Cycle 2 of the Nimiq Mini Apps Competition is in the books.
The cycle ran from August 24 to September 18. Builders from around the world shipped Mini Apps, lightweight web apps that run inside Nimiq Pay, and submitted them for review and scoring.
Every submission was scored by the Nimiq Community Council across five categories.
You can refer to the Competition Scoring here.
In total there were 142 Mini Apps submitted in Competition Cycle #2.
Scoring is complete and the results are final.
Note: The Community Council elected to split 2nd place between two builders this cycle. The $17,000 prize pool has been redistributed:
- 🥇1st $7,000
- 🥈2nd $4,000 each
- 🥉3rd $2,000
1st Place: Knock by @kaichaosun, $7,000
Knock is an encrypted chat on Nimiq. Set a connection cost for strangers so spam never reaches you, message friends privately, send and receive NIM directly in conversation, gift NIM to other community members, and create or join public group chats. Emoji reactions, encrypted DMs, and a creator economy without ads, built from the ground up on Nimiq Pay.
2nd Place: Blacktop by @Jayobebe, $4,000
Blacktop is a privacy-first ride companion app built by a marine engineer who rides motorcycles. Real riders log real rides with convoy comms, live maps, and safety tools. Pay Up is the built-in wallet feature. Blacktank is a shared crew fuel pot that only pays out on unanimous vote. Instant QR tips in NIM or USDT with zero fees. Cold-pitched at a local motorcycle shop with zero ad spend, now past 200 riders by word of mouth alone.
2nd Place: NIMIQ.kids by @andjroo111, $4,000
NIMIQ.kids turns your house into its own mini economy. Parents price the jobs, kids do them, one approval sends real NIM to an account the kid owns. The kid spends it back on screen time and treats, so the family's money stays in the family. Built and tested all month on two tablets with the builder's own kids. Five languages. Use any URL or try it in the Nimiq Pay app today.
3rd Place: PROOF by @nimiqagent, $2,000
PROOF turns learning into demonstrated ability. Upload a document, and the platform transforms it into a tailored curriculum, quizzes, and practical tasks powered by AI. An AI Tutor clarifies complex topics on the fly. Prove what you know and earn NIM rewards. Built by a builder who needed a better way to study and retain material for a demanding class, and now uses it daily.
Winners retain full ownership of their work. Prizes are paid in three equal monthly instalments, with full details in the competition rules. All winners will be contacted directly to arrange payout.
The bigger picture
Each cycle raises the standard. Cycle 2 drew 142 submissions, more than double Cycle 1, and the quality matched the volume. Builders shipped encrypted messaging with native payments, a household chore economy powered by NIM, a ride tracker with a shared crew wallet, and an AI learning platform that rewards proven knowledge. These are working products with real users, not proofs of concept.
That said, growth in quantity does not always guarantee growth in impact. Not every submission added meaningful value to the ecosystem. That gap is informing what comes next.
Cycle 3, beginning October 14th, will raise the bar even higher. The Mini Apps Competition will evolve from a “build anything” competition to one focused on adding meaningful functionality and usefulness to the Nimiq ecosystem. Aligned with Nimiq’s roadmap, we’ll give builders a clearer picture of what to build and why.
Thank you
Cycle 2 would not have worked without the people who built for it. To everyone who submitted a Mini App, thank you. You shipped something real in four weeks, and the standard you set made the Council's job a hard one.
Every app built during Cycle 2 belongs to its builder under the MIT License. You can keep developing it, list it anywhere, or take it in a new direction entirely. Nothing about the competition changes that.
Cycle 3 begins Oct 14
Cycle 3 will run from October 14 to November 11, with the same $17,000 prize pool and a few upgrades we think builders are going to like.
A reminder on eligibility, since the rules on this are clear. A Mini App that won a prize cannot be resubmitted in a future cycle. A Mini App that did not win can be resubmitted, improved and refined, as many times as you like. You are also free to submit an entirely new Mini App in any future cycle, and that applies to past winners too. Winning Cycle 1 or 2 does not take you out of the running for Cycle 3.
Registration is open now at miniappscompetition.com
Congratulations to the Cycle 2 winners. We will see the rest of you in Cycle 3.
Pura Vida
Nimiq