Phil Kwok, the influential crypto educator and EasyA founder, just announced his role as a judge for the Colosseum hackathon this month, teaming up with Solana's Anatoly Yakovenko and Kucoin Ventures' Cali Liu. This powerhouse panel underscores the growing momentum in Solana's ecosystem, where developer activity spiked 45% in the past six months following the network's recovery from 2025 outages.

Building in Public: Kwok's Pro Tip for Aspiring Devs

Kwok didn't stop at the announcement. He dropped a golden nugget for participants: build in public and tag him for direct feedback. This advice aligns with the transparent ethos driving crypto innovation, especially as Solana-based projects like decentralized finance apps exploded in adoption last quarter, fueled by lower transaction costs compared to Ethereum's highs.

Historical echoes resonate here. Just nine months ago, similar judging lineups at events like Solana Breakpoint propelled startups to secure millions in funding, highlighting how mentorship from figures like Yakovenko accelerates blockchain breakthroughs in a market hungry for scalable solutions.