Cronos has launched the x402 PayTech Hackathon, a global challenge with $42,000 in prizes aimed at pushing forward the future of AI-integrated blockchain payments. Developers worldwide are invited to build tools and applications using agent-based payment tech, the Crypto.com AI Agent SDK and the latest infrastructure upgrades across the Cronos and Crypto.com ecosystem.
This new initiative lines up with Cronos’ long-term plan to serve as a foundation for institutional tokenisation and AI-driven finance. The network has seen major technical improvements recently, including a tenfold drop in gas fees, a 400% jump in daily transaction volume, and faster block times now clocking in at under one second. These changes position Cronos as a strong platform for building high-performance AI-native applications.
Participants will be encouraged to experiment with automated transaction flows, smart wallet behaviour powered by AI, real-world asset integrations and developer tools that support agentic logic. With full access to the Cronos and Crypto.com infrastructure, developers can create solutions that bridge traditional finance and decentralised protocols, potentially reaching millions of users worldwide.
Registration opens today on DoraHacks, with the build phase set to run from early December through late January.
“This hackathon is a testing ground for what happens when AI agents can not only process data but also move value,” said Mirko Zhao, Head of Cronos Labs. “Thanks to our recent upgrades and new developer frameworks, teams now have the tools they need to bring real AI-native applications to life. We’re excited to see what comes out of it.”
Developers who participate will gain access to workshops, live office hours, technical documentation and a growing resource library covering everything from the Cronos EVM to x402’s programmable payments. Top teams may also be selected for further support after the hackathon, including grants, incubation and collaboration within the Cronos ecosystem.
About Cronos Labs
Cronos is a blockchain platform backed by Crypto.com and supported by over 500 contributing developers and partners. It serves more than 150 million users and is focused on building DeFi infrastructure that makes tokenised assets more accessible, secure and scalable.
The Cronos ecosystem spans three networks:
- Cronos EVM: An Ethereum-compatible chain built with the Cosmos SDK
- Cronos POS: A Cosmos-based network optimised for payments and NFTs
- Cronos zkEVM: A high-speed Ethereum Layer 2 secured by zero-knowledge proofs.
With more than $6 billion in user assets and over 100 million transactions processed, Cronos ranks among the top 15 blockchain ecosystems. Transaction fees on the network are paid using $CRO, its native token.
Cronos Labs, the accelerator arm of the project, focuses on supporting early-stage projects in DeFi, GameFi and AI development.
Learn more at cronos.org or follow @cronos_chain on X.