Key Notes
- The competition features an open-ended format without predefined categories, allowing any project idea built on Avalanche’s platform.
- Grand prize winner receives $100,000 with milestone-based payouts, while participants gain access to Codebase accelerator funding.
- Launch coincides with record network activity of 1.71 million daily active addresses and 4.2 million average daily transactions.
Avalanche
AVAX
$12.13
24h volatility:
4.1%
Market cap:
$5.24 B
Vol. 24h:
$360.16 M
launched Build Games today, a six-week global builder competition offering $1 million in total prizes to developers creating new products on the network.
The competition awards $100,000 to the grand prize winner, $75,000 to the runner-up, and $50,000 for third place, according to the Avalanche Foundation’s announcement. Additional category prizes range from $5,000 to $40,000. Prize payouts follow a milestone-based structure, with the grand prize delivering $25,000 upfront and the remaining $75,000 contingent on achieving post-competition goals.
Teams submit a one-minute video pitch during the first week, outlining their idea, the problem they aim to solve, and their background. Weeks two and three focus on prototype development. The final weeks cover business planning before a live showcase where judges evaluate submissions.
Introducing: Build Games 🏆
A $1,000,000 Builder Competition on Avalanche. You’ll like this👇: pic.twitter.com/qvE8S7UebY
— Avalanche🔺 (@avax) January 20, 2026
Open-Ended Format
Build Games operates without predefined categories. Unlike typical hackathons that assign projects to specific themes, this competition allows any idea built on Avalanche. The competition landing page lists evaluation criteria as builder drive, execution ability, crypto culture alignment, and long-term intent rather than category fit.
Participants who complete the program gain access to Avalanche’s Codebase accelerator and additional funding opportunities. The Codebase program offers $50,000 grants to selected teams without requiring equity.
Build Games prize breakdown | Source: Avalanche Builder Hub
Applications are submitted through build.avax.network, with submissions closing Feb. 13 (tentative) or when capacity is reached.
Ecosystem Context
The competition launch coincides with record network activity. Daily active addresses on Avalanche reached 1.71 million on Jan. 19, the highest level ever recorded. Daily transactions averaged 4.2 million in 2025, a 153.6% year-over-year increase. AVAX ranks 30th by market capitalization at approximately $5.29 billion.
The Build Games competition represents Avalanche’s latest effort to attract developers amid intensifying competition among layer-1 blockchain platforms. With the network processing record transaction volumes and the foundation committing significant capital to builder incentives, the program positions Avalanche to capture emerging projects in gaming, DeFi, and infrastructure development.
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As a Web3 marketing strategist and former CMO of DuckDAO, Zoran Spirkovski translates complex crypto concepts into compelling narratives that drive growth. With a background in crypto journalism, he excels in developing go-to-market strategies for DeFi, L2, and GameFi projects.