<img src="https://taikai.azureedge.net/XBn2W2Fa1D5UmVrhFdoPCGRaQl01wOpa0jQYP7EY5Gs/rs:fit:800:0:0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3RhaWthaS1zdG9yYWdlL2ltYWdlcy80YjYzNGM0MC04NDlmLTExZWYtYjNmMy0xMWM4ODEzMmExNTFnYXJkZW4tdGhlIHN0b3J5LnBuZw" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /> Before we dive into the heart of the story, let’s set the stage. This article recounts the journey behind TAIKAI Garden—a space we created to nurture innovation, helping projects flourish beyond hackathons. From humble beginnings to becoming a platform that empowers innovators, this is the story of how it all came to life. 🐣Despite the fictional title, this story is grounded in reality—though a few figurative dragons 🐉 and castles 🏰 may appear along the way. 😂It all began in 2018, before TAIKAI had even taken shape. That’s when we sketched the first concepts for what would become an innovation social network. <img src="https://taikai.azureedge.net/XWTh2vcZ0bmkYaDpbRPLBizODF55YuCPGPb2qDfMuNw/rs:fit:800:0:0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3RhaWthaS1zdG9yYWdlL2ltYWdlcy9lZTU0ZDVjMC04NDk3LTExZWYtYjYwZi04MzE2ZjRlZmRhZDVTY3JlZW5zaG90IDIwMjQtMTAtMDcgYXQgMTEuMzUuNTEucG5n" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Slide from our first presentation, dated June 2018. The idea? Bring together all the key players in innovation onto a single platform, where they could collaborate to shape the next billion-dollar breakthroughs. 🚀<h3> </h3><h3>Our First Dragon 🐲</h3>Getting to this point wasn’t simple. We faced two major hurdles:<ol><li>A platform like this didn’t exist back then. 🤔</li><li>Building it was a massive endeavor, one that would take years. 🏗️</li></ol>This was our first dragon to face. Instead of charging headlong at the beast, we decided to start small, carving out a niche and slowly growing it into a SuperApp 🦸, integrating everything necessary for an innovation ecosystem.<h3> </h3><h3>Befriending the Dragon 🐉</h3>If you’re into sci-fi or Disney films, you know the dragon is often the toughest obstacle to overcome. But instead of slaying it ⚔️, sometimes befriending the beast is the smarter move. 🤝 Enter the Hackathon Platform 💡<img src="https://taikai.azureedge.net/G92ac_0VGXTA4yGouEn2nb8Zg8R33GmuZOpnGUfAKbM/rs:fit:800:0:0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3RhaWthaS1zdG9yYWdlL2ltYWdlcy80YThmZmFlMC04NDk4LTExZWYtYjNmMy0xMWM4ODEzMmExNTFTY3JlZW5zaG90IDIwMjQtMTAtMDcgYXQgMTEuMzguMTEucG5n" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /> In 2018, hackathons were starting to take off. Seeing an opportunity, we combined blockchain and token systems to create a fresh approach: the first platform to host and manage hackathons with a built-in token economy. This acted as both a transparent voting system ✅ and a reward mechanism 🎁 for users.Five years and over 200 hackathons later, it was time to evolve. 🌟 <h3>From Knight to Dragon 🏇➡️🐉</h3>TAIKAI isn’t just a blockchain app anymore. It’s one of the world’s leading hackathon platforms, having collaborated with top organizations across both web2 and web3 🌐, and partnered with many of the largest web3 communities, such as ETH events. 🌍We’d transformed from a brave little knight 🏇 into a mighty dragon! 🔥🐉The next logical step? Taking our original vision and making it a reality. 💭✨ Enter TAIKAI Garden 🌱<img src="https://taikai.azureedge.net/6q9Thx8B06BxICBt2fT5xfXwSHXO39eYD0jj2vTkLvU/rs:fit:800:0:0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3RhaWthaS1zdG9yYWdlL2ltYWdlcy84NmMwNGUyMC04NDk4LTExZWYtYjNmMy0xMWM4ODEzMmExNTFTY3JlZW5zaG90IDIwMjQtMTAtMDcgYXQgMTEuMzkuNDMucG5n" class="fr-fic fr-dib" /> Through our experience, we’ve learned that the majority of projects die out after a hackathon ends. Some teams don’t know what to do next 🤷, but the majority lack critical resources like teammates, mentors, or funding. 💸Yet there are exceptions—giants that have emerged from hackathons, like Portuguese unicorn 🦄 Talkdesk or web3 leader 1inch, both of which were born from weekend hacking sessions. 💻This insight led us to create TAIKAI Garden, extending the platform to nurture innovation even further. 🌱✨In TAIKAI Garden, users can explore other projects 🧐, and we’ll help match project owners with teammates and mentors. Later, they can participate in our Innovation Farming program 🧑‍🌾, receiving token-based incentives to continue developing their ideas. 💡💰Best of all, we don’t select the winning projects—the community does 👥, and they get rewarded for their contributions too. 🙌But wait, there’s more! 🎉 TAIKAI Garden isn’t just for hackathon participants. Anyone can bring their project, whether as a solopreneur 🚶‍♂️ or a team 👫, and use the platform to keep growing, updating, and eventually securing funding. 💼💰 <h3>The Dragon’s Japanese Castle 🏯</h3>Finally, we’re on the verge of conquering the castle 🏰.Or better yet, the whole garden kingdom. 🪴And that moment is almost here! 🔜I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. This has truly been the journey of a lifetime 🌍, creating a space where both seasoned and new innovators can thrive—both as individuals and as part of groundbreaking projects. 🌟🚀<a href="https://taikai.network/#garden-whitepaper" target="_blank">Stay tuned for more on TAIKAI Garden! </a>🌱🌿<div><div> </div> <h3>About the TAIKAI Garden</h3>TAIKAI Garden is a product extension of <a href="https://taikai.network/" target="_blank">TAIKAI</a> that redefines the innovation landscape’s status quo by connecting innovators to an inclusive and collaborative environment.Designed on an incentive framework, the ecosystem answers the need for sustained and democratized access to support aspiring innovators turn their ideas into impactful businesses. We invite you to explore the <a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/taikai-storage/landing/product/TAIKAI_Garden_Whitepaper_v1.1_Dec_2023.pdf" target="_blank">TAIKAI Garden Whitepaper</a> where you can find in-depth information about the ecosystem goals, dynamics, and the benefits your project can reap by joining the TAIKAI Garden. </div>

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