Open House NYC Buildathon Concludes: Meet The Winning Teams
A total of 512 builders from more than 40 countries participated in Arbitrum’s Open House NYC Online Buildathon, which ran for three weeks from February 5 to 26.
At the beginning of the program, our team set the tone for what it means to build a successful project within the Arbitrum ecosystem. This included hands-on workshops aimed at equipping participating teams with the technical knowledge to build on Arbitrum, as well as founder-focused education around product execution and go-to-market strategy.
Arbitrum’s Open House Buildathon Winners
Out of the 512 builders, three teams emerged victorious after rigorous evaluation that was based on technical execution, product clarity, ecosystem alignment, and the long-term potential of the project.
Congratulations to the following projects:
- Tilt Protocol - $15,000 prize
- Fangorn - $10,000 prize
- EqualFi - $5,000 prize
Each of these winning teams demonstrated clear user focus, promising architecture, and a clear and concise roadmap that extends beyond our Buildathon and into the future.
We would also like to thank our ecosystem partners who share our commitment to uplifting grassroots builders by supporting the Open House initiative. Thank you to Robinhood Chain, Layer Zero, Open Zeppelin, Alchemy, GMX, Fhenix, and Dune.
Beyond The Buildathon: Arbitrum Founder House NYC + Mentorship
The Arbitrum Founder House is the next phase of Open House NYC, running from March 6 to 8, 2026, serving as a platform for promising early-stage teams to build on the success of the Buildathon. Selected teams will be gathered to participate in dual-track mentorship, with a heavy focus on deep technical support and understanding, followed by effective GTM strategies that have a proven track record. The Arbitrum Founder House will also be offering up to $340,000 in prizes and grants to the most outstanding teams.
To extend this momentum and help early-stage teams evolve into category-defining projects on Arbitrum, we are committed to guiding and mentoring through the upcoming Mentorship Program. This initiative will equip participating teams with effective strategies to help them excel in product development, GTM, organic community building, and fundraising.
Beyond NYC, Open House will continue to expand across the globe, including Dubai, London, and Singapore in 2026. If you are building something novel and are looking for the right environment to accelerate your idea, Arbitrum’s doors are always open.