Hackathons are an electrifying blend of innovation, teamwork, and adrenaline-fueled problem-solving. Hack-O-Mania 2025 was no exception. With a challenge set by the Interledger Foundation, we embarked on a 24-hour sprint to build a solution that tackles digital addiction while integrating cutting-edge Web3 and AI technologies. Our creation, ProDIGI, not only impressed the judges but also secured us the top prize. Here’s how we did it.
Meet the Team
We are a team of passionate innovators from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore, each bringing a unique set of skills to the table:
Pranav – AI specialist and machine learning enthusiast.
Amos – Backend architect and API engineer.
Ian – Frontend developer and UI/UX designer.
Despite our different backgrounds, our shared love for technology and problem-solving brought us together to tackle the Interledger Foundation Challenge: Quitting Addictions Together at Hack-O-Mania 2025.
The Hackathon Experience
This was the first hackathon we joined together as a team, even though each of us had participated in previous competitions individually. Coming together for the first time and winning made the experience even more memorable!
Hackathons are fast-paced, intense, and exhilarating—and we thrive on the challenge!
The thrill of ideating, building, and presenting a functional product within 24 hours keeps us coming back. Though the experience is physically and mentally demanding, the satisfaction of creating something impactful in such a short time makes it all worthwhile.
Choosing the Interledger Challenge
We were drawn to the Interledger Challenge because it introduced us to an exciting domain we hadn’t explored before—finance, Web3, and blockchain-based transactions. This was a chance to push our boundaries and solve a meaningful problem: digital addiction.
The Problem We Tackled
Digital addiction is a growing concern, particularly among students and professionals who struggle with focus due to constant distractions from social media and other digital platforms. We wanted to build a solution that not only minimizes distractions but also rewards users for staying focused.
Our Solution: ProDIGI
How It Works
ProDIGI is an AI-powered productivity platform designed to help users overcome digital distractions and stay focused on their learning goals.
Key Features:
Goal-Based Learning – Users select what they want to learn (e.g., Python, mathematics).
AI-Driven Content Filtering – A pre-prompted Llama model monitors users' online activity, allowing only goal-related content.
Real-Time Web Scraping – Automatically checks websites and videos users access, filtering out distractions.
Interledger-Powered Rewards – Users earn monetary incentives for staying focused, funded by donations from sponsors.
Pods: Community Support & Competition – Users join goal-based Pods, where they track each other’s progress, encourage accountability, and compete for rewards.
Some images of our prototype:
Tech Stack
AI Model – Llama for content filtering
Web Scraper – Crawl4AI
Blockchain Transactions – Interledger API
Frontend & Backend – TypeScript, ReactJS, NextJS, NodeJS
The Pitch Experience
Before our final pitch, we showcased our idea to fellow participants. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the monetization of productivity through Web3 and the dynamic AI content-blocking feature.
When we finally faced the judges, we presented our project with energy, humor, and confidence. The judges were highly engaged, asked insightful questions about our Interledger integration, and appreciated our approach. Seeing their genuine interest was both nerve-wracking and rewarding.
Mentorship Experience
One of the highlights of the hackathon was the mentorship from Interledger Foundation experts. Special thanks to Alex Lakatos, Ioana Chiorean, and Dragos Palade for their support throughout the competition. Dragos was a lifesaver, helping us debug API issues throughout the night. We couldn’t have done it without him! 🙌
What’s Next for ProDIGI?
Winning 1st place and $1,000 was an amazing milestone, but we see even greater potential for ProDIGI. Here’s what’s next:
Enhancing AI Content Filtering – Fine-tuning Llama’s detection to better differentiate between productive and distracting content.
Building a Chrome Extension – Integrating ProDIGI seamlessly with browsers.
Developing Mobile Support – Expanding functionality to smartphones for complete focus management.
Top comments (1)
Congratulations once again to you and your team, @pranav! Great work, and the plans look great; please feel free to reach out to us anytime if you have any questions or need support in implementing the next steps.