An opportunity has opened up to receive up to 1 billion KRW in startup support for service ideas utilizing blockchain-based mobile identification.
The Korea Digital Authentication Association (Chairman Lee Kihyuk), which aims to establish standards and a global ecosystem for digital authentication technology, announced on April 21 that it will discover and support entrepreneurs with creative ideas through the "2025 Blockchain AI Hackathon," held under the theme of "Creative Service Ideas Utilizing Blockchain and AI."
The 2025 Blockchain AI Hackathon, being held for the first time this year, is hosted by the Korea Digital Authentication Association, co-organized by RaonSecure (Co-CEOs Lee Soonhyung and Lee Jeonga) and the Global Digital Innovation Network (GDIN, CEO Kim Jonggap), and sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The event aims to realize Web3 innovation across various industries and expand the related ecosystem by discovering diverse service ideas leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The hackathon is open to teams of up to five people interested in services utilizing blockchain and AI, as well as individuals and startups established within the past three years. Awards will be given to a total of five teams: one Grand Prize winner (Minister of the Interior and Safety Award), one Excellence Award winner (Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation President's Award), and three Merit Award winners (National Information Society Agency President's Award, National IT Industry Promotion Agency President's Award, Korea Internet & Security Agency President's Award). The total prize money amounts to 30 million KRW. RaonSecure, together with LF Investment, Axis Investment, and UK-based venture capital firm Simsan Ventures, will provide up to 1 billion KRW in startup support funds to selected teams after a separate evaluation. GDIN will support global expansion, overseas investment attraction, and management consulting.
Since the nationwide issuance of mobile resident registration cards by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety began in March, blockchain-based national mobile IDs have been spreading in earnest. As the use of digital IDs becomes more commonplace, demand for the development of related services is also increasing. Reflecting this trend, a mandatory requirement for this hackathon is the application of mobile IDs (such as mobile resident registration cards, mobile driver's licenses, and mobile national merit registration cards). Participants are expected to present creative and practical service ideas linked to mobile IDs.
Additional points will be awarded for utilizing "OmniOne Open DID," an open-source blockchain digital ID platform released by RaonSecure on GitHub, or the OmniOne mainnet. RaonSecure's blockchain digital ID platform has been applied to national mobile IDs such as the mobile resident registration card, mobile driver's license, and mobile national merit registration card, realizing the world's first national mobile ID. The platform is highly scalable, making it ideal for mobile-based identity verification and credentialing for IDs, employee cards, student cards, various membership cards, and certificates. The open-source release is also fostering a global developer ecosystem.
Lee Kihyuk, Chairman of the Korea Digital Authentication Association, stated, "We decided to hold the hackathon to discover diamonds in the rough?those who have ideas to innovate industries with blockchain and AI but lack capital?so they can freely contribute to industrial development. Supporting the expansion of the mobile resident registration card ecosystem implemented with blockchain-based DID will accelerate national digital transformation and ultimately lead to the expansion of K-DID's global leadership."
Meanwhile, applications for the 2025 Blockchain AI Hackathon will open on May 1. Preliminary and final rounds will be held from June, and the final winners will be announced on September 23. For more details, contact the Korea Digital Authentication Association Secretariat.
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