WalletConnect Hacks #002 in Lisbon was an electrifying gathering, filled with innovation, collaboration, and a glimpse into the future of the internet. With a dynamic crowd, the event embodied the spirit of web3, much like the W3C standards did for web2.

The second edition of WalletConnect Hacks brought together 50 innovators from leading projects, transforming Lisbon into a hub of web3 creativity. A full week of groundbreaking collaboration and innovation and this time, the focus was on defining new standards for digital wallets and web3 UX.

Here’s a quick recap of this groundbreaking event:

Great vibes, visionary discussions

The atmosphere at Hacks #002 was nothing short of inspiring. It felt like we were collectively defining the new internet, laying down the foundational standards for web3 and the future digital landscape. The energy was palpable, with every conversation pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Tackling tracks at the whiteboard

The event focused on solving key problems within four main tracks: UX Evolution, UX Revolution, Payments, and Multichain. One of the standout aspects of the event was the whiteboard sessions. These impromptu brainstorming sessions were a testament to the power of face-to-face interactions. Nothing beats the engagement and creativity sparked by a few minds jamming together around a whiteboard. It's something that no remote setup can replicate.

Investors took notice too. One of our investors even sent an analyst to absorb insights and catch a glimpse of the future. The event's success has us considering the addition of a consumer track in future editions, complementing our current infrastructure tracks. This addition aims to broaden the scope and bring more diverse perspectives to the table.

Spotlight on projects and demos

By the end of the 5-day hack event, a remarkable series of projects and demos had emerged:

• Coinbase: Their entire Smart Session team attended the event and showcased their innovations. They worked on integrating ERC-7715 on their Smart Wallet. They presented a demo that walked us through the connection and issuing permissions flow. They also published their first CAIP (CAIP-300) in collaboration with the WalletConnect team.
• ZKEmail presented their latest developments.
• Celine - Paymasters: Together with OKX Wallet, they defined the developer experience for setting up Paymasters policy. This included the innovative capability for dApps to sponsor the first-time transactions of a native wallet.
• Rhinestone: They brought the whole company to participate! Their demo showcased a solution that enabled users to send transactions from any chain and have them picked up by the destination chain.
• Peanut: They showcased their ability to send links directly from AppKit’s Embedded Smart Wallet and demonstrated their off-ramping solution via IBAN.
• idOS: They demoed their solution upgraded with wallet_getEntropy, which they implemented in our sample wallet, aiming to make it a standard.
• CAIP-282 Alignment: This is a multichain browser wallet discovery interface. The goal is to create a standard that works across all chains (EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, etc.) and future chains. Hacks #002 resulted in an updated CAIP on GitHub, a document with explanations, and next steps for each of the big players.

• Wagmi: Though they did not demo, they supported multiple teams by integrating the latest ERC-7715 spec into Viem and publishing a P256 utility library to simplify Passkey support in dApps.

These projects and demos showcase a strong drive for cutting-edge advancements in the web3 space, working together to improve industry standards and demonstrating that true innovation thrives through collaboration and collective brainstorming.

The Path Forward

The excitement doesn't stop here. The next WalletConnect Hacks is slated for September this year. We're planning to introduce a consumer track alongside our existing infrastructure tracks at our next WalletConnect Hacks to enhance and expand our collaborative efforts.

Keep an eye on our socials for the latest updates and announcements on how you can join us for the next event!

Join us as we continue to shape the future of the internet, one hack at a time.