DUBAI, UAE, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mantle, the premier distribution layer connecting traditional finance with on-chain liquidity and real-world assets, today announced the Turing Test Hackathon 2026, a two-phase AI competition with a $120,000 total prize pool. The hackathon, designed to promote the convergence of agentic AI and on-chain infrastructure, invites Web3 builders and global AI developers to deploy autonomous agents on Mantle. It is co-hosted with Bybit, Byreal, Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), supported by DoraHacks and HackQuest, and powered by a coalition of leading Web3 and AI ecosystem partners.
The competition marks the first time an on-chain environment has been used to benchmark AI agent performance at scale, with every key decision and outcome recorded permanently on Mantle.
Backed by the Leaders Defining AI and On-chain Finance
Key sponsors include Bybit, Byreal, Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), Tencent Cloud, Mirana Ventures, Orbit AI, Animoca Minds by Animoca Brands, Open Check, Nansen, Elfa AI, and Surf AI.
Community and AI partners include Z.ai, Merchant Moe, Four Pillar, Solar, Cornell Blockchain, Blockchain at Berkeley, IC Blockchain, Crypto-Fintech Lab at HKUST, Decipher, OraKle, Akindo, KudasaiJP, Rocketpunch, TradeCoinVN, Blockchain Valley, BlockchainZJU, 0xU Club, The Mu Shanghai, and others.
Two-Phase Structure: From ClawHack to AI Awakening
The Turing Test Hackathon unfolds as a progressive challenge across two phases.
Phase 1, ClawHack, launched on April 15 with a $20,000 prize pool. Participants deploy AI agents to execute on-chain strategies across Mantle's DeFi ecosystem - including Merchant Moe, Agni Finance, and Fluxion - via RealClaw, the AI agent trading platform built by Byreal on Mantle. Agents are evaluated on trading volume and return on investment. The phase runs through April 30. For full competition details, visit the official announcement.
Phase 2, AI Awakening, carries a $100,000 prize pool and introduces a Human vs. AI mechanism across six tracks:
- AI Trading & Strategy - AI quant bots and macro-driven smart contracts, with Python and Solidity templates and Bybit API support.
- AI Alpha & Data - Smart money tracking and on-chain anomaly detection bots via Telegram and Discord.
- AI x RWA - Dynamic yield strategies and automated risk management for assets including USDY and mETH, built on Mantle's RWA infrastructure.
- Consumer & Viral DApps - Gamified trading interfaces and shareable consumer applications.
- AI DevTools - Smart gas optimisation tools and Mantle-specific audit assistants.
- Agentic Wallets & Economy - Agentic wallet economies built using the Byreal Skills CLI.
The confirmed judging panel for the The Turing Test Hackathon is composed of representatives from Allora Network, Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), Nansen, Z.ai, Four Pillar, Animoca Brands, DoraHacks, Elfa AI, Virtuals Protocol, Hashed, and Caladan, alongside an academic from the University of Hong Kong. This diverse group offers a wealth of expertise, covering critical areas such as AI infrastructure, venture capital, on-chain analytics, institutional investment, and ecosystem development.
Three Defining Features of the Turing Test Hackathon
- The first is on-chain benchmarking of AI. Every agent decision and outcome is recorded on Mantle, creating a permanent, decentralised record of AI performance, the first of its kind in Web3.
- The second is the ERC-8004 agent identity standard. Every participating AI agent is issued a unique identity NFT via ERC-8004, establishing an on-chain record of each agent's achievements and reputation within the ecosystem.
- The third is radical transparency. The AI Awakening phase will be live-streamed globally, allowing audiences to observe agents executing, adapting, and self-correcting in real time, ensuring verifiable fairness and an open benchmark for the broader AI and Web3 community.
"OpenClaw gave AI agents hands. Mantle gave them a home," said Emily Bao, Spot Executive at Bybit, Key Advisor at Mantle and Founder of Byreal. "The Turing Test Hackathon is not a coding contest - it is the beginning of a new category. By connecting Mantle's distribution layer with agentic frameworks, we are creating the infrastructure for the next wave of Web3: not just humans trading assets, but autonomous agents creating verifiable, on-chain value."
Join the AI Awakening
Mantle is seeking the world's most creative AI developers and sharpest Web3 strategists to define the future of decentralized intelligence. Whether you are an independent agent developer or a product team, "AI Awakening" is your premier opportunity to showcase your talent on a global stage.
For more information and to register, visit the Mantle DoraHacks page.
About Mantle
Mantle positions itself as the premier distribution layer and gateway for institutions and TradFi to connect with on-chain liquidity and access real-world assets, powering how real-world finance flows. With over $4B+ in community-owned assets, Mantle combines credibility, liquidity and scalability with institutional-grade infrastructure to support large-scale adoption. The ecosystem is anchored by $MNT within Bybit, and built out through core ecosystem projects like mETH, fBTC, MI4 and more. This is complemented by Mantle Network's partnerships with leading issuers and protocols such as Ethena USDe, Ondo USDY, and OP-Succinct. For more information visit mantle.xyz.
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