A coalition led by Breez, with major partners like Lightspark and Tether, has launched the Time2Build initiative—a global push to incentivize open-source developers to integrate Bitcoin's Lightning Network into popular software projects. With a $25,000 Bitcoin prize pool on offer, the campaign seeks to make Lightning Network payments seamless for mainstream apps.
Key Takeaways
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Time2Build offers $25,000 in Bitcoin prizes for integrating Lightning Network payments into open-source projects.
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Participation is open to projects with a FOSS license, active community, and real-world usage.
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Unlike typical hackathons, only production-ready code merged by maintainers qualifies for rewards.
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The initiative is backed by leading industry partners, including Breez, Lightspark, Tether, Plan ₿ Network, and more.
The Time2Build Vision: Real Bitcoin Payments for Everyday Apps
Time2Build aims to transform how everyday apps handle money by promoting the use of the Lightning Network as a speedy, cost-effective payment layer on top of Bitcoin. Breez's easy-to-integrate SDK gives developers a toolkit to implement self-custodial payment capabilities, increasing adoption without requiring users to forfeit control of their funds.
Breez CEO Roy Sheinfeld emphasized that this is the right moment to expand Bitcoin utility, likening the open payments protocol to the way the internet changed information sharing. "We've launched Time2Build to spark the next generation of open-source apps," he said.
How the Challenge Works
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Duration: Runs from October 7 to November 15, 2025, with implementation due by December 16, and winners announced January 8, 2026.
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Eligibility: Projects must be open source, have an active contribution base, and a real user audience.
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Rewards:
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Top projects: $7,000 Bitcoin
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Mid-tier projects: $3,500 Bitcoin
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Select entries: $1,000 Bitcoin each
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Additional opportunities: Residencies at Draper University and PlebLab
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Judging Panel: Features industry leaders, including best-selling author Jeff Booth and representatives from Breez, Lightspark, and Tether.
Expanding the Bitcoin Ecosystem
The initiative is designed not just for rapid prototyping, but for meaningful, long-term adoption. Only code accepted into project main branches is eligible for rewards, ensuring Lightning integrations reach end users. This sets Time2Build apart from conventional hackathons that often prize incomplete or one-off demos.
Over 40 developer communities worldwide—from Lagos to London—are joining forces for local meetups and collaboration, reflecting the goal of global Bitcoin adoption.
Momentum for Lightning Network Adoption
The Lightning Network, a layer-2 scalability solution for Bitcoin, has gained traction with both crypto-native and conventional organizations. Recent months have seen a surge in adoption by businesses, financial institutions, and technology providers who prize its near-instant, low-fee, peer-to-peer payment capabilities.
Time2Build, with its focus on open-source, production-grade integrations, hopes to further cement Lightning's role as Bitcoin’s leading payment rail, powering new financial use cases across industries and continents.
Sources
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Time2Build to Pay for Open Source Bitcoin LN Integration, Cointelegraph.
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