Blockchain Innovation at TEKNOFEST Istanbul

TEKNOFEST Istanbul was held between September 17-21, 2025, at Atatürk Airport, attracted over 1 million visitors this year, as the world's largest aviation, space and technology festival. With 58 main categories and 137 subcategories, the festival was a true gathering place for innovation. More than 565.000 teams and 1.1 million competitors applied for the competitions, one of the most dynamic areas being in blockchain.

This year’s TEKNOFEST witnessed a remarkable milestone in the blockchain category, breaking records with over 8,000 applications. After an intense selection process, 28 finalist projects were evaluated, showcasing how blockchain solutions can create impact across diverse sectors—from healthcare to finance, agriculture to defence. University students from across Türkiye came together, competing with creative and high-potential ideas that reflect the country’s growing innovation capacity.

Blockchain Competition is organized with the aim of advancing the blockchain technology itself and providing solutions to real-world problems in areas such as identity, finance, supply chain, and other application domains using blockchain technology. The competition is designed to increase knowledge and trained human resources.There are themes determined within the scope of the competition:

• High Performance and Scalable DLT Infrastructures

• Privacy in DLT Systems

• Digital Wallets

• Selected DLT Application Areas

• Web3 Developer and Community Tools

Representing TAGES, Erdem Gülgener, Vice Chairperson joined the jury panel, contributing to the evaluation of these promising projects and sharing insights into the role of blockchain in shaping future industries.

The evaluation of the blockchain projects at TEKNOFEST Istanbul was undertaken by a distinguished panel of jury members, each bringing their expertise to the rigorous selection process. The jury, in no particular order, consisted of Tuğba Uzun, Bora Erdamar, Davut Gürses, Korcan Abali, Özgür Hamurcu, Mehmet Kafadar, Muhammet Evirgen, Ali Akarcay, Emre Akadal, Oğuz Yayla, Taner Dursun, Alpaslar Burak Eliaçık, Mustafa Takaoğlu and Davut Çulha. Their collective expertise contributed significantly to the selection of the most promising blockchain solutions showcased during the festival.

We extend our sincere congratulations to all participants, and especially to the winners, whose groundbreaking ideas are helping pave the way for a more innovative future.