Introduction

Hack the Concrete Jungle (HTCJ) — Dallas is a live sports-tech hackathon built at the intersection of technology, culture, and competition.

In collaboration with Web3 Crossover, HTCJ challenges builders to create real, working products inside a live sports environment — not after the game, not in isolation.

This is a hybrid hackathon (IRL + online) where development happens while the game is alive.

Athletes are competing.

Fans are engaged.

Builders are shipping.

HTCJ was created to bring hackathons back to their roots — execution, community, and momentum — while expanding what’s possible with AI, Web3, fintech, and data-driven sports infrastructure.

This Dallas build is part of a larger global series designed to turn prototypes into platforms and ideas into deployable infrastructure.

If you’re building sports-tech that belongs in the real world —

this is your room.

Tools and Technologies

Hack the Concrete Jungle (HTCJ) is tool-agnostic. Builders may use any technology stack that best supports their solution — especially tools that enable fast iteration in live sports environments.

Because this is a live-build sports-tech hackathon, teams are encouraged to choose tools that allow them to ship quickly, test in real time, and collaborate easily.

Recommended & Commonly Used Technologies

No-Code / Low-Code (Strongly Encouraged)

Emergent — Rapid app development using natural language

https://app.emergent.sh/?via=hacktheconcretejungle

If you can describe it, you can build it.

Ideal for mixed-skill teams and fast prototyping during live events.

AI & Machine Learning

OpenAI / LLMs — https://openai.com
Computer vision & analytics tools
Predictive modeling & recommendations

Web3 & Blockchain

Ethereum-compatible chains
Smart contracts & wallets
Tokenized access & governance

Helpful tools:

Wallets (MetaMask, WalletConnect)
Blockchain explorers (Etherscan, etc.)

Sports-Tech & Data

Real-time data ingestion
Wearables & biometric data platforms
Analytics dashboards

Public APIs and open datasets are allowed.

Fintech & Payments

NIL automation tools
Digital wallets
Payment rails

Frontend / UX

React — https://react.dev
Next.js — https://nextjs.org
Mobile or web-based UI frameworks

Backend / Infrastructure

APIs & microservices
Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Databases & authentication services

Creative & Media Tech

Creator tools
Streaming & social integrations
Content automation platforms

What Judges Care About

Judges are not scoring tool choice. They evaluate:

How effectively tools are used
Whether the product works in a live sports environment
Execution, clarity, and real-world relevance

Not Allowed

Plagiarized code
Projects built almost entirely before the event (without disclosure)
Tools used in violation of licensing terms

Reminder

This is a live-build hackathon.

Choose tools that help you:

Move fast
Collaborate in real time

Build while the game is alive

Inspiration

Sports don’t happen in isolation — neither should innovation.

Hack the Concrete Jungle (HTCJ) — Dallas was inspired by a simple idea:

the most powerful technology is built inside real culture, not after it.

While games are being played, crowds are reacting, and athletes are competing, builders are creating. The energy is live. The data is live. The feedback is live.

So the products should be built live too.

HTCJ draws inspiration from:

Street-level sports culture
The rise of athlete ownership and NIL
Web3’s promise of participation and governance
AI’s ability to interpret the game in real time
Communities building their own infrastructure

This isn’t about polished demos made in silence.

It’s about shipping tools that work where sports actually happen — on the court, in the stands, and across digital platforms.

If your idea:

Makes athletes stronger
Makes fans participants
Makes communities owners
Makes sports more transparent, accessible, or equitable

You’re building in the right place.

Build while the game is alive.