WEEX AI Hackathon Champions Crowned, Revealing Future of AI Trading

SINGAPORE, March 9, 2026 — The first-ever WEEX AI Hackathon has officially wrapped up after weeks of high-stakes competition. The event was hosted by WEEX Labs, the innovation hub of leading crypto exchange WEEX (click to register and reserve your seat for season 2), which serves over 6.2 million users worldwide.

The journey began with more than 200 registered teams fighting through the preliminary rounds. When the dust settled, 10 standout teams emerged victorious, proving their ability to navigate the unpredictable waters of crypto markets with the help of artificial intelligence.

The WEEX AI Hackathon marks a significant milestone for the AI trading space—not just for its $1.8 million prize pool that attracted global elites, but for demonstrating that the future of AI trading belongs to a new wave of accessible, AI-powered innovation.

Meet the Winners: Inside the First-Ever WEEX AI Hackathon

In total, the WEEX AI Hackathon distributed nearly $1.8 million in prizes, making a clear statement that the platform is serious about identifying and rewarding the brightest talents in AI trading.

When the final results were tallied, ten teams claimed their place at the top: todd secured first place, walking away with the grand prize—a Bentley Bentayga S valued at $500,000 as part of a $600,000 package that also included an $80,000 sponsor gift pack, $20,000 in WXT tokens, and cloud credits from AWS, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud. Shadow Trading AI and 奥印AI量化系统 took second place, each receiving approximately $50,000 in total value, including sponsor gift packs, WXT tokens, and credits from AWS, Rootdata, Coingecko, and other partners. ClubW_9Kid, Rift, and Paper Hands Club claimed third place, each taking home roughly $20,000, comprising sponsor gift packs, WXT tokens, and resources from AWS, Hubble, and Coingecko. The four Merit Award winners—zemeng, Makabaka, 0x31ad.sun, and Al to Moon—each received approximately $10,000, including sponsor gift packs, WXT tokens, and credits from AWS, Coingecko, Cryptoracle, and Hubble.

Beyond the top ten, three special awards recognized standout achievements—nick took home the WEEX AI Trading x Hubble Special Award, ritmex earned the Best Risk Control x Tencent Cloud Special Award, and crypto_trade captured the People's Choice Award. For participants, the message was clear: innovation in AI trading doesn't go unnoticed. When it's recognized, the rewards can be life-changing.

What made this competition truly fascinating was the sheer diversity of approaches on display. Some teams built models focused on steady, consistent returns, while others designed their systems to capitalize on major market movements, snapping up profits when volatility hit. Different strategies, different tools, different philosophies, all competing on the same stage. Yet when organizers sat down with the winners afterward, a common theme emerged: survival first. In the fast-moving, often brutal world of crypto trading, the top priority for these AI models wasn't maximizing gains—it was staying in the game.

Perhaps more telling was the background of several winners. They didn't come from traditional coding or quantitative finance—they used "Vibe Coding," leveraging AI tools to build, test, and refine their trading models without writing every line of code themselves. This signals a broader shift: the barrier to entry for AI trading is falling. You no longer need a computer science degree or years of development experience to build a competitive strategy. You need creativity, market insight, and the ability to collaborate with AI. And WEEX just provided the proving ground to make that point clear.

Behind the Scenes—How a Cross-Industry Alliance Powered the Competition

No event of this scale succeeds on its own. The WEEX AI Hackathon was backed by a diverse coalition of sponsors spanning Web2 infrastructure, Web3 data platforms, AI innovation, and developer communities.

Leading the charge were tech giants Amazon Web Services (AWS), Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud—each providing the cloud infrastructure that kept the competition running smoothly. On the data side, CoinGecko and RootData delivered the market intelligence that participants needed to build and test their strategies.

AI-focused innovators also played a pivotal role in shaping the competition. Hubble AI equipped multiple participants with advanced AI trading tools, directly contributing to their standout performances throughout the hackathon. Meanwhile, prediction market platforms ForeGate and EveryX added an interactive layer to the experience—giving audiences a way to engage with the action off-chain and feel the thrill of the competition unfold in real time. Their involvement went beyond infrastructure, turning spectators into active participants and deepening the sense of immersion across the entire event.

The hackathon also drew participation from meme projects, developer communities, and Web3 data infrastructure platforms—creating one of the most diverse sponsor lineups seen at an event of this kind. Throughout the competition, these esteemed sponsors and partners engaged directly with participants through online AMA sessions and offline workshops, demonstrating what's possible when Web2 infrastructure, Web3 data, and AI innovation come together.

This Is Just the Beginning: Season 2 Arrives in May

As the inaugural WEEX AI Hackathon fades into the rearview mirror, one thing is already clear: this was never meant to be a one-time event. It was the opening chapter in a much larger story about where AI and crypto trading are headed.

The competition showed that AI is no longer a niche tool for quantitative hedge funds and elite developers. It's becoming accessible to a broader range of builders—creatives, strategists, and crypto natives who may not write perfect code but know how to ask AI the right questions. That shift has profound implications for the entire industry.

And the story isn't over yet. WEEX has officially announced that Season 2 of the AI Hackathon will launch this May.According to organizers, the next edition will feature upgrades across the board—larger prizes, more AI elites, and even greater opportunities for participants to showcase their skills. For anyone who missed out this time—or for teams that competed and want another shot at glory—the message is simple: start preparing now. The AI trading revolution is accelerating, and WEEX is positioning itself at the center of it all.

About WEEX

Founded in 2018, WEEX has developed into a global crypto exchange with over 6.2 million users across more than 150 countries. The platform emphasizes security, liquidity, and usability, providing over 1,200 spot trading pairs and offering up to 400x leverage in crypto futures trading. In addition to the traditional spot and derivatives markets, WEEX is expanding rapidly in the AI era — delivering real-time AI news, empowering users with AI trading tools, and exploring innovative trade-to-earn models that make intelligent trading more accessible to everyone. Its 1,000 BTC Protection Fund further strengthens asset safety and transparency, while features such as copy trading and advanced trading tools allow users to follow professional traders and experience a more efficient, intelligent trading journey.

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