Judging at LegalHack 2025. By Ibrahim Shittu
I spend my days building AI-powered tools for the legal industry. When
I learned about the Blockchain Legal Institute’s Legal Tech Hackathon
and the opportunity to judge, I was immediately interested.
Hackathons have always fascinated me—the energy, the creativity,
the pressure of building something meaningful in a short time.
I’ve judged hackathons before. I am familiar with the process:
quick-fire presentations, ambitious projects, and the exhilarating
energy of individuals creating something innovative under pressure.
But judging a legal tech hackathon? That was different. This wasn’t just
about evaluating code quality or system architecture. It was about
assessing solutions to real legal compliance challenges through the
lens of blockchain technology.
The World’s First Legal Tech Blockchain Hackathon
LegalHack 2025, hosted by the Blockchain Legal Institute (BLI) in
partnership with Constellation Network, Internet Computer Protocol
(ICP), and Story Protocol, billed itself as the world’s first legal
technology hackathon focused on blockchain applications. The
numbers alone were impressive: 320 hackers from around the globe,
91 projects submitted, and over $32,000 in bounties up for grabs.
The challenge was clear but ambitious: build solutions that address
legal compliance challenges using blockchain technology. Participants
had to demonstrate technical expertise across AI, blockchain
integration, smart contracts, and decentralized applications—all while
showing how their ideas could solve real-world problems.
For me, this meant evaluating projects not just as a software engineer,
but as someone who works in the legal tech space daily. I had to
assess both the technical implementation and whether the solutions
actually addressed real legal challenges.
A Truly Global Effort
One of the most striking aspects of LegalHack 2025 was its global
reach. Hackers joined from South America, North America, Africa,
Europe, and Asia. The virtual format made this possible, bringing
together perspectives I wouldn’t have encountered at a traditional
in-person event.
This diversity wasn’t just geographic; it was jurisdictional. Legal
compliance looks different depending on where you are in the world. A
solution designed for European data protection regulations might
approach the problem differently than one built for American
corporate law or Latin American financial regulations. Seeing teams
tackle these challenges in their context made the hackathon richer.
The BLI team facilitated this global collaboration through Discord,
where we hosted twice-weekly help sessions during the hackathon.
These sessions became more than just Q&A—they were spaces where
hackers shared ideas, asked questions, and received feedback from
judges like me. I’d pop in to offer suggestions or point someone
toward a better approach for their smart contract implementation.
Watching these interactions unfold across time zones reminded me
that innovation thrives when people from different backgrounds work
on challenging problems together.
The Judging Experience
Virtual pitch day arrived on November 15th. My task: evaluate 57
projects built on Constellation Network, ICP, and Story Protocol,
focusing on 13 project pitches where teams presented their work.
Judging a legal tech hackathon felt different from other hackathons
I’ve evaluated. With most hackathons, I can focus heavily on the
technical implementation—is the product scalable? Are they using the
right tools? But here, I also had to ask: Does this team actually
understand the legal problem they’re solving?
Some projects demonstrated impressive technical implementations,
yet their legal applicability fell short. Others had a profound
understanding of legal challenges but struggled with the technical
execution. The best projects, the ones that really stood out, nailed
both.
What I Learned
Building interdisciplinary solutions is challenging. You need to speak
two languages—in this case, legal and technical. You need to
understand the constraints of both worlds.
Global collaboration also left an impression on me. The Discord
community, the help sessions, the time-zone-spanning
conversations—all of it reminded me that the best ideas don’t come
from isolated genius. They come from people with different
perspectives working together, learning from each other, and pushing
each other forward.
A Note of Thanks
Events like LegalHack 2025 don’t just happen. They require vision,
coordination, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I want to thank
Jacqueline Cooper and the entire Blockchain Legal Institute team for
putting such a hackathon together. Creating the world’s first legal tech
blockchain hackathon is no small feat—bringing together 320 hackers
globally, coordinating with major blockchain protocols, and fostering a
community where legal and technical minds could collaborate.
Thanks also to Constellation Network, Internet Computer Protocol, and
Story Protocol for supporting this initiative and providing the
infrastructure that made these innovations possible.
Looking Forward
LegalHack 2025 was a snapshot of where legal tech and blockchain
are heading. The projects I evaluated weren’t just experiments—they
were glimpses of a future where legal work is faster, more transparent,
and more accessible.
But more than that, the hackathon reinforced something I’ve been
thinking about a lot lately: traditional industries need innovators.
People who care about solving real problems in industries that have
been underserved by technology.
Stay Curious
Judging LegalHack taught me that the best innovation happens at
intersections—where different fields, perspectives, and technologies
meet.
The best ideas don’t come from staying comfortable. They come from
staying curious. So here’s my question for you: What traditional
industry could benefit from the tech skills you already have?
Think about it. Then go build something.
About Ibrahim Shittu
Ibrahim Shittu is a senior software engineer who builds AI tools that
make legal work faster and easier. He creates systems that help
lawyers draft, review, and manage complex documents with far less
manual effort.
Ibrahim has also built large-scale digital platforms used by universities
and financial services teams, serving millions of users. His experience
spans full-stack software development, AI systems, and secure cloud
architecture.
He is passionate about how AI and emerging technologies can improve
access to legal services and transform the way legal professionals
work.
