Code, chaos, and victory: Inside an all-girls Bitcoin hackathon

The spirit of John Speke, the British explorer who famously searched for the source of the Nile, must have been whispering in my ear when I signed up for a bootcamp. I was chasing something different, a spark beyond my usual career routine; a challenge, a thrill, a plunge into the unknown. Excitement and nerves collided in equal measure, because I had no idea what awaited me. I’d never joined a bootathon before, and this one was all about Bitcoin technology. I had been to several Bitcoin meet-ups before, but honestly, the discussions usually flew over my head. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)? Sure, it sounds impressive, but my contribution would have been minimal at best. And this bootathon even had a hackathon competition. Yep, things were about to get real.

Whenever I attend a tech event, I usually focus on aspects others often overlook. First, the location matters; cool venues are a must, so I can take great photos. Then, merchandise or giveaways are always a plus, not to mention the food. Of course, other things matter too, but these are the highlights. This bootathon ticked all the boxes: a stylish venue, freebies, good food, and as a bonus, it was an all-girls, three-day event.

The moment I walked in, the enthusiasm hit me like a triple espresso. Tech ladies with cute laptops covered in stickers from past events were glued to their screens, probably already hacking or finishing up projects. We introduced ourselves, and I realized I was in a room full of brilliant minds; leaders from different organizations, all in one space. We were taught about the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) we would need to use to solve the challenges ahead.

On the second day, after finishing the sessions, we were grouped to start building our projects. Everything we created had to align with the APIs we had been taught. Each group had a backend developer, a full-stack developer, a frontend developer, a UI/UX designer, and even machine learning and AI personnel.

We built, wrestled with stubborn bugs, rebuilt, and eventually ended up with something presentable. Nothing bonds people faster than collectively trying to figure out why the code only runs on one person’s laptop. Midnight calls were strictly business, eyes on the prize. Who wouldn’t want a share of the $3,000 bounty?

The final day, what most people call the D-day, arrived. Presentations were due, and my group scrambled to polish ours. We ran on adrenaline, desperately hoping our project would behave long enough for the final presentation. Hearts pounded, hands shook, and the room buzzed with last-minute checks: “Re-check if the code is still working,” “Come back again, let’s see how you’re going to pitch.” We were terrified that our sleepless night would be wasted.

We presented our project with as much confidence as we could muster, hiding the tension like seasoned performers. At first, I believed in our work, but seeing the other projects, my faith began to falter. These girls had built astonishing projects, the kind that could win over a crowd before a single word was spoken. When the judges began announcing the winners, beginning with the second runner-up, and then runner-up, I had quietly given up hope. And then… “Bitcab.”

Time seemed to stop. I blinked, laughed nervously, and looked at my teammates, who were frozen in disbelief. We had actually done it. The sleepless nights, the midnight debugging calls, the stubborn bugs that felt impossible to fix, they had all led to this moment. The camera crews swooped in, capturing our triumph, and for the first time in the three-day whirlwind, it hit me: we had won, not just a prize, but a testament to what could happen when smart minds, grit, and a little adrenaline collided.

That day, I didn’t just leave with a trophy, I left with a story I would tell over and over, proof that sometimes, diving into the unknown is the best way to discover exactly what you’re capable of.