How to Join DoraHacks? Project Submission and Binance Payment

Binance

16 October 2026

Joining a DoraHacks hackathon and receiving your prize are two separate things. You submit your project on the DoraHacks platform, but how you get paid depends on the organizer. If you join a Binance-related hackathon or grant, the prize is usually not sent directly to your Binance account. Instead, it is sent to your on-chain wallet address, or paid out through Merit Systems in USDC on the Base network. The phrase "Binance payment" in the title needs clarification: does it mean a Binance-sponsored event, or do you want to turn your prize into a balance in your Binance account?

Binance Exchange
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume,leading in security and liquidity.
New user benefit: Enjoy 20% off trading fees upon registration!

Joining: Submit Your BUIDL on DoraHacks First

The entry point for DoraHacks is on the platform page. You can register in the top right corner with GitHub, Google, a wallet address, or an email. It is best to connect your GitHub account so judges can understand your project background from your GitHub activity.

After registering, find the specific hackathon page you want to join and click "Submit BUIDL". If you already have a project on DoraHacks, select "Use existing BUIDL". If it is a new project, click "Create new BUIDL" and fill in the information.

The submission usually includes: project name and logo, a one-line description, project details, GitHub repository link, demo video link (YouTube links show a preview), team information, social links, and contact details. Requirements vary between hackathons. Some require a demo video under 10 minutes, and some have specific rules for the pitch deck PDF format. You must read the submission guide for your specific hackathon before submitting. Missing required fields or using the wrong format may get your project filtered out in the initial review, and judges will never see it.

One easily missed step: after you submit, the hackathon organizer must separately review your BUIDL. Only after approval will your project appear on the hackathon's BUIDL showcase page. The DoraHacks platform review and the hackathon organizer review are separate. Do not assume your submission automatically enters the judging process.

What Makes a Submission More Likely to Be Seen by Judges

The DoraHacks official blog gives direct advice: read the requirements first, then start writing. Many submissions are eliminated for technical reasons—not because the project is bad, but because required fields are missing, word limits are exceeded, or the format is wrong.

When writing your project description, using the 3W1H framework is more effective than piling up words like "revolutionary" or "paradigm shift": what problem you solve, why it matters, who it is for, and how you built it. If the hackathon has sponsor-specific prizes, clearly state which sponsor's technology you used and how you used it. Judges will not dig through your code to find evidence. If you do not write it clearly, the sponsor prize is not for you.

How Prizes Are Paid: Three Common Paths

There is no single rule for prize distribution on DoraHacks. It depends on the organizer's choice. There are three main verifiable methods.

Paid through Merit Systems in USDC on the Base network. This is a new feature DoraHacks launched in October 2025. Hackathon organizers set up a Merit Systems payout account in the DoraHacks Organizer Dashboard (requires GitHub verification), deposit prize funds (bank transfer or USDC on Base), and then pay winners by verifying their GitHub accounts. All payout and compliance processes are handled by Merit Systems. Winners receive USDC on the Base network and need a wallet that supports Base.

Sent directly to an on-chain wallet address. Some hackathons explicitly require winners to provide a wallet address to receive prizes. For example, the Binance Incubation Grant guide clearly states that the bound wallet address is the address for receiving prizes after the event, and recommends using MetaMask on a PC. The BNB Hack 2024 Q4 rules also state that prizes are sent to winners' wallet addresses within 3 weeks after winners are announced, and milestone rewards are unlocked after the project deploys to mainnet and meets requirements.

Bank transfer. Some hackathons still use traditional banking channels. The XRPL SEA Hackathon 2024 terms explicitly state "bank transfer", and winners must provide KYC information including identity documents and bank details.

If Your Prize Is On-Chain USDC, How to Turn It into a Binance Balance

If your prize is paid as USDC on the Base network through Merit Systems, the path to Binance is: transfer the USDC on the Base network to your Binance USDC deposit address.

The key is to check whether Binance's USDC deposit page supports the Base network. Binance usually supports multiple chains for USDC deposits (ERC-20, BSC, Solana, Base, etc.), but which chains are supported and what the deposit address is depends on the options you see when you open the deposit page. Different networks have different deposit addresses. If you send on the wrong network, your assets may not be credited automatically.

If the prize is sent directly to the wallet address you bound on DoraHacks, you need to confirm whether the network of that address matches the deposit networks Binance supports. If not, you may need to use a cross-chain bridge or an exchange that supports that network as an intermediary. This step will incur additional fees.

Tax and KYC Are Not Optional

The XRPL SEA Hackathon terms state it plainly: prize amounts include applicable taxes, and winners are responsible for reporting and paying taxes according to the laws of their country of residence. DoraHacks Bug Bounty also explicitly requires a Proof of Concept, and payouts are denominated in USDC.

If your prize is large, or your country/region has clear tax requirements for crypto income, understanding your reporting obligations before receiving the funds is easier than fixing things later.

What Should You Do First

If you have not submitted a project yet: first read the target hackathon's submission guide, then create or select a BUIDL on DoraHacks and submit. Submission does not equal review. Leave time for the organizer to review.

If you have won but do not know where your prize is: first check the winner announcement or hackathon rules for the payout method. Whether it is Merit Systems, direct wallet transfer, or bank transfer determines what you need to prepare next. If it is on-chain USDC, confirm the payout network, then check Binance's deposit network list to decide how to deposit.