Building Tomorrow: Inside ETHGlobal New Delhi Hackathon 2025

Cilans team recently attended the ETHGlobal New Delhi Hackathon  (Sept 26-28, 2025). This blog summarises key observations and new trends in Web3 and emerging topics in various chains, specifically in the Ethereum, Bitcoin, Polygon, Base, etc.

It was 36 hours of non-stop coding, building, and innovation, where some of the smartest people in blockchain, AI, and crypto came together to create the future of Web3.

As one of the 1,600 hackers there, I got to see the creativity, passion, and technical skill that make this community so inspiring.

ETHGlobal’s Purpose and Reach

ETHGlobal has a clear and powerful goal to bring thousands of developers into the world of Web3.

Quick Stats That Show the Scale

• ~2000 people attended
• Builders came from  25 countries
• 30% were new to Web3, 
• There were 100+ partners and mentors, 
• 600+ projects were built, making it one of the biggest ETHGlobal hackathons ever.

Every team had to build its project from scratch in just 36 hours, testing their creativity, teamwork, and technical skills.

Privacy, DeFi, and The AI-Driven Web3

The primary goals of the hackathon were to bring the next billion people into Web3 in a way that is secure, private, and easy to use. Following are 4 key trends we see emerging in this space.

1. The Importance of Privacy

Vitalik Buterin (from his video address) explained how Zero-Knowledge (ZK) cryptography will play a key role in the next stage of Web3.

Privacy today isn’t just about hiding your identity it’s about creating trust and fairness in how people interact online.

For example:

• Private voting systems can help prevent bribery or outside influence.
• Anonymous DeFi transactions protect users from being tracked or targeted.
• ZK-proofs allow users to prove something is true without sharing their personal data.

This makes the internet more secure and honest for everyone.

2. The Future of DeFi

DeFi (Decentralized Finance) is still one of the most exciting areas in Web3 but it’s changing fast.

Instead of just being about trading and speculation, DeFi is becoming smarter and more automated with the help of AI.

Developers are now building tools that:

• Use AI to manage risk and optimize portfolios automatically.
• Predict market trends to help users make better decisions.
• Create self-managed yield bots that grow funds safely without human input.

DeFi is no longer just smart contracts it’s becoming a form of intelligent finance, powered by AI and automation.

3. The Rise of the Agentic Web

A big new trend is the “Agentic Web.” This is where AI programs, called agents, can do things on their own. They can have their own wallets, approve transactions, and act without needing a human to control them.

For example, you can imagine smart bots that:

• Can pay for access to data services by themselves
• Can buy or sell things automatically using strategies they have learned
• Can work together with other AI agents on different blockchains

This technology is no longer just an idea for the future people are already using it today.

4. Secure, and Automated Crypto Trading

Crypto trading Bots (based on popular chat platforms such as Telegram) are emerging as powerful decentralized finance applications of the future. An advanced Telegram (TG) crypto trading bots are designed to make trading easier, faster, and more secure empowering both beginners and expert traders alike.

Key features include:

• Wallet Management: Secure crypto operations for wallet creation, import, and transfers.
• Smart Broker: Buy/sell ERC-20 tokens, place limit orders, and access liquidity from Uniswap.
• Copy Trading: Automatically replicate strategies of top-performing wallets.
• Monitor & Alerts: Real-time token price tracking, percentage-based alerts, and early signals on new token launches.
• WatchDog: Early-buy indicators and direct trading integration for fast execution.

These TG bots are being developed on Ethereum, as well as emerging blockchain such as Solana, Base etc. Such bot can also supports automated trading strategies, portfolio analytics, and seamless cross-chain integration all accessible directly through Telegram for a simple, intuitive user experience.

We at Cilans systems have broad expertise on developing various DeFi and Blockchain based solutions including TG trading bots. You may reach out to us if you’re exploding to build such solutions. You may what’s app (+91 70431 22287),   info@cilans.net

Unique and Innovations Projects ideas @ EthGlobal-Delhi:

Two projects stood out as showing the real future of Web3.

Autonom: The AI-Powered Web3 Gateway

Autonom solves a key challenge: letting AI agents access, pay for, and interact with paywalled or permissioned content automatically, without human help. By using Ethereum Name Service (ENS) for identity, Polygon for fast payments, and Gemini CLI for content queries, Autonom allows AI to actively participate in Web3.

AI assistants using Autonom can:

• Subscribe to premium content
• Pay creators directly
• Execute on-chain financial strategies autonomously

This project demonstrates how AI and blockchain can work together, enabling autonomous agents to operate smoothly in decentralized networks.

Nox Privacy: Invisible Transactions for the Decentralized Age

Nox is a trading system that keeps users’ positions and balances private. Users deposit tokens into a “dark pool,” where their balances are hidden using zero-knowledge (ZK) notes instead of public addresses. A PrivacyProxy handles all on-chain trades, while real ownership is tracked privately off-chain.

With Nox, traders can:

• Open and close positions without revealing who they are
• Move collateral privately on the blockchain
• Use a privacy-focused API to track their positions securely

This project shows how privacy tools like zero-knowledge proofs can make decentralized trading completely private.

What’s Next: The Road Ahead for Web3

ETHGlobal New Delhi made it clear we are entering a new era of blockchain innovation.

Here’s what’s coming next:

AI-Native Protocols
These are decentralized systems where AI agents can act on behalf of users. They can negotiate, trade, and manage assets on their own, while being fully transparent.

Modular Blockchain Architectures
These are blockchains and rollups that developers can combine like Lego blocks. This makes the system faster, cheaper, and more scalable.

ZK Identity Systems
These are privacy-focused identity layers. Users can prove who they are, what they own, or their credentials without sharing any personal information.

Cross-Chain Collaboration
Ethereum, Base, Polygon, and Layer-2 rollups are starting to work together. This makes the multichain world seamless, giving users one smooth decentralized experience.

Final Thoughts

The ETHGlobal New Delhi Hackathon 2025 was more than just a competition, it gave a glimpse of what Web3 will look like in the coming decade..

From AI agents that can interact with smart contracts on their own, to privacy solutions powered by zero-knowledge proofs that protect users, the projects showed one thing clearly: The decentralized future is being built right now.

As developers, innovators, and dreamers, we’re not just watching the future; we are creating it, one block at a time.