Cronos (CRO) Launches x402 Hackathon to Advance AI-Driven Payment Systems
Rebeca Moen Nov 27, 2025 12:45
Cronos (CRO) introduces the x402 PayTech Hackathon, inviting developers to explore AI-driven payment solutions and programmable finance, offering a $42,000 prize pool.
Cronos (CRO) has unveiled the x402 PayTech Hackathon, a global initiative aimed at developers, AI engineers, and payment innovators. This event seeks to explore how autonomous systems can interact with real assets on-chain, according to Cronos. The hackathon is designed to open up the design space for AI agents stepping into roles traditionally held by users, such as executing instructions and handling on-chain value.
Why Cronos Is Creating Space for Agentic Finance
Over the past year, Cronos has been optimizing its ecosystem to accommodate AI agents, focusing on reducing gas fees, shortening block times, and increasing daily transactions. The infrastructure is now equipped to support institutional-grade assets and x402-style programmatic payments, all within the Crypto.com ecosystem. These enhancements lay the groundwork for AI agents to execute economic activities autonomously.
What Builders Can Explore
Participants in the hackathon are encouraged to delve into various layers of the agentic finance stack. This includes AI-driven payment flows, wallet automations, and integrations within the Cronos and Crypto.com ecosystems. The hackathon invites builders to design systems capable of handling value autonomously and with precision.
Prize Structure and Long-Term Support
The hackathon offers a $42,000 prize pool across several categories, including the top award of $24,000 under the Cronos Ignition Builder program. This prize is structured to support teams in continuing their projects on Cronos EVM, with additional rewards for AI agentic finance solutions, ecosystem integrations, and developer tooling.
Resources for Builders
Participants will have access to a range of resources, including office hours with Cronos Labs and Crypto.com engineers, workshops, and support channels. These resources are designed to assist builders in moving quickly from concept to functional prototype.
Key Dates
- Registration: 27 Nov – 11 Dec 2025
- Build Period: 12 Dec 2025 – 23 Jan 2026
- Winners Announced: Week of 2 Feb 2026
The x402 PayTech Hackathon represents an opportunity for developers to shape the future of AI-native finance by creating programmable and verifiable infrastructures for on-chain transactions. Builders can register and submit their projects on DoraHacks.
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