potential. We wrapped up and returned to our hacker house, waiting for the results while packing our luggage, ready for our next adventure.
Then came the big surprise—an initial email mix-up made us think we had won the wrong track, causing a nerve-wracking wait for confirmation. But once it was cleared up, it was revealed that we had won 1st place in both the main Consumer Track and the Flare Track! The email invited us to an exclusive Gala Dinner at Rhodes House, something my friends had told me was a must-have experience in the UK. I had the incredible opportunity to attend a formal dinner on my birthday.
The Gala (Birthday?!) Dinner
We rushed to Rhodes House, one of Oxford's most prestigious venues, where Rhodes Scholars—including Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela—have dined. The evening was surreal—we networked with leading Web3 founders, investors, and pioneers, making invaluable connections for the future.
I also met the founders of ForReal, and a Web3 VC that backed Kraken and HomeDAO, as well as a senior software engineer transitioning into fully GenAI processes. It was an incredible experience, and I even got a cute picture with a startup founder. During the dinner, all I could think of was how thankful I am for the opportunity to be halfway across the world, attending a formal dinner, and winning a hackathon on my birthday. This was definitely a core memory for me.
Exploring the UK
After the hackathon, we took a road trip across the UK, visiting Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands. The breathtaking landscapes were the perfect way to unwind after an intense competition and for me to reflect on our journey.
Reflection: Slowing Down to Smell The Roses
Traveling around the UK made me reflect on my life and how I should slow down and smell the roses, to appreciate the present moment. This hackathon and travel was a brief respite from the hustle culture back in Singapore.
And in a blink of an eye, I was back in the beautiful campus of NUS.
Special Thanks
- NUS School of Computing for partially sponsoring the trip through the SToW grant.
- ETH Oxford 2025 Team for the invite and hospitality (shoutout to Tom Stone :))
- NUS Fintech Society's Blockchain Department for an incredible hacking experience with Jeff, Kevin, Weirong, and Marcus.
- Jeff & Kevin for planning the adventures and participating in this hackathon as a team
- Jeff's friend Kai, who lent us his car for us to drive 700 miles to the Scottish Highlands.
- Kevin's friend Zac, who brought us around Oxford and showed us a glimpse of the student night life
- And the many others who supported me and made this possible 🙂
Final Thoughts
ETH Oxford 2025 was a crazy experience. From winning our tracks to exploring the UK for the first time, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that solidified my passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and travelling. I can't wait for the next challenge ahead!
If you want to learn more about FlareGate, check out our project on DoraHacks: FlareGate.
Thank you for reading. 🙂
https://www.jerielchan.com
