The #Decentralized-Internet Writing Contest

Note: Free TON has now rebranded as Everscale.

Hey, good news. The HackerNoon & Free TON (Now Everscale) Partnership proposal has achieved majority vote and passed. Everscale is a blockchain platform created by the developers of the EVER, and they are known for The Declaration of Decentralization.

As part of this partnership, we're launching the decentralized internet writing competition.

$3,500 in monthly prize money will be distributed to the winners of this contest and the entry criterion is simple: Anyone who publishes on the #decentralized-internet tag on HackerNoon will be entered to win a monthly prize.

While Everscale is sponsoring this contest, Hacker Noon is technology agnostic and we are open to any and all story submissions that cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of decentralizing the internet.

I've said it before and I'll say it again and again:

less dependency on central entities is essential for the internet to mature into a technology that works for the people using it.

How to Enter the Decentralized Internet Writing Contest

Entering the contest is easy as 1-2-3

1. Write a story about decentralizing the internet. A great story for this writing contest could be a long read about how to decentralize the apps that run our lives, a response to topical news caused by monopolistic business practices, an interview with tech leaders who now dedicate their work to web 3.0, or even a well reasoned response to architects of the next internet.

2. Submit the article on Hacker Noon with the #decentralized-internet tag (then, enter 7 more tags pertaining to your article for better distribution).

3. If your article is published, share it across the interwebs with #DecentralizedInternet in the caption.

Contest Rules and Guidelines

Below are the rules, guidelines, and FAQs about the competition.

Who can enter the contest?

You must be 18+ to enter. There are no location restrictions, you can enter the contest from anywhere in the world.  

Do I have to post under my real name?

Real names can add validity, but meritocracy trumps all. If you create a new Hacker Noon account under a pseudonym and if you are a finalist, we’ll contact you privately to award your prize. 

What can I write about?

Almost anything under the sun, as long as it follows Hacker Noon’s general submission guidelines. 

How long will the contest run?

The contest will run every month for the rest of 2021. Prizes are awarded at the beginning of the next month. 

How we Select Finalists and Distribute the Prize Money

At Hacker Noon, everyone’s a winner! … except when we have limited prizes to give out. In that case, only four people can be winners each month.

Four winners will be selected at the end of each month. A monthly prize pool of 3,500 (paid in EVER. Get your wallet here) will be distributed amongst them in the following manner:

• Winner for best story gets 1,500 EVER
• First Runner-up gets 1,000 EVER
• Second Runner-up gets 500 EVER

Every month from the 13 posts with the most traffic, Hacker Noon editors will vote on the four best stories. Other than cash, you also win the prestige of being published on Hacker Noon and have a cool new project, or suite of projects, to add to your amazing portfolio.

Can I submit more than one entry to the contest?

Yes. Contestants can submit as many #decentralized-internet stories as they want each month. The more the merrier; the more you submit, the more chances you have of winning. 

However, you can only win 1 prize per month. For example, if you submit three amazing stories in 1 month, we will choose the best one to award you for. 

If I already won a prize, can I still enter the next session?

Yes. Even if you won a prize in the first month of the contest, feel free to submit more entries every month throughout the duration of the contest.

Learn More About Free TON

Note: Free TON has now rebranded as Everscale.

TON is a protocol proposed and developed by Dr. Nikolai Durov. Want to learn more about Free TON? Check out these resources:

• Free TON Telegram
• TON Surf: Blockchain communicator
• Free TON Forum
• The Declaration of Decentralization

If you need some inspiration, check out the current submissions once they start rolling in. We wish you the best of luck in this contest! 

If you still have any questions about this contest or are interested in partnering with us to run your own writing contest on HackerNoon, please feel free to get in touch.