Crypto For Good
HBCU Innovation Challenge

What are your crypto-powered solutions that can help promote financial access, literacy, and security for historically underserved communities?
Overview
Guidelines
Forum
Resources

Overview


The goals of this challenge are to:
1) identify innovative new ways on how to use crypto to help financially vulnerable groups
2) to raise awareness of crypto’s unique capabilities. 

The future of money is here and we are interested in new ways to use crypto to address critical issues historically underserved communities face such as lack of financial access, financial literacy, and security. Whether your problem is big or small, global or local, we would love to hear your ideas for how to use crypto’s unique capabilities to build a better, safer world for everyone.

You must be between the ages of 18-24 and currently or previously enrolled in an HBCU to apply. Submissions must be received by August 4. Submissions must include an outline of the issue that needs to be addressed, an explanation on why a crypto solution is appropriate, and an action plan for implementation. Finalists will then be assigned a Coinbase mentor to help them refine their proposals ahead of the in-person pitch session. See past winners and their proposals here!

Challenge Forum

Got Questions? Need help navigating inside your submission? We have the answers. Come and discuss in the forum.

Background

Cryptocurrency, sometimes called crypto-currency or crypto, is any form of currency that exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography to secure transactions. Cryptocurrencies don't have a central issuing or regulating authority, instead using a decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units.

Blockchain technology is the foundation for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Blockchain technology is used to electronically secure and record information using a system that is transparent, trustworthy, and decentralized, making it difficult to hack. 

A blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computers on the blockchain. Each block in the chain contains several transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs, a record of that transaction is added to every participant’s ledger. This means if one block in one chain was changed, it would be immediately apparent that an unauthorised change had occurred. Furthermore, if hackers wanted to alter a blockchain system, they would have to simultaneously change every block in the chain, across all the distributed versions of the chain.

If you are new to crypto, the articles and tutorials in the Resources tab provide plenty of information to help you formulate a successful entry. Furthermore, these resources are incredibly interesting and educational, whether you enter the challenge or not! 
Coinbase wants to raise awareness about crypto and its unique capabilities. The future of money is here and crypto has the power to make our lives better. 

Purpose of the Challenge

We want to raise awareness about cryptocurrency, and make it more inclusive and accessible to everyone! The purpose of this challenge is to seek innovative ideas for how the unique attributes of cryptocurrency could solve some of our most vulnerable communities’ current problems. Solvers will need to first identify a problem and then explain why cryptocurrency is an appropriate solution. Finally, an action plan is required that articulates how the cryptocurrency-based solution could be implemented. Coinbase is interested in proposals where cryptocurrency could deliver successful solutions and innovations across different industries, not just finance and digital markets. Finalists will then be chosen to work with a Coinbase mentor for four weeks to further develop and prepare their proposals to be presented at the live pitch session. All proposed solutions must be legal in the USA and adhere to Coinbase’s ethical values and standards. 

Some examples of where cryptocurrency can be used include:

  • Low-cost remittance platforms using stablecoins
  • Secure crypto-based savings or microloan tools for those outside the traditional banking system
  • Community-powered financial education platforms that integrate real-world crypto use cases

Prizes and Incentives

This is a tough challenge and consequently the prize purse and winner bonuses reflect this. 1-2 people per team will be chosen to go on an all-expenses paid trip to the HBCU Fintech Conference in NC on September 20th to pitch their proposals to a live audience. This is a requirement of the challenge. At least one team member must be present for the live judging session to be considered for an award. If at least one rep per team cannot attend, they will not be eligible to receive an award. Along with cash prizes, the selected winners may also be offered the opportunity to participate in Coinbase’s crypto advocacy efforts. 

This is your chance to be at the heart of the future of money movement and help solve problems that really matter. Only new and innovative concepts are likely to succeed, so ingenuity and creativity will be key. The deadline for entries is Aug 4, 2025 at 11:59PM PST. Don’t miss out! 

We encourage entries from individuals and teams that work in all sectors. Health professionals, teachers, environmentalists, social workers, artists, the creative industries, entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, students, and anyone eager to contribute, should jump into this challenge and share their ideas.  Don’t worry if you’re not an expert on cryptocurrency!  We’ve got you covered with tutorials, primers and other educational material (see the Resources tab) to help you gain an understanding of the concepts and technology that’s updating the financial system.

