From Tsinghua University top student to Web3 pioneer: An interview with DoraHacks founder Steve Ngok.
In the latest episode (Bill It Up), host Bill Qian engaged in an in-depth dialogue with Steve Ngok, founder and global business leader of DoraHacks. From a top student at Tsinghua University to a pioneer in the Web3 field, Steve shared his unique insights on hacker culture, blockchain evolution, and the potential impacts of AI and quantum computing on the crypto space. This article organizes the dialogue content, delving into how DoraHacks promotes technological innovation through hackathons and Steve's grand vision for the future development of the Web3 ecosystem.
DoraHacks: The innovation engine connecting global hackers.
DoraHacks is a global developer community platform established in 2014, positioning itself as the largest entrepreneurial incentive platform in the Web3 ecosystem. Steve introduced that DoraHacks stands out in the industry with its unique positioning: it does not compete with any company or organization, but instead collaborates with major public chains and open-source technology platforms to build an open ecosystem together, supporting developers in their ventures.
'The value of DoraHacks lies in helping developers start businesses while promoting the ecological development of open-source technology.' Steve stated that the platform has incubated several successful projects, such as Injective and Polygon (then known as Matic), which were born in the DoraHacks hackathon in 2018. These projects grew from startup teams to unicorns in the blockchain field, fully reflecting DoraHacks' capability in cultivating innovative teams.
Compared to Y Combinator (YC), DoraHacks has stronger scalability. YC is characterized by high-quality incubation, focusing on commercial projects that can land quickly within 1-3 years, while DoraHacks pays more attention to the long-term potential in Web3 and cutting-edge technology fields. Additionally, DoraHacks has clear plans for quantum computing and blockchain ecosystem construction, areas that YC rarely explores.
Hackathons: The barometer of the rise and fall of blockchain ecosystems.
Steve believes that hackathons are an important indicator of whether a blockchain ecosystem is healthy. 'Ecosystems that value hackathons and truly provide resources for developers often manage to incubate excellent projects and survive bear markets.' He cited Solana as an example, noting that it successfully incubated projects like Render, Helium, and Photobots AI through DoraHacks' hackathons, seizing the trend of combining DeFi and AI to strengthen its ecosystem position.
Conversely, some public chains have gradually declined due to a lack of substantial support for developers. For example, certain China-backed public chains, such as Ontology and Nebulas, which collaborated in 2018, have gradually lost market competitiveness after 2021. Steve emphasized: 'The success of an ecosystem depends on whether it can find teams that can truly solve problems through mechanisms like hackathons, and help them survive bear markets, secure funding, and create top-notch products.'
AI Empowerment: From 'Vibe Programming' to hackathon automation.
In recent years, the rapid development of AI technology has brought new opportunities to DoraHacks. Steve revealed that DoraHacks has launched a product called 'Build AI,' aimed at enhancing the organizational efficiency of hackathons through AI technology. Traditional hackathons rely on high-cost developer relations (DevRel) teams and can only organize 1-2 events per year. Build AI reduces organizational costs to 1/10 to 1/20 of the original while achieving the astonishing efficiency of holding a hackathon every month through automated topic design, project review, and market promotion.
'Imagine an AI agent that can help you organize 12 hackathons, covering all tedious management tasks, allowing the ecosystem to continuously attract developers.' Steve stated that this product not only transforms DoraHacks' years of accumulated hackathon experience into a technological advantage but also empowers various public chain ecosystems, accelerating the incubation of Web3 projects.
Excitingly, AI is changing the role of developers. Steve mentioned an emerging profession - 'Vibe Coder.' These individuals, who are not proficient in programming, collaborate with AI to develop high-quality products. For example, an application called Call AI assists users to achieve millions of dollars in annual income from zero programming background. This 'Vibe Programming' phenomenon significantly lowers the entrepreneurial threshold, giving more people the opportunity to become 'hackers.'
Quantum Computing: Disruption or Opportunity?
Quantum computing is another frontier that DoraHacks is focusing on. Steve believes that 2025 will mark the 'Ethereum smart contract moment' for quantum computing, signaling that quantum software development is entering a practical stage. The core advantage of quantum computing lies in processing massive amounts of data and precise forecasting, such as predicting the weather three months ahead or the stock market trends for the coming years, rather than merely cracking passwords.
In response to the question of whether 'quantum computing will threaten Bitcoin's security,' Steve stated that theoretically, quantum computers' supercomputing power could crack Bitcoin's encryption algorithms or accelerate mining. However, he optimistically pointed out that the Bitcoin community is expected to introduce quantum-resistant encryption solutions through forks and upgrades to mitigate potential crises. Additionally, DoraHacks is exploring quantum blockchain directions to create more secure on-chain systems using unique quantum computing signature mechanisms.
'Quantum computing will not destroy Bitcoin; instead, it will drive further evolution of blockchain technology.' Steve emphasized that the true potential of quantum computing lies in replacing existing AI computing infrastructure, becoming a key technology that disrupts traditional computing giants like NVIDIA.
Beyond Web3 and AI: The Hacker movement in medical innovation.
In addition to Web3 and quantum computing, DoraHacks is also focusing on innovation in the medical field. Steve mentioned that the high regulatory barriers of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hindered many small and medium-sized enterprises from innovating in medicine, such as cancer treatment and gene editing technologies. DoraHacks plans to support the 'hacker movement' in this field, assisting groundbreaking medical projects in breaking the monopoly of large pharmaceutical companies.
'AI in the medical field can deduce the combinations of DNA and mRNA to design new drugs and treatments.' Steve cited examples where AI can also aid in developing rocket materials and other cutting-edge technologies, showcasing its immense cross-industry potential.
Future Vision: Connecting billions of hackers worldwide.
Looking ahead, Steve has set a grand vision for DoraHacks: 'Connecting hackers around the world to solve important and urgent problems.' He believes that as AI liberates humans from tedious work, everyone could potentially become a creative 'hacker.' The DoraHacks developer community already has over 200,000 registered users, with the potential to expand to tens of millions or even billions in the future.
In the short term, DoraHacks will focus on four major directions:
Consumer-level Crypto: Exploring the 'Pinduoduo' or 'Alipay' moment in the Crypto field, promoting innovation in payment and social scenarios.
Automated Organization: Empowering public chains and corporate ecosystems through AI-driven automation services.
Open-source Quantum Software: Positioning quantum computing applications to seize technological high ground.
Free Society (Medical Innovation): Supporting groundbreaking medical projects and breaking regulatory barriers.
Advice for young people: Do big things, don't fear failure.
For post-00s entrepreneurs, Steve encourages them to boldly start businesses with the help of AI. 'Now is the golden age for entrepreneurship; AI has exponentially lowered the barriers to entry for developers.' He suggests that young people start from first principles, focusing on truly important issues rather than chasing short-term gains. 'The difficulty of doing big things is about the same as doing small things, so why not directly do things that can change the world?' Steve cited the viewpoint of Blackstone Group's Stephen Schwarzman, emphasizing that entrepreneurship is the best learning process and that failure is a part of growth.
Conclusion
From a top student at Tsinghua University to a Web3 pioneer, Steve Ngok integrates hacker culture deeply with blockchain, AI, and quantum computing through DoraHacks. His story showcases the infinite possibilities of technology-driven innovation and points the way for the future development of the Web3 ecosystem. As he said, 'Everyone can become a hacker and solve important and urgent problems.' For developers, entrepreneurs, and those curious about future technology, DoraHacks is not just a platform but a bridge connecting dreams with reality.
