Banco Santander and the Oxentia Foundation are inviting startups and scaleups from 11 countries to participate in a blockchain challenge, presenting an opportunity to win cash prizes.
Companies are encouraged to propose solutions that address challenges such as enhancing user privacy and security within blockchain networks, advancing decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenization, and improving digital interactions with users through initiatives related to Web3 and the metaverse.
The challenge is open to participants from Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the US, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, the UK, and Uruguay. Interested parties have until June 9 to apply. A panel of experts will select 20 finalists for a pitch day, where three winning startups will each receive €10,000 and three winning scaleups will each be awarded €30,000.
Additionally, participants will gain access to Santander X 100, the bank’s community of startups, which offers support in advice, training, capital, customer access, talent acquisition, and networking opportunities.
Coty de Monteverde, head of the crypto and blockchain center of excellence at Banco Santander, stated, "There is still a long way to go before blockchain is definitively integrated into the daily lives of people and companies, and at Santander Universities, we aim to support startups and scaleups with innovative solutions leveraging this technology."