Every October, people around the world spend a month giving back to open source. This year, the Interledger Foundation is joining in from October 1 to 31, and we'd love for you to be part of it.
Whether you write code every day or have never opened a pull request, there's a way for you to contribute.
A short history of Hacktoberfest
DigitalOcean started Hacktoberfest in 2014 with a simple idea: spend October contributing to open source. That first year, 676 people took part. By 2023, its tenth year, it had grown to 146,891 participants across 194 countries.
The event has changed along the way. For years, contributors earned a t-shirt, but shipping more than 50,000 of them worldwide became hard to manage. Hacktoberfest moved to planting trees and then to digital badges, and it now welcomes non-code work too, from writing to design.
Why it matters for open source
Most open source projects are maintained by small teams who rely on the community to keep moving forward. Hacktoberfest gives those projects a moment each year when new people are actively looking for somewhere to help.
For maintainers, that means:
• Fresh eyes on long-standing issues and docs
• A pipeline of first-time contributors who may stay long after October
• Feedback from people using the project for the first time
For contributors, it's a low-pressure way to make a first pull request and meet the people behind a project.
Why Interledger is taking part
Interledger is open source at its core. Our protocol and tools are built in the open, so anyone can use them and build on them.
Hacktoberfest is a chance to invite more people into that work. Projects like the Web Monetization Extension and Publisher Tools are shaping how payments can move across the web, and each contribution, big or small, helps them get better.
How to take part
This year we have two tracks, so everyone can find a way in.
- Technical track. Pick up an open issue in one of our repositories, such as the Web Monetization Extension or Publisher Tools, then submit a pull request that resolves it.
- Non-technical track. Add a joke or some ASCII art to our community repos. You can also help improve our website by reporting bugs and broken links through the feedback form.
Every valid contribution earns a limited-edition digital badge. The top contributor will also receive a swag pack, and there's a secret prize for everyone who completes the activities.
One ask: please bring your own ideas and effort. Contributions should show original thought, and unedited AI-generated submissions won't count. Full details are on our Hacktoberfest page.
Help us spread the word
You don't have to contribute to support Hacktoberfest. Sharing it with the people around you helps just as much.
• Post about it on LinkedIn or wherever your community gathers
• Pass it along to a friend or colleague looking for a first open source project
• Mention it at your local meetup or developer community
Curious or want to say hi? Join us in the #hacktoberfest-2026 channel on our community Slack.
We'd love to see you there and cheer on your contributions!
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