Last week, I took part in a hackathon that turned out to be one of the most intense and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.
It was organized around the idea of using the BlockDAG chain to build something secure and innovative and my team and I decided to build a decentralized file storage and emergency management system.
We called it Blaut a decentralized file storage and emergency management system designed to ensure that sensitive personal data can be securely stored, encrypted, and accessed only when needed.
GitHub Repository
Live App
Demo Video
Pitch Deck
The Impulsive Start
To be honest, I registered impulsively.
I didn’t overthink it I just saw the hackathon and said:
“You know what, let’s do this.”
I’ve been meaning to participate in more hackathons, not because of the prize or fame, but to push my limits and see how far I can go when I’m uncomfortable.
At first, I was skeptical.
“What if I join and can’t keep up?”
But then I thought what’s the worst that can happen?
I might not win, but I’ll definitely learn something new.
And that’s exactly what happened.
The Idea: Blaut Secure File & Emergency Management
The hackathon theme was centered around security and privacy, and one of the examples the organizers gave was about medical emergencies situations where quick access to sensitive data could save lives.
That inspired us to create Blaut, a secure, decentralized file storage system where users could encrypt their files on-chain and grant emergency access to selected people, like doctors or family members.
In short:
It’s like Google Drive meets Web3 encryption, with an emergency access layer.
We wanted it to be zero-knowledge, meaning even the platform itself wouldn’t have access to users’ files only the file owner and the people they gave permission to.
The Pressure Moments
There were a few points during the hackathon when things got really tense.
The Encryption Crisis
The first one hit when I realized our encryption logic was completely wrong.
Initially, we were encrypting files using a randomly generated token and storing both the encrypted file and the token in our database.
That meant anyone with access to both could technically decrypt the file which broke our “zero-knowledge” promise.
I discovered this flaw on the second day, just when I thought we were almost done.
My heart dropped.
I didn’t even want to tell anyone I just went silent, staring at my code, trying to figure it out.
Eventually, I realized that if we signed the transaction before encryption, we could introduce an extra layer of security.
But before that moment of clarity, I was honestly panicking.
The Deployment Drama
The second stressful moment was deploying the smart contract.
We wrote our code in Solidity and tested it on the Sepolia testnet, but the hackathon required us to deploy on BlockDAG’s EVM-compatible chain.
I went to their dev support, but it felt like they were just as confused as I was.
One person even told me they deployed theirs on Solana, which made zero sense because this was an EVM hackathon.
At that point, it was less than an hour to the deadline, and the chain’s own deployment site was acting up.
I was just done.
I felt the tension, my teammates were asking for updates, and I couldn’t even keep my cool.
I lashed out a bit, which I regret but I was really overwhelmed.
The Proud Moments
Despite all that chaos, there were some really proud moments.
When I looked at what we built, I was genuinely amazed.
The UI was beautiful big shout-out to our designer and front-end teammates: Abdul Samad, Basqi, and Anonymous.
We didn’t even merge everything completely because of time, but what we had looked clean and functional.
There was also a funny moment during our pitch deck preparation we were all fighting sleep but still brainstorming, laughing, and pushing through.
Those little moments made me realize how amazing teamwork can be, even under pressure.
What I Learned About Myself
This hackathon taught me one big thing:
I can do anything.
No problem is too big to overcome with enough patience and persistence.
There were times I wanted to give up, but something in me said, “Just keep going.”
Even though we didn’t make the top three and trust me, that hurt I still left proud.
I compared what we built to some of the other projects, and honestly, ours was solid.
Fully functional, deployed (even if not on BlockDAG), with a clear use case and good design.
But you know what?
Losing didn’t mean failing.
It just meant I needed to keep growing.
Reflection
Hackathons are chaotic, messy, and full of emotions but they are also the best playgrounds for growth.
I learned how to manage pressure, delegate tasks, coordinate with teammates, and still find joy in the process.
I also learned to give myself grace things won’t always go your way, and that’s okay.
What matters is what you take away from the experience.
What’s Next
For me, the goal now is simple:
Keep building. Keep learning. Keep showing up.
I want to focus on personal development sharpen my technical skills, get better at leading teams, and join more hackathons.
It’s not just about winning anymore.
It’s about exposure to possibilities, discovering how far I can push myself, and unlocking opportunities beyond a 9-to-5.
Someday, I want to become a founder not just a participant.
And I believe this journey, one hackathon at a time, is leading me there.
Final Thought
If you’ve never joined a hackathon before, here’s my advice:
Just do it.
Don’t overthink it.
You’ll either win, or you’ll learn — and both are wins in their own way.
Plus, there’s free food. 😄
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