MANILA, Philippines — August 6, 2025 — Last week, Bricks & Brew in Sta. Mesa pulsed with energy as over a hundred Web3 builders, developers, and founders gathered for Core Connect IRL Meetup – Manila, a pivotal stop in the ongoing Core Connect Global Buildathon featuring a prize pool of up to $1.2M. The best, most innovative teams will earn the rare chance to pitch live at TOKEN2049 Singapore — one of the biggest Web3 stages in the world.
This IRL meetup, co-hosted by Web3 CAMANAVA and NEN Digital, brought together 100+ most promising minds in the Philippine Web3 scene to explore how to build trustless, yield-generating applications on Core — the Bitcoin Everything Chain.
Applications are open until August 16 at 08:00 AM PHT for teams applying online.
Core is the leading Bitcoin scaling solution, enabling Bitcoin holders to earn real yield without sacrificing custody. It is secured by Bitcoin miners and BTC stakers through native CLTV timelocks — a mechanism that powers trustless Bitcoin staking.
What Went Down
Hosted by Imz Asis and Riesell Saure, the event gathered both first-timers and longtime BUIDLers ready to take on the next wave of decentralized innovation.
Chris Flores (Core DAO – Community Contributor) and Akshaya Gangatharan (Core DAO – Dev Rel Contributor) walked the crowd through what Core is building — and exactly how devs, designers, and founders can join the Buildathon before the clock runs out.
The panel lineup brought the heat:
�� Feb “Jukem” Leigh (CEO, Myth Games), JC De la Torre (Co-Founder, Web3 CAMANAVA), John Lorence Cahiwat (CEO, Skyshare Labs), Pat De Jesus (CEO, Sudoers Security), with Chris Flores, and Akshaya Gangatharan shared real-world tips on building standout Web3 products, lessons learned from the trenches, and what makes a project pitch-worthy in the eyes of the Core Ventures team.
And just for fun, Metaversity raffled off a JamboPhone. Not your usual Web3 meetup move, and we’re all here for it.
Co-Hosted with Pride by Web3 CAMANAVA and NEN Digital
Web3 CAMANAVA and NEN Digital are proud to have co-hosted this IRL with Core, because we believe in platforms that actually empower builders. Whether you’ve got a big idea or just started exploring the space, this was the kind of event where collaboration sparks quickly.
About the Buildathon
The Core Connect Global Buildathon isn’t your average weekend sprint. It’s a multi-week push to build real, scalable projects in tracks like BTCfi, AI, DeFi, SocialFi, Web3 Infra, and more — all anchored on the Core blockchain.
The judging is tough, but fair. Projects are scored based on originality, impact, usability, tech depth, Core integration, scalability, and open-source readiness.
And here’s the wild part:
The Top global teams don’t just win prizes — they’ll advance to the Virtual Semi-Final, get mentorship from Core Ventures, and the best among them will pitch live at TOKEN2049 Singapore. That’s the kind of exposure that can change the game for early teams.
Wanna Join Before the Deadline?
There’s still time. If you’re reading this before August 16, 2025, at 08:00 AM PHT, you can still submit.
Submission Deadline: August 16, 2025 – 08:00 AM PHT
Join the hackathon here: https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/core-connect-global-buildathon
Ecosystem Partners:
Core DAO, Core Ventures, and an incredible list of local partners and communities: Web3 CAMANAVA, NEN Digital, Museigen.io, Cryptobilis, Metaversity, Crypto Warriors, Cryptita Plays, Coinversity, Stocksify, Skyshare Labs, Men in Blockchain, Web3 Global, Web3 Pangasinan, University of the East – Caloocan AWS Learning Club, Buidlers, Brgy. Tamago, Web3 Ilocos, Web3 Rizal, Build Mindz, Web3 Bulacan, Web3 Iloilo, Myth Games, Social, Agent Daredevil, FWD Peers, Sudoers Security, and Manila Standard.
If you’re still waiting for a sign to build something bold, this is it. Start now. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see you on the stage in Singapore.
