This past weekend, our team participated in an exhilarating hackathon organized by Crédit Agricole CIB, Ledger, and Avalanche at B3 Village by CA in Vierzon (See Hackathon website). We embarked on an intense 48-hour journey that tested our creativity, technical skills, and resilience, resulting in an unexpected but rewarding outcome.

The Challenge: Innovating Treasury Management with Blockchain

Our team of four—François, CEO of Nemeos, Antony, a UX/UI expert, Julian from Nemeos, and Gwenaël, a DeFi specialist—began with a bold mission: to create a new fundraising product using tokens, leveraging the cutting-edge, on-chain payment infrastructure developed by CACIB (so|cash). The primary goal was to facilitate token-based fundraising through an innovative credit-based payment structure.

However, as the hours rolled by, and after several discussions with the mentors and technical teams—including Mohamed T., Simon Foucher, and Guénolé de Cadoudal—we came to a crucial realization: our initial concept was too ambitious for the limited timeframe of a weekend hackathon. The solution required multiple additional modules, leading to an overly complex use case that would be challenging to present effectively.

The Pivot: Real-Time Investment of Tokenized Assets

Rather than pressing on with a cumbersome project, we made a bold decision: to pivot our solution on Saturday evening at 7 PM, with only hours left before the final presentation. We shifted our focus to developing an application that would allow users to invest in any type of tokenized asset—such as government bonds, debt funds, gold, and real estate—directly from their bank accounts using the so|cash payment protocol. In this new model, Nemeos became a feature for financing investments rather than the primary product.

This pivot transformed our project into a practical, easily understandable solution with a clear value proposition for both retail and institutional users: making investing in tokenized assets as seamless as managing a traditional bank account.

Results: A Winning Vision for On-Chain Finance

Our pivot proved to be the right move. The application was well-received by the jury, which included notable figures like Guénolé de Cadoudal, Romain Liquard, and Sébastien Plaisant from Crédit Agricole. Our approach to integrating traditional banking interfaces with on-chain assets presented a compelling vision for the future of finance, and we were awarded first place for the Crédit Agricole CIB challenge, with a prize of $6000! 🏆🏆🏆

Lessons Learned: Flexibility, Teamwork, and the Power of On-Chain

This hackathon was more than just a competition; it was a testament to our team’s ability to adapt and innovate under pressure. By embracing the pivot, we could turn an overambitious idea into an achievable solution, which ultimately won over the jury. It’s a powerful reminder that even under strict time constraints, a team aligned in its conviction can make significant breakthroughs.

We’re deeply grateful to the event organizers, sponsors, mentors, and fellow participants for an incredible 48 hours full of learning, collaboration, and growth. The experience not only strengthened our belief in the future of finance being on-chain but also showcased the immense possibilities when traditional finance meets blockchain technology.

We remain more convinced than ever that the future of finance is on-chain. 🚀