Exclusive: Layer-1 data network Flare teams up with Google Cloud for AI hackathon

Flare and Google Cloud are betting on decentralized AI as they launch a hackathon with a $100,000 prize pool at UC Berkeley.

The data-focused network Flare (FLR) and Google Cloud are teaming up for the Verifiable AI Hackathon at UC Berkeley, where developers will compete to build AI applications that combine off-chain processing and blockchain technology, crypto.news can exclusively confirm.

The event, taking place from March 7-9, will feature a total prize pool of $100,000, with $60,000 allocated for in-person participants at California Memorial Stadium and $40,000 for virtual participants on DoraHacks.

The hackathon will focus on Trusted Execution Environments, which enable complex AI tasks to be processed off-chain while maintaining Flare’s blockchain stack. Google Cloud’s Confidential Compute will be available to help developers experiment with integrating AI and decentralized systems.

“This hackathon represents a groundbreaking initiative as we combine Google Cloud’s Confidential Compute technology with blockchain for the first time. It’s an exciting opportunity to explore how verifiable AI can reshape industries and drive innovation.”

Google Cloud

Four tracks to explore AI and blockchain integration

Participants can choose from four tracks, each focused on different AI and blockchain applications. Social AI Agents explores AI that mimics human interaction, while RAG Knowledge Systems deals with AI working with structured data. DeFAI (DeFi x AI) combines AI with decentralized finance, and Consensus Learning focuses on AI models trained in decentralized networks.

For Flare, this initiative is the result of a multi-month partnership with Google Cloud, which began in January 2024 when Google Cloud became a validator and data provider for Flare. Flare CEO Hugo Philion commented on the hackathon, saying the collaboration is setting “new standards in the intersection of blockchain and confidential computing.”