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From Hackathon Hustle to Big Ideas: Blinkz

Published on: 30 January, 2025

By Carol E. –  Program Manager

Developers across the world are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on Bitcoin, and Rootstock is at the heart of that transformation. By providing an EVM-compatible environment secured by Bitcoin’s proof-of-work, Rootstock is taking its rightful place as the hub for innovation on Bitcoin. This is the first article of the series “Real stories, Real builders” where we’ll share stories from developers who have built on Rootstock—what they created, why they chose it, how their projects are growing, and their advice for developers.

Let’s meet our first developer.

Ephi

Web3 plugin and generator for enabling blockchain links and actions anywhere on the web.

Meet Bojan Antunovic and his crew from Decenter R&D. At ETH Global Brussels 2024, they kicked off Ephi (Ephi | ETHGlobal) —short for “ephemeral interactions”—a project aimed at making blockchain actions feel as easy as a single click. Think about being able to tip someone, mint an NFT, or bridge assets directly within platforms like X or Reddit. Since their hackathon days, that initial idea has grown and now goes by the name Blinkz, reflecting both a broader vision and bigger ambitions.

Choosing to build on Rootstock

Utilizing the Rootstock blockchain turned out to be a great fit. Bojan mentioned how solid the documentation was and how smooth it was to get everything set up quickly—super helpful in the intense environment of a hackathon. The Rootstock developer community didn’t just hand them the keys and disappear; they stuck around, provided feedback, and helped shape Blinkz into a tool that now works comfortably across both the EVM and Rootstock ecosystems. To this day, the Blinkz team has launched a live generator page, so anyone can customize their own blockchain interactions without any fuss.

Advice for developers

For anyone taking on a hackathon, Bojan’s advice is simple: focus on solving a real problem. “Whether you’re whipping up a quick prototype or building something for the long haul, keep your eyes on what matters”. The Blinkz team took that approach and continues to add new features and wallet integrations long after the hackathon has ended.

Want to see what Blinkz is all about? Check out their official docs or play around with their live generator page. You can also say hi to the team on Twitter or get in touch with Bojan directly.

Start building today

Feeling inspired to build something new? 

Check out what you can do on Rootstock with tools like:

Rootstock is more than just a building platform, it’s an entire ecosystem shaping the future of Bitcoin. 

With the RootstockCollective DAO now fully launched, join the Collective Rewards program so you can get funding and support for building better on Bitcoin.

Apply to be a builder on RootstockCollective today.