Prizes

Winners Award
1st $4,500 USD
2nd $2,000 USD
3rd $1,000 USD
Total Prize Purse $7,500 USD
Additional Prizes 
Selected Individuals and Teams
The opportunity to work with Coinbase on crypto advocacy efforts.

Timeline

Challenge launch
July 14, 2025
Live webinar July 28, 2025
Submissions deadline August 4, 2025
Semi-finalists chosen August 5, 2025
Finalists chosen, mentors assigned August 11, 2025
Finalists develop pitch with mentors August 11, 2025-September 18, 2025
In-person pitch session September 20, 2025
Winners announced September 20, 2025

Judging Criteria

The full challenge judging criteria can be found here.

Official Challenge Rules

NO PURCHASE, PAYMENT, OR TRADE OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   
ELIGIBILITY: The Crypto For Good Challenge (the “Challenge”) is open to (i) individuals who are legal residents of the United States (including the District of Columbia but excluding Hawaii) (“Eligible Countries”) between the ages of 18-24 and currently or previously enrolled in an HBCU at the time of entry. Employees, temporary workers, interns, officers, and directors of Coinbase, Inc., the Center for Innovation and Education, or their affiliated companies, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, any and all other entities, directly associated with this Challenge (“Released Parties”), and the immediate family members and members of the same residing in the household of any of the above are not eligible to enter or win. Employees or officials of any government entity are not eligible to enter or win a prize. Failure to meet the eligibility requirements will result in an entry being invalid and forfeiture of any prize.

AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: By participating, individual entrants or a team of no more than five (5) eligible individuals (collectively “Entrants”) agree to abide by and be bound by these official rules. Winning a prize (as defined below) is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.  

HOW TO ENTER: Eligible Entrants may enter the Challenge by (i) signing-up and registering for a Base 11 Digital account, and (ii) submit your solution on the URL: https://www.base11.com/CryptoForGood (“Website”) within the Entry Period. 
All required information must be provided to enter and to be eligible to win. Incomplete entries will be disqualified and void. 

JUDGING: All eligible submissions will be judged by a panel of judges based on the judging criteria for both Rounds One and Two as list on the Website

Round One: Up to three (3) Eligible Entrants with the highest scores will be selected as a finalist (each individual or team a “Finalist”). The judging and final determination of the Finalists will be in the sole discretion of the judges. Finalists may be required to provide additional information at any time to remain eligible, as requested by The Released Parties.

Round Two: The Finalists selected in Round One will then present their solution submitted during the Contest Period via a live three (3) to five (5) minute presentation and an opportunity to answer questions from the same panel of judges as Round One for approximately ten (10) minutes. The judging and final determination of the winner(s) will be in the sole discretion of the judges. The Released Parties also reserve the right to award other prizes, including related to stated categories, at their discretion.
In the event of a tie in either Round One or Round Two, the tied Entrant or Finalist with the higher score in the Appropriate Use of Cryptocurrency criterion will be the winner. In the event of any conflict between the criteria stated on the Website and the criteria stated above in these official rules, the criteria on the Website shall control. 

Limit one (1) entry per person or if a team entry, limit one (1) entry per team; a team may consist of up to five (5) people, all of whom must be Eligible Entrants. In no event shall more than one person, whether on a team or as an individual, submit more than one (1) entry. Any person or email address, or person who is on more than one team, that submits more than one entry will be disqualified. The Released Parties are not responsible for: lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, illegible, misdirected entries.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All Intellectual Property (IP) in Entrants’ submission remains the property of Entrants. Entrants may choose to enter into a separate IP License agreement at the point of winner selection. 
Entrants agree that: (1) their submission contains content created by Entrants and does not incorporate any unlicensed third party intellectual property; (2) Released Parties may use or redistribute the submissions for any purpose and in any way on an unrestricted basis in connection with the Challenge; (3) there is no obligation to keep any submission confidential.  
Entrants understand that nothing in this Agreement will impair the Released Parties’ rights to develop, acquire, license, market, promote, sell, or distribute products, technologies, or services that compete with your submission and/or perform the same or similar functions as your submission.

WINNER SELECTION NOTIFICATION: All potential prize winners with the highest score will be selected in accordance with the Judging Criteria among all eligible entries received by Sponsor, whose decisions are final and binding. The potential prize winners selection will be on or about September 20, 2025. Prize winners need not be present to win. All prize winners may be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Release of Liability, IP License and Publicity Release form, unless prohibited by law, prior to accepting a prize. Failure to comply with any of the requirements set forth in these official rules may result in disqualification or forfeiture of the prize.

