This was a great space hosted by Aptos, Aptos Labs and Head of Developer Relations Greg Nazario, with guest speakers from Circle & DoraHacks.
The following is a rundown of some of the main points for those that couldn’t make it or for our international non English speaking friends.
Aptos CTRL + Move Hackathon: AMA Highlights
Aptos hosted a great AMA today featuring:
Greg Nazario – Head of Developer Relations at Aptos Labs
Steve – Chief Strategy Officer at Dora Hacks
Elton – Developer Relations at u/circle (APAC)
Together, they broke down everything you need to know about the upcoming CTRL + Move Global Hackathon. https://aptosfoundation.org/currents/now-open-ctrl-move
Why “CTRL + Move”?
‣Aptos is positioning itself as the Global Trading Engine. ‣The hackathon focuses on building finance and payment solutions on Aptos using Move. ‣The name emphasizes control (e.g. smart contract logic) and Move, the native programming language of Aptos.
Themes & Focus Areas
1.) Payments and Stablecoin Infrastructure
‣Build real-world financial use cases using Circle’s USDC & EURC. ‣Implement Circle’s Wallets (Dev-Control & User-Control wallets now live on Aptos). ‣Leverage Circle’s CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol) to move native USDC across chains. ‣Use gasless transactions via Circle’s Gas Station, paid in USDC.
2.) Consumer-Facing Financial Apps
‣Think “Venmo on Aptos” or simple payment apps for regions like LATAM, APAC, Africa. ‣Build for real people and real use cases. Simplicity and utility matter. ‣Circle & Aptos want builders solving practical problems, not just conceptual ones.
3.) Next-Gen DeFi
‣Build vaults, cross-chain liquidity aggregators, perps, liquid staking tools. ‣Innovate with things like copy trading, social trading, or TWAP strategies. ‣Use infrastructure/tools from partners like Hyperion, Kofi Finance, Merkle Trade, Tapp Exchange, Notifi Network, and others.
4.) AI + Web3 Synergies
‣DoraHacks is piloting AI judging and support for developers. ‣DevRel AI and judging models are being tested to reduce operational overhead. ‣Builders are encouraged to explore agentic wallets, automated payments, and AI-assisted smart contract logic.
Prize Pool & Tracks
Total Prize Pool: $100,000
1st place: $30K
2nd place: $20K
3rd place: $10K
2 Honorable Mentions: $5K each
Special Categories:
‣Best Tech Implementation
‣Top University Teams – 1st: $7K, 2nd: $3K
Simplified prize structure = less confusion + better judging transparency.
What Comes After the Hackathon?
‣MVP Bootcamp: A multi-week support program for promising projects.
‣Post-Hackathon Grants: Circle has a grants program for serious teams using their tech stack.
‣LFM & Ecosystem Programs: Aptos supports top teams with visibility, growth, and potential funding pathways.
‣Projects like Panana Predict (prediction markets) came from past Aptos hackathons and received continued support.
Timeline & How to Join
‣Hackathon runs: July 3 – October 4, 2025
‣Global & online
‣Sign up on DoraHacks platform: Aptos Ctrl+MOVE Hackathon | Hackathon | DoraHacks
‣Don’t wait till the last minute – submit early to get noticed, team up, and access mentorship.
Support Channels
‣Aptos Discord: For dev support & ecosystem help.
‣Circle Discord: For help with Circle Wallets, USDC, CCTP.
‣DoraHacks platform: For submissions, networking, and project visibility.
Final Advice from the Speakers
Greg Nazario (Aptos): Focus on real problems. Hackathons are a great gateway to long-term ecosystem involvement. Don’t just build to win prizes—build to launch.
Steve (DoraHacks): There’s still massive low-hanging fruit in crypto. The best time to build was yesterday, the next best is now.
Elton (Circle): Think in terms of users. A working demo, solid docs, and clear problem-solving go a long way—especially with Circle’s stack.
Whether you’re new to Aptos or a seasoned Move builder, the CTRL + Move hackathon is your opportunity to ship something meaningful. Join the movement.
Make sure to tune in to the entire space below if you missed it ! 
https://x.com/Aptos/status/1951266689070334024