Cryptocurrency Hackathon will talk Bitcoin, Dogecoin and …

Whether you're well-versed in the ways of Bitcoin or you're a fan of the "Doge" meme and can't quite believe it inspireda form of digital currency,theCryptocurrency Hackathonat the Madworks Coworking Space is the occasion to dig deeper.

The Hackathon will run similar to a Startup Weekend, said Brian Samson, who is overseeing the event. Rather than focusing on jump-starting a business, though, the goal of participants will be to create and complete a tech project.

The winner of the Hackathon will receive one bitcoin valued currently at about $850.

"All day long, we'll be focused on making cool stuff writing software, doing a project," Samson said.

The event is scheduled to run from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Feb. 15, at the Madworks Coworking Space, 550 S. Rosa Road, Suite 225. The entry fee is $5 (or 0.005887 BTC), which includes registration, some Dogecoins and breakfast, lunch and dinner. Participants can pay via credit card, or with Bitcoin, Dogecoin or Litecoin.

The Hackathon is designed for people who know how to write code and are interested in learning more about cryptocurrency, Samson said. But for people who aren't well-versed in programming, there's another option.

After announcing the event, interest grew among non-coders who had a general interest in learning more about cryptocurrency. Because of that, the organizers decided to host an "unconference" that will run parallel to the Hackathon.

"While people are writing code and hacking on stuff, were going to have some of the other conference rooms, giving little talks," Samson said. "An intro to what is cryptocurrency, how does it work."

The first cryptocurrency to begin trading was Bitcoin, in 2009. The digital exchange medium has grown in popularity in recent years, with a number of "altcoins" some serious, like Litecoin, and some based on jokes, like Dogecoinand the recently shut-down Coinye West entering the market.

But even the joke-coins can have some serious real-word impact. Although Dogecoin was inspired by a Shiba Inu who thinks in Comic Sans, it's also sending athletes from India and Jamaica to the Olympics. An effort to fund the Jamaican bobsleigh team's travel expenses surpassed its $30,000 goal in one day, with more than 26 million DOGE donations. A separate effort netted more than $6,000 and will send two skiers from India to the games.

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Cryptocurrency Hackathon will talk Bitcoin, Dogecoin and ...