PRIZE & PRIZE CONDITIONS: All prizes and each prize’s approximate retail value (“ARV”) are displayed on the Website. Total ARV of Prizes awarded in this Challenge: $7,500 USD. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entrants who enter the Challenge. Winners are subject to all applicable terms and conditions associated with the prize. The Released Parties are not responsible for lost or stolen prize elements. Winners will receive their prizes within 90 days of the winner selection. 

AN ENTRANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY PRIZE UNLESS AND UNTIL THAT ENTRANT’S ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS TO CLAIM A PRIZE HAVE BEEN VERIFIED AND FULFILLED, AND THE ENTRANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE.
ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNERS.

Winners may be required to complete required tax forms or other documents requested within the time period stipulated by the Released Parties. Any difference between the stated estimated value of the prize and its actual value will not be awarded. Winner agrees to accept the prize “as is.”   

No substitution or transfer of prize will be permitted. The Released Parties reserve the right at their sole discretion to substitute the prize with another prize of equal or greater value. If there are less eligible submissions than the number of prizes, the Released Parties may modify the distribution of prizes at its sole discretion. 
If a prize or prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to the prize winner(s), if the prize winner(s) cannot be reached by the Released Parties within fourteen (14) calendar days from the first notification attempt, if the prize Winner(s) does not comply with the prize acceptance instructions within seven (7) calendar days from the first notification attempt, or the prize winner(s) is not in compliance with these official rules, then such person shall be disqualified and, at the Released Parties’ sole discretion, alternate prize winners may be selected for the prize at issue. 

RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By participating in the Challenge and/or accepting a prize, Entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any claim, action, injury, loss, damage or cause of action arising out of or relating to participation in the Challenge, acceptance or receipt of any prize, use or misuse of any prize, or participation in any prize-related activity. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Except where prohibited by local law, Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’s fees. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.  

GENERAL CONDITIONS: If for any reason the operation or administration of this Contest is impaired or incapable of running as planned for any reason, including but not limited to (a) infection by computer virus, bugs, (b) tampering, unauthorized intervention, (c) fraud, (d) technical failures, or (e) any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest in whole or in part, at any time, without notice and award the Prizes (defined below) using all non-suspect eligible entries received as of, or after (if applicable) this cancellation, termination, modification or suspension date, or in any manner that is fair and equitable and best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual deemed to be (a) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest website; or (b) acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: By entering, each Entrant agrees their submission: (i) must not include any personal information; (ii) must be in English; (iii) must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights; (iv) must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene hateful, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous; (v) must not contain anything that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age; and (vi) must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where Entry is created.

PUBLICITY: By accepting a prize, where permitted by law, the prize winners grant to the Released Parties and those acting pursuant to the authority of the Released Parties, the right to print, publish, broadcast and use worldwide in all media without limitation at any time a prize winner’s name, image, photograph, portrait, voice, and likeness for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further payment or additional consideration, and without review, approval or notification.  

USE OF DATA: All information submitted by Entrants will be treated according to Base 11’s Privacy Statement, available at https://www.base11digital.com/privacy. 

DISPUTES: As a condition of participating in the Challenge, and except as modified herein, Entrant agrees that the following disputes, claims, and causes of action arising among the Released Parties shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, by following the Dispute Resolution Process (including binding arbitration) specified in Section 8 of the Coinbase User Agreement, which are incorporated herein by reference and available at https://www.coinbase.com/legal/user_agreement/united_states: Any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or related to this Promotion, including any dispute, claim, or cause of action relating to any prizes awarded in this Promotion; and, any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or related to the interpretation or application of this arbitration provision, including the enforceability, revocability, scope, or validity of this arbitration provision.
Notwithstanding this arbitration agreement, Entrants or the Released Parties retain the right to (1) elect to have any claims heard in small claims court on an individual basis for disputes and actions within the scope of said court’s jurisdiction; and (2) seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights (including but not limited to trademarks, trade dress, domain names, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents).

To increase the efficiency of administration and resolution of arbitrations, Entrants and the Released Parties agree that in the event that there are one hundred (100) or more individual arbitrations of a substantially similar nature filed against us by or with the assistance of the same law firm, group of law firms or organizations within a thirty (30) day period (or otherwise in close proximity), the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) (1) will administer the arbitration demands in batches of 100 arbitration demands per batch (plus, to the extent there are less than 100 arbitration demands left over after the batching described above, a final batch consisting of the remaining arbitration demands); (2) appoint one arbitrator for each batch; and (3) provide for the resolution of each batch as a single consolidated arbitration with one set of filing and administrative fees due per side per batch, one procedural calendar, one hearing (if any) in a place to be determined by the arbitrator, and one final award.

Entrants and the Released Parties agree that arbitration demands are of a “substantially similar nature” if they arise out of the same event or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Entrants and the Released Parties agree to cooperate in good faith with AAA to implement the batch arbitration approach.

The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the party's individual claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Challenge, if a court decides by means of a final decision, not subject to any further appeal or recourse, that the limitations of this paragraph or the class action waiver are invalid or unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief (such as a request for public injunctive relief), Entrants and the Released Parties agree that that particular claim or request for relief (and only that particular claim or request for relief) shall be severed from the arbitration and may litigated in the federal courts located in the State of California. All other disputes shall be arbitrated. This paragraph does not prevent the parties from participating in a class-wide settlement of claims.

Entrants agree that the laws of the State of California, without regard to principles of conflict of laws, will govern the Challenge and any dispute, claim, or cause of action arising out of or related to the Challenge, except to the extent governed by United States federal law. This Challenge evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce and notwithstanding any other provision herein with respect to the applicable substantive law, the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. (“FAA”) will govern the interpretation and enforcement of this dispute resolution process and any arbitration proceedings.
 
Additional Information
● By participating in the challenge, each competitor promises to submit only their original idea. Any indication of "copying" amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification. 
● All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
● All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
● No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
● Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law. 

Challenge Steps

1

Apply

Apply to the challenge by submitting your proposal here! You will be prompted to register for a free Base 11 Digital account.  
2

Get mentored

The top three semi-finalists will work alongside a Coinbase mentor for four weeks to help prepare and refine their proposals for the live pitch session on September 20. 
3

Pitch

1-2 individuals from each semi-finalist team will travel to the HBCU Fintech Conference in North Carolina to pitch their ideas in front of a live audience and panel of judges. Winners will be announced the same day! 

Challenge Timeline

July 11, 2025 

Applications for the challenge open. Challengers can submit as individuals or as a team of up to 5.

August 1, 2025

Live Q&A Webinar with representatives from Coinbase and Base 11.

*NEW* Extended Deadline! August 11, 2025

Deadline for challengers to apply.

August 18, 2025

Top three teams are selected and assigned to a mentor from Coinbase to continue developing and refining their proposals for the pitch event.

September 20, 2025

Teams pitch their proposals live at the HBCU Fintech Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina. Winners will be announced same-day.

Meet Last Year's Winners:

“We believe that blockchain can offer us a platform to implement a peer-to-peer network that automates the sharing, or in theory the buying and selling, of excess energy generated via current solar panel arrays. Our sharing model would allow for each family home and each building to be a "peer" in our network. Through research, we broadly understand the logistics and benefits of blockchain in solar energy sharing. We see corporations that are already working in this space, and neighborhood and community scale solutions and know that we can enhance our services through a blockchain platform. With this, we seek to partner with blockchain experts to move our dreams forwards.”

1st Place: Lakota Solar Warriors Building a Sharing Economy

Red Cloud Renewable

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“Bringing crypto to rural areas worldwide by leveraging shortwave radio (high frequency, HF) for long-range wireless access. By providing access to cryptocurrency in remote parts of the world, unbanked people in rural areas will be able to benefit from ease of transactions and fair fees.”

2nd Place: Shortwave Crypto-Worldwide Radio and Blockchain

Jeremy Martinez

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“The U.S. has 1.73 Trillion dollars in student debt. For this reason college graduates struggle to build wealth. In addition, students around the world may not have the money to attend institutions of higher education therefore there is a lot of untapped potential that exists around the world. Blockchain can be used to decentralize higher education. Students can earn NFTs by completing milestones & building a digital diploma/resume.”

3rd Place: Disrupting the Trillion Dollar College Debt Crisis

UrbanTXT

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Meet the company
Crypto creates economic freedom by ensuring that people can participate fairly in the economy, and Coinbase is on a mission to increase economic freedom for more than 1 billion people. We’re updating the century-old financial system by providing a trusted platform that makes it easy for people and institutions to engage with crypto assets, including trading, staking, safekeeping, spending, and fast, free global transfers. We also provide critical infrastructure for onchain activity and support builders who share our vision that onchain is the new online. And together with the crypto community, we advocate for responsible rules to make the benefits of crypto available around the